Shop Til You Drop

Let's play a game. What's the worst thing to have in your grocery bag when the bottom falls out? Eggs? Pickles?

Tonight's answer: Salsa!

While I am pleased to report the martini olives survived unscathed, I did leave a puddle of picante and glass on the ground outside my local market. Actually, a nearby restaurant owner saw the moment of impact and - feeling sorry for my misfortune - scooped up my groceries and wiped them down while I went back for a new bag. She was very kind, and I was very grateful. Not grateful enough to be amused by her male coworkers' bizarre attempt to get me to "thank them properly with kisses on the cheek" as I was leaving, but appreciative nonetheless.

It's been an exhausting day and an odd evening. I need sleep.

But Wait There's More

CBS Radio just called to chat with Richard. I'm too hyped up to sleep these days anyway so getting a call at 7:45am was actually not a huge deal. I'm sure I will crash later, but for now, all's good. Here's some more HCAN in the news for your perusal:

Bloomberg:

“It’s great to see folks intending to work together to control costs, but the success will depend on actual implementation,” said Richard Kirsch, director of Health Care for America Now, a Washington-based group lobbying for Obama’s health plan and supported by groups including the AFL-CIO, a labor federation representing about 11 million workers.

Supporting cost-cutting doesn’t mean insurers will stop fighting against Obama’s proposal to create a government-run health plan to compete with private insurance companies and help reduce costs, he said.

Powerful Groups Oppose

“There are major features that powerful groups have said they oppose, and these will be issues Congress has to continue to wrestle with,” Kirsch said.

Associated Press:

A look at 10 groups with the most influence, or most at stake, in the health debate, and what they want and are trying to avoid:

The estimated 50 million uninsured people in the U.S. don't have lobbyists, but various advocacy groups aim to speak on their behalf. The liberal group Health Care for America Now says any health overhaul should mean coverage for everyone by including a public plan, basing out-of-pocket costs on ability to pay and providing a standard benefit with preventive care and treatment for serious and chronic diseases.

LATimes:

MoveOn has been joined by other liberal advocacy groups such as Health Care for America Now, which aired its own ad last month promoting a public plan. Last week, it aired a second ad highlighting Scott's former work for healthcare giant Columbia/HCA, which a decade ago paid $1.7 billion to settle fraud charges against the company.

And both WaPo writes made the CNN Ticker:

Washington Post: Health Groups Vow Cost Control
Volunteering to "do our part" to tackle runaway health costs, leading groups in the health-care industry have offered to squeeze $2 trillion in savings from projected increases over the next decade, White House officials said yesterday.

Washington Post: Ex-Hospital CEO Battles Reform Effort
The television ads that began airing last week feature horror stories from Canada and the United Kingdom: Patients who allegedly suffered long waits for surgeries, couldn't get the drugs they needed, or had to come to the United States for treatment.

Make Mine A Double

HCAN's in The Washington Post today. Twice.

Story one:

Advocates for expanding health-care coverage applauded the industry's commitment yesterday.

"We are glad to see major industry trade groups approach the president with an offer to get health-care costs under control in a system that covers everyone, and we appreciate their emphasizing the urgency of health-care reform," said Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager of Health Care for America Now, which calls itself a national grass-roots organization pushing for expanded health-care coverage.

Story two:

In an ad broadcast in the Washington area and in Scott's home town of Naples, Fla., last week, a group called Health Care for America Now says of Scott: "He and his insurance-company friends make millions from the broken system we have now."

The group's national campaign manager, Richard Kirsch, said: "Those attacking reform are really looking to protect their own profits, and he's a perfect messenger for that. His history of making a fortune by destroying quality in the health-care system and ripping off the government is a great example of what's really going on."

Up, Up, and an Upgrade

Continental Airlines took good care of me. I had to sprint to catch my connection, but there was a first class ticket waiting at the gate in Houston. That and knowing I was finally on my way home made the whole delay situation much more tolerable.

It's good to be back. I've got a lot of catching up to do before I can settle into the weekend so this is going to be all for now.

Have a good one.

Air Health Care Day 3

I don't want to sound too negative, but I just agreed to a decision that has the potential to implode in spectacular fashion.

The airline bumped me to a later flight (2 hours) through a different city in exchange for a $300 voucher and a $6 meal ticket. For the record, I didn't volunteer.

Anyway, the new itinerary allegedly gets me into DC only 20 minutes later than the original, but it leaves me with just 25 minutes between touch down and take off to make the transfer between terminals to catch the second flight. Assuming all's on time, they assure me it's totally doable.

I'm skeptical.

For those of you keeping track at home, we're now at 3 completed flights, 1 cancelled flight, 4 rescheduled flights, 3 different airlines, 2 rental cars, 2 hotels (1 dump), 3 cities, and 2 flights to go all in less than 48 hours.

p.s. I've just been reminded that if I don't use my meal ticket here, I can use it in my transfer city. You know, because there will be plenty of time between flights to grab a meal.

Discomfort Inn and Out

As much as I hate waiting around terminals for flights, everything about last night's motel was so disconcerting that I opted to bolt as early as possible this morning and just kill time in the airport instead of spending one more second in that room. I was there less than 6 hours. It was plenty.

I may tell you where I am once I leave, but it's safe to say I'm officially not a fan of this state and won't be back anytime soon. They've got some issues here, not the least of which are a complete lack of useful highway and airport road signage and no working knowledge of the difference between left and right. Cleanliness also not a big priority, apparently.

Oh, and just for good measure, the following came out in a conversation about health care reform last night:

"There are like 5 million people here on Medicaid. If you get rid of Medicaid and make them all pay $1, that's like $1 million."

I'm happy to be heading home.

Rick Scott: Shady

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