EchoStar-NDS Group Trial Nears Conclusion

The parties are in the final days of what was expected to be a month-long trial. In the suit brought by then-Echostar (now Dish Network) and the security firm it co-owns, NagraStar LLC, the digital-broadcast satellite company alleges that NDS, a rival security firm owned by News Corp., hacked Echostar smart cards. …

… Echostar is asking for $93.8 million in damages for itself and NagraStar for the actual cost of the swapping out the compromised cards.  Read more 

Labor, Faith, Seniors, Consumer Groups Rally at New York State Capitol in Support of Single Payer Universal Health Care

NEW YORK - May 7 - Single payer universal health care advocates rallied today at the State Capitol in support of action at both the national and state level.

Representatives of unions, nurses, doctors, seniors, consumer and faith groups urged the state legislature to pass a resolution urging Congress to pass HR 676, known as Medicare for All. As. Felix Ortiz sponsors the Assembly resolution. HR 676 has 90 cosponsors, including NY Congressional representatives Engel, Hinchey, Maloney, McNulty, Nader, Owens, Rangel, Serrano, Towns, Weiner and Velazquez.  Read more 

The DCCC is running some ads for a Mississippi special election. The Republicans has been forced to drop some serious cash on this one.

Cotton Mouth thinks that it is good that they used local people in the ads. The Thorn Papers says the special election is all about GOTV.

The Party of Michael Moore

But when Moore returned with his next film in 2007, O’Reilly was still very much on the warpath.  Read more 

UnitedHealth’s Ingenix faces mounting legal troubles

Now, a consumer is raising the stakes a bit by attempting to get class action status for a suit against Ingenix itself. In the suit, which was filed in Connecticut, plaintiff Jeffrey Weintraub contends that he was defrauded by a conspiracy in which health plans calculate lowball, out-of-network rates using bogus Ingenix data. Weintraub also names UHG, Oxford health Plans, Aetna, Cigna and other insurers in the suit.  Read more 

Donna Edwards on Healthcare

Businesses, particularly small businesses, want their employees to have access to health care – but it must be affordable. Through a universal, Canadian-styled, health care system, all Americans would have access to quality, affordable health care. A new system would provide stability and predictability for employers and enable employees to obtain health care coverage no matter their employer or pre-existing conditions. Under this system all Americans would be able to choose their doctor without the uncertainty of rising deductibles and co-payments. There must be shared responsibility from employers and employees to keep our workforce healthy.  Read more 

ACLU of WV at West VA Blue

After boldly standing up to The Bush administrations’ fear mongering in February, word comes that House leadership may now be working with Senator Jay Rockefeller to possibly rush a pro-telecom amnesty bill through Congress in the next few days.

Civil libertarians in the Mountain State, say no to back room deals.

The FireDogLake community is trying to do something about this.

Just a reminder, we have a rotten Medicare prescription drug program in part because of the AARP.

Public Citizen has the details of some of AARP’s conflict of interest.

AARP Has Financial Conflict of Interest in Medicare Drug Bill

“Taking its business activities into account, AARP would stand to gain tens of millions of dollars each year in new income under the Republican Medicare bill, a finding that presents a significant conflict of interest for an organization trying to represent the best interests of its members,” said Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch.  Read more 

Rising Hegemon has an excellent post contrasting how ordinary Americans are getting hammered by rising medical costs while health insurance companies rack up the profits.

This is an incomplete list of all the cosponsors of HR 676. The remainder will be posted when I have a chance. There are 90 cosponsors, so this is clearly a popular approach.

Dennis Kucinich

John Conyers

Neil Abercrombie
Joe Baca
Tammy Baldwin
Xavier Becerra  Read more 

Fed proposes to end unfair, deceptive credit card practices

Today, the Federal Reserve and other regulators have decided to take on the credit card companies. According to this AP report, changes are coming.

The proposed new rules would prohibit:

-Placing unfair time constraints on payments. A payment could not be deemed late unless the borrower is given a reasonable period of time, such as 21 days, to pay;  Read more 

[Welcome, Avedon readers! — Lambert]

2 Ind. congressmen face tough challenges in Tuesday primary

U.S. Rep. Andre Carson has barely had time to settle into his new office in Washington, but he might not want to get too comfortable.  Read more 

Via hippachria: 10 Myths About Canadian Health Care, Busted

9. People won’t be responsible for their own health if they’re not being forced to pay for the consequences.  Read more 

MS blogger talks about syringes.

Medical refugees

When Marines Become UNCitizens: A Story of Misdiagnosis, Malpractice and Outrage

American Patients for Universal Health care

Ave Cassandra tells us about a health care rally in Denver last March.  Read more 

St HOPE is one of private companies Michelle Rhee wants to have take over some DC public schools. She was formerly on the board of St HOPE:

SACRAMENTO BEEAfter a Sacramento High School teacher’s report last year that a 17-year-old student told him she was inappropriately touched by Kevin Johnson, Johnson’s personal attorney and business partner investigated the complaint for the campus.  Read more 

Elizabeth in KY interviews Democratic Representative David Watkins:  Read more 

UnitedHealth CEO paid $13.1M in 2007

UnitedHealth Group Inc. CEO Stephen Hemsley received compensation valued at $13.1 million in 2007, down from the $15.5 million he got in 2006.

According to documents filed with the SEC, Hemsley received a base salary of $1.3 million in 2007, up from $1 million in 2006. He also got stock options awards valued at $8.1 million in 2007, less than the $11.3 million he got in 2006.

His compensation also included $3.6 million in cash incentives, up from $2.8 in the previous year.  Read more 

60 SEIU workers protest at meeting where Carlyle head speaks

BALTIMORE - About 60 union workers protested Monday at a conference where the head of a private-equity firm spoke to business editors and reporters.

Workers from Manor Care (nyse: HCR - news - people ) nursing homes around the U.S. protested David Rubenstein’s speech, chanting and passing out flyers, said Julie Eisenhardt, a spokeswoman for the Service Employees International Union.  Read more 

Maryland balks at pay package for former CareFirst CEO

The Maryland Insurance Administration argued Monday that the nearly $18 million CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is prepared to pay William Jews, its former top executive, is too much.

Attorneys with the state agency said the MIA wants to cut the annual and long-term incentives CareFirst, the region’s largest health insurer, plans to pay Jews, who left the nonprofit in November 2006. The insurance administration also argued that the primary focus of a nonprofit is not to generate profits or encourage its top managers with incentives to increase profits.  Read more 

CRANK ECONOMICS

John McCain wants to ease up on state regulations that require health insurers to cover specific conditions. So what would happen to kids like Jake Bernard, who gets speech therapy for his cleft lip only because Florida law requires it?  Read more 

Democracy for Monroe County says that Monroe County Commissioner Mark Stoops has a local single payer plan. The Bilerico Project asks us to contact Speaker Pelosi and demand action on Medicaid. Blue Indiana says there will be no hearing on a proposed single payer commission.

Clearly there is a great deal of popular support for a single payer system. If we work together we can win.

Health insurance is not heathcare!

Single-payer is good for business

My growing software company’s health-insurance premiums have more than doubled over the past four years. This is not sustainable and the governor’s bill would do nothing to change it; rather, it would preserve the status quo of the failed “market” system, which actually provides more of a monopoly than a competitive market. SB 300, in contrast, would ensure full coverage for all Pennsylvania residents, regardless of their employment or social status.

Say it with me, health insurance is not healthcare.

In Every Voter, A ’Microtarget’  Read more 

Health care’s new math

When does 20% of $753.95 equal $641.60? When $753.95 equals $2,808.

Health systems have contracts with insurers about what the insurer will pay for a given procedure. While the specifics are confidential, Cigna’s contract with Sentara allowed for a “case rate” to be applied. In Dockter’s case, that meant the epidural injection she received was part of a group of outpatient surgeries that were all covered at the case rate of $2,808.

Just one of many examples of the sleazy behavior of our health neglect system. I am trying to document as many as I can.

Rochester Turning says this kind of corporations-over-people is unbelievable coming from a Democrat. The Albany Project wants to know what Schumer meant by that remark.