NRCC Luring Doctors To Oppose Reform By Pretending To ‘Honor’ Them
NRCC Luring Doctors To Oppose Reform By Pretending To ‘Honor’ Them
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is engaged in a misleading campaign to trick physicians into opposing health care reform. The Wonk Room has learned that the Committee has been placing calls and sending “hand-written” faxes to physicians across the country to ostensibly recognize physicians for their “invaluable experience” and ask recipients to call a toll-free number and approve a press release “to honor the achievements of you and other concerned physicians like you.”
The missive invites doctors to “represent” their state “as a consultant on Rep. Tom Price’s (R-GA) ‘Physicians’ Council for Responsible Reform,’” but a call to the “Council” suggests that the NRCC’s real goal is to scare physicians and add legitimacy to Republican efforts to stall reform. (Download a copy of the letter HERE).
According to one account provided to the Wonk Room, once a physician dials the number at the bottom of the fax, a staffer who identifies herself as a “someone who works for Congressman Price” answers the phone and informs the caller that her name was on a list “of leaders” “compiled” by Rep. Price. The staffer stresses that the doctor has been selected to serve as a “senior adviser” on the Council and that her input is “vital” to the reform process.
But rather than seeking “critical input” or “guidance” from doctors “who are respected by their peers”, the staffer– who at no point asks the doctor for her views on health care reform — plays a message from Price warning about the “very real threat of Washington interfering even more with doctor’s efforts to provide the best possible care for their patients.” (Listen to a recording of Price’s message HERE). Then, the operator explains, what the physicians on the Council have already agreed to:
CALLER: What do you stand for?
OPERATOR: Well, the thing is, we want, I think what we want is a free market type thing. You know, fine, you know, if we can upgrade Medicare or something so that those that aren’t covered will be covered, but we think what they’re proposing now can really be deleterious to patients and their doctors and we’re afraid that a lot of people will be left uncovered or waiting in line to get appointments or procedures or anything like that. We don’t want to end up being like England or what Canada has.
Listen to the call:
Before ending the call, the operator explains that the call was “paid for by the NRCC” and directs the caller to the organization’s website, “NRCC.org” where “there are some issues on there that talk about the socialized medicine.” After the caller asks for the Council’s website, the operator explains, “it’s physicianscouncil.org, there is not a whole lot on there yet, we are just starting it. Something brand new for us, which is why we don’t have a whole lot of details for you.”
4 Responses to “NRCC Luring Doctors To Oppose Reform By Pretending To ‘Honor’ Them”
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Visit Price’s web site and vote for the Obama health care plan. Here’s the address: http://tom.house.gov/
August 1st, 2009 at 4:53 pmWe have been begging the Obama administration & our new head of HHS
Secretary Sebelius to invite us to the discussion table to lower health care costs. We are still waiting to be contacted. We know you are busy but come on, what will it take to get someone with real world, everyday experience taking care of thousands of the sickest, oldest, and most costly patients to the table? Dr Anderson geriatric specialist is well known for her physician
home care program over the past 10 years seeing real patients that reduces costs by 75% and increases quality of care.
See more at:
http://www.draandafmc.com
and program video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4eGMSymjQM
dr anderson & associates
arletha@draandafmc.com
From: CS.Comments@ks.gov
To: arletha@draandafmc.com
Sent: 3/18/2009 10:13:06 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: 'Thank You' from the Office of Governor Kathleen Sebelius
Dear Ms. Anderson,
Thank you for contacting the Office of Governor Kathleen Sebelius to
express your ideas about improving healthcare in our country. The
Governor regrets that she is not able to personally respond to the many
letters and e-mails she has received from Kansans and others across the
U.S.
It is inspiring to witness so many Americans taking an active role by
sharing their comments and personal stories. While the confirmation
process of her nomination as Secretary of the Office of Health and Human
Services remains ongoing, we encourage you to submit any thoughts you
may have to the department directly at their new website:
http://www.healthreform.gov/contact/index.html. You may also contact
them via mail or phone at:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
(202) 619-0257
Thank you again for contacting Governor Sebelius. I hope you find this
information helpful.
Sincerely,
Vicki Buening
Director of Constituent Services
Office of Governor Kathleen Sebelius
—–Original Message—–
From: arletha@draandafmc.com [mailto:arletha@draandafmc.com]
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 11:16 AM
To: CS Comments [GO]
Subject: WE HAVE A SOLUTION TO OUR HEALTH CARE CRISIS
Title: Ms.
First Name: Arletha
Last Name: Anderson
Address: 503 west garnd blvd
Address2:
City: detroit
State: mi
Zip: 48216
Phone: 3135540227office/3134336987-cell
Email: arletha@draandafmc.com
Subject: WE HAVE A SOLUTION TO OUR HEALTH CARE CRISIS
Comment: Dr Anderson, family medicine and geriatric specialist, is well
known for her physician home care program that reduces costs by 75% and
increases quality of care.
This would simultaneously solve the auto maker’s “competition problem”
and our nation’s health care problem. We don’t just “think” this will
work, we are real physicians on the front lines of urban and rural
health care doing this with thousands of the sickest, most costly, real
patients for over 10 years.
PLEASE BRING US TO THE DISCUSSION TABLE.
See more at:
http://www.draandafmc.com
and program video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4eGMSymjQM
dr anderson & associates
August 2nd, 2009 at 2:34 pmarletha@draandafmc.com
I gotta agree with Representative Price:
“You know, fine, you know, if we can upgrade Medicare or something so that those that aren’t covered will be covered….”
Medicare for all. Thank you.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 pmI think we all see what has happened since the last government “help” we recieved in the form of Medicare signed by Lyndon Johnson July, 30, 1965. Market distortion and loss of all charity hosptials has been the progression. How, I ask you, do you think this will be any better? Physicians aren’t trying to get rich, they are trying to stay in business. How can any physician stay in business when it now cost the physician to see a Medicare patient. Medicare is the model fee system in the new bill (I read it). Physicians need to be concerned about their patients, not beauracracy.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:00 amConcerned Physician.