As you may remember, I asked you all to ping your GOP officeholders for a response on simple questions like whether people with pre-existing conditions can buy insurance starting in October. I noted that Sen. Pat Toomey of PA basically punted when I called him, forwarding me to the quite useful healthcare.gov website rather than committing one way or the other. That turned out to be the most helpful result so far: the offices of Rep. Culberson (TX) and Rep. John Kline (MN) both pled ignorance, with Culberson’s people sending the caller on a fruitless game of phone tag between the DC and local offices.
what did your GOP Rep have to say? Share your experiences in the comments. Try here if you need to find your Representative by zip code.
As before, this thread has a specific purpose. off-topic or non-helpful comments will have a short lifetime so do not bother replying.
Scotius
I will be interested to hear what information people are getting back from their GOP reps. If they are letting their ideology interfere with their constituent services, that will be shocking to me. That’s a line that even the GOP hasn’t crossed until now as far as I know. They’ve always been willing to put aside their distaste for big government when it came time to bring home the bacon to their districts or get help to individual voters.
CT Voter
I don’t have any Republican representatives at the federal level, otherwise, I’d call.
Belafon
I’ve got Cornyn and Cruz. I’ll have to come up with some story about starting my own business and finding out what options there are under the ACA and call.
Face
Likely my GOP rep will simply boast about his record on voting to repeal. I doubt there will be much intentional subterfuge, but they’ve gone so past the nuts into the fucking lunatic stage that anything is possible.
Haydnseek
@Scotius: What color is the sky on your planet?
Shakezula
@Belafon: You don’t need to do this. Just call and ask a question.
pamelabrown53
I sincerely thank you for your post, Tim F. Action components are much more effective than solely engaging in blog bitching.
Although, I wasn’t calling about health care, I did try to contact Speaker Boner re: bringing up the senate’s immigration bill for an up or down vote. After 30 minutes on hold (filled with uber patriotic music), I repeatedly heard that due to “experiencing heavy call traffic”, I had to leave a message.
Anyway, thank you for leading this blog in a proactive way. We all know that there is no limit to how low the repubs will go to sabotage ACA.
Ted & Hellen
This is a great effort on your part, Tim F.
I look forward to reading the responses here.
Chris
@Scotius:
Are you kidding? If they’ll do vote suppression, they’ll do anything.
Belafon
@Shakezula: You’re right. I was over thinking it.
Southern Beale
Unrelated to the topic at hand, but we have an interesting church v state controversy brewing in Tennessee.
Riley's Enabler
Just called my rep – Pete Olsen, TX. Guy answering phone was not the sharpest tack in the drawer but very nice. He started by saying the list of bills to be voted on was on “the federal website”, so I clarified that I needed local information (self employed, how does this affect me, I have pre-existing conditions). After some musing, he put me on hold for a bit and came back – greatly relieved to let me know I should call my current insurer and ask them because it is going to be “different for everyone”. And then he took my email addy and promised to send updates.
I bet I get a newsletter instead. Yippee.
I didn’t get the feeling he was trying to misdirect or stonewall, he seemed genuinely befuddled.
raven
Dr. Paul Broun said for ya’ll to go back to the pit of hell where you came from.
quannlace
Have they come up with their own viable alternative yet, beyond going to the emergency room?
Scotius
@Chris:
Voter suppression is one thing, fucking over your own voters in a way that can’t be plausibly denied is something else altogether. I’m not naive. I know how vile members of the GOP can be, but until now they have done a better job of hiding what they’re doing. I have never heard of them messing with constituent services up until now. If somebody can give me an example of this, I will be happy to stand corrected.
Haydnseek
@raven: I think his employment of the term “the pit of hell” is Dr. Broun’s way of avoiding the use of the word “vagina.”
Face
@Southern Beale: It’s not their inabiilty to share, at least not at the city commissionors’ (sp?) level. That may be the rubes’ feelings. But the city’s decision to go fully on G-Sauce Only on their doors reaks of pure and unadulterated Cleekism.
kindness
I know you at BJ don’t control the ads that appear on your website but can I have something different than the ‘Google Banned This Video’ as the big ad that appears under the headlining thread? Either that or please ask them to show more skin on the ads meant for pervs. Hmmm, looking at that does that mean I’m a perv? I guess that will depend on how much more skin they show.
TGIF.
cckids
I contacted my rep’s office, (Joe Heck, (NV), and got the bare minimum – sent to the Nevada and federal websites. The person on the phone was obviously disapproving of ACA, but didn’t let the freak flag fly too high. They promised to send me more info via email. We’ll see what it is.
raven
Here’s the GOP “Doctors” Caucus. How many honkies are on the “Black Caucus”? I guess you don’t have to be a doctor to be on the “Doctors” caucus.
Haydnseek
@Scotius: Go back and review your post. Read it carefully. Think about it. Understand it. Once you see it…….
? Martin
Since Tim decided to put up a more appropriate thread for this, I’ll repost my comment from the previous:
So, spent the last 3 days dealing with a daughter with appendicitis – fun times as a parent. It all turned out fine (she’s now home and resting), and experiences with the health care system are always interesting.
As many know, Kaiser Permanente (SoCal) is my health provider. They’re non-profit insurer exclusively partnered with a physician owned provider network. Doctors are salaried – the whole thing is about as close to single payer as we have in the non-single payer world.
So, we start in the ER at the hospital a mile from my house at about 11PM. The do some simple tests and conclude that some tests look like appendicitis, but other’s don’t (she’s no longer in pain at this point). They’re a bit mystified and the admitting and attending are inclined to send her home, but they’ve called the on-call surgeon (maybe 1AM now) for a 3rd opinion but he doesn’t think she should go home just yet – looks a bit too much like appendicitis in spite of the lack of pain. They’re going to transfer her to another hospital (about 15 miles away) where the pediatric unit is. We’re beginning to think that this is a wild goose chase but she was in a lot of pain, the friend of ours who is an ER nurse and who suggested we go to the ER in the first place said it looked a LOT like appendicitis, so we go along.
Get set up in the other ER, admitting and attending both agree with the previous 3 doctors – looks a bit like it, but also doesn’t. Still no longer in pain. The surgeon comes by and suggests a ct would help them sort it out, would we like to do that, we agree (still unsure if this is anything at all). The ct results come through and they schedule her surgery for an hour later. She goes in, comes out, all went well, she did need the surgery – her appendix was in sort of an odd position and that’s what caused some of the tests to come back negative. Had we taken her home, she’d be back in even worse pain within 24 hours, and not long after that it would have ruptured. It’s now 11AM or so, they admit her to a private room, indicate that she can leave as soon as she’s eating and able to walk, but can stay overnight if need be. Takes her a bit longer to recover, in part because she hadn’t slept for 30 hours prior to the surgery, and so the next day (yesterday) we get her home and set up at home.
So, it all sounds like an ordeal, but an awful lot of things went right along the way. They were neither eager to send her home or admit her. There was no incentive for the physicians at Kaiser to do either. There was no pressure on them to not have her stay, run the ct, keep her overnight to recover. They were eager to consult with additional doctors. All told, 7 physicians weight in on her case – the two admitting, the two attending, the two ER surgeons, the pediatric surgeon who actually did the procedure. We were pretty uncertain of which way to go on most of these. It did seem overkill to us, and we were indicating to our daughter that it was probably nothing and that she’d probably go home after the next test because we really thought that, but each test turned out to be useful.
A lot of other things stand out, too. Two ERs, but they were pretty quiet. No violence cases, no indigent cases, mostly just people that were unexpectedly sick, and I think one car accident that came in. But this isn’t a public hospital. Between the two ERs we were at was the public hospital and I know it’s always packed – enough so that we just spent $600M in taxpayer money for a new hospital to handle it all. That’s really unacceptable that the system as it currently stands isn’t able to better distribute these issues. If we had hit the public hospital ER as our first stop, I’m highly skeptical we’d have gotten as quick of care, or as much tolerance to loiter around getting different tests – and that’s hard for me to say, because I’m affiliated with that hospital and know a lot of the people that work there. And even that hospital has it easy compared to a lot of inner city hospitals. For people that are dependent on public hospitals in high crime, high poverty areas, the quality of care they’re going to get is a lot different than, well, anyone who’s out there bitching about Obamacare. The clinics, particularly inner city clinics, are really critical to helping restore some balance here.
Also because we have an HMO, there were no holdups due to insurance/finances. Nobody ever had to consider if a procedure would be covered. Nobody ever had to ask us before acting so that we knew what our co-pay would be, and so on. We have a $250 copay for an ER visit, and then $20 for prescriptions, and that’s our total cost. It’s an extremely good policy, but even with a lesser policy under a single-payer style plan, the costs would all be sufficiently transparent that the treatment could progress similarly quickly.
Because the hospital was a little slow, she was mobbed with nurses and doctors. They’re just employees, not contractors, so there’s no additional cost to have them do something – so if someone doesn’t have anything to do, they jump in and help.
These are important structural components to healthcare. They change the incentives to all involved – to the patients, to the doctors and nurses and other staff, to employing tests, and so on. But Kaiser is also one of the less expensive employer plans in the area, and deliver better care in spite of being cheaper (my employer has a plan that uses our own resources which is slightly cheaper to the employee, but few of us actually use it because of the structural elements noted above – even my coworkers who are doctors at the aforementioned hospital have Kaiser for the same reasons that I’ve noted).
It’ll be interesting to see how far Obamacare goes to leveling this. I don’t think anyone is under any illusion that it won’t go nearly far enough, but with some momentum in the right direction, getting Congress to make some less public refinements to it should be possible in a few years.
tulip
I just called my rep Barbara Lee, Democrat and asked as an individual do I need to purchase health insurance if I’m a. unemployed or b. it’s not offered through my work. The Washington office directed me to the district office (in Oakland), who directed me to http://www.healthcare.gov. The district office also said to call the number at the website if I had any more questions. Neither person had an attitude or seemed disapproving, but they sure as shit weren’t helpful.
rikyrah
@tulip:
THANKS FOR THIS…cause I wanna know
tulip
@rikyrah:
YOU’RE WELCOME.
Aimai
I think the aca is just so complicated and every persons situation is do unique no low level staffers have yet been prepped with how to deal with questions. It’s safer to refer people to the web site. And offices always take the safer route. It takes a lot of money and time for a congressional office to ramp up on any constituent interest.
kindness
@Aimai: Let us remember that that complication was a feature introduced by Republicans ‘negotiating’ the bill, not a bug.
JoyousMN
John Kline’s office called me back with “healthcare.gov” Must be what they are all doing.
I will go the that website and try to come up with some stupid user questions and call them back.
MomSense
@Ted & Hellen:
Who are you and what have you done with Ted & Hellen??
Richard W. Crews
My congressman is Darrel Issa. I called his home office in Vista, and the guy who answered was friendly, but claimed to know nothing – put me on hold for over 5 minutes. He then came back with “center for Medicare and Medicaid services” and I asked “dot gov?” He hmm’d and haw’d and said “cms.gov” and I asked if CA had set up exchange. Didn’t know, so I threw in that since both our senators are Dems, I was surprised. He then offered “healthcare.gov”. He promised to email me a form. So I guess he was, in the long end-run-around, helpful.
Botsplainer
Calling my teatard from my residential district now (I live in the horribly gerrymandered KY-04, so I share the teatard with Zandar for my home). I work in the People’s Republic of Louisville, so I know that if I need a concise, real answer I can call the always wonderful John Yarmuth. My secretary was actually asking me questions about it today, so I needed to know anyway.
…
Actually, they’re trying to be helpful and stuck me in the voicemail of the legislative aide; of course, I’m identifying myself by name and calling from my law office number. I’ll try McConnell and Rand Paul later.
Amir Khalid
@MomSense:
If the past couple of days are any indication, the real Ted & Hellen will show up soon enough.
Ed Drone
@Haydnseek:
Look up your chimney. What color do you see?
It’s got to be yellow — don’t try to fool me.
Don’t it make you want to twist and shout,
When your outside’s in (Inside out)
And your downside’s up (Upside down)
Don’t it make you want to twist and shout,
When you’re inside out?
[courtesy Traveling Wilburys]
Ed
raven
@Ed Drone: That is too weird, I was just watching the Concert for George and there they were!
scav
@Amir Khalid: He came up with some maximum creepy pet angel swarminess last night while opting for the traditional pedastry race-baiting in another thread. If anything, the faux sincerity is the more chilling, as it is clearly as much an assumed pretense as the avid child-rape cheer-leading.
raven
@scav: meds
Ed Drone
@raven:
I normally hate televised concerts, but I sat through that one, squirming the last half-hour ’cause I had to pee (and it was Public TV, so no interruptions) but wouldn’t leave the room till it was over.
I loved it. Got the DVD, and haven’t listened to it since. Probably ought to, one of these days.
Ed
raven
@Ed Drone: Did the broadcast have the full concert with Ravi and friends? There is so much good stuff on both DVD’s but I can only watch the non-music parts once in a while. If I Needed Someone, All Things Must Pass and While My Guitar are killers.
chauncey1186
Have been trying to get my congresscritter, the ever-slippery Fred Upton, to come to the ACA Roundtable discussion in August that my agency is hosting. My invite specifically said we want everyone’s input on how we, as the major funders, non-profit agencies, healthcare providers, and public service entities can best collaborate on ensuring our residents can navigate the exchanges and get the coverage they need. Incidentally, my agency also provides tax assistance so we also have an interest in making sure folks are informed since our volunteer tax preparers will be “on the front lines” when the IRS reporting requirements start. Anyway, after I called back 7 times within the hour- the intern kept sending me bogus email addresses to send the invite to – he assured me that “somebody” would definitely be there. I don’t think they are quite used to people being that persistent. We’ll see if anyone shows.
Brian R.
@chauncey1186:
“Bogus” email addresses how? Like, fake?
Seems like lying is something a congressional intern should not do to a constituent.
Brian R.
@? Martin:
Excellent post. Thanks for sharing all that.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
My US rep, Brad Wenstrup, has this on his website:
That said, I called the DC office, and the first guy I asked about pre-existing conditions in October kinda freaked. I think he dropped the phone after say, “ma’am, I really [end of audible interaction].” I called back and got a less easily cowed staffer who allwoed as how she didn’t know the answer to when pre-existing discrimination bans go into effect, or whether my 22 yo daughter (imaginary) will be covered under our policy. She offered to research that and get back to me my (junk addy) email, though I did have to give an address to go with my pseudonym, so they can tell in in the district. I called a rural office and got a much more outgoing staffer, who advised me to check with our insurer – or HR dept – about our daughter being on our policy, but that she was sure that’s now possible as she’s on her parents, even once she gets married! Her answer about pre-existing conditions in October was confidently offered, but it was “the appropriations set aside to fund that did not go through to fund removing the price differential in October, so it’s unfortunately it’s not black and white when that will go into effect. She was really pleasant and di her best to be helpful, even when I asked her why Rep Wenstrup was so eager to repeal a law that was passed and affirmed by the USSC. She politely explained that he’s all for the goals of the law – more access to insurance and care – but believes the ACA is the wrong vehicle to get there and would like a different bill. She was so sweet that I didn’t press her – he’s the asshole not some kind in Union Ohio staffing that office.
The local office staffer stated “those are very good questions,” but had no idea how to answer the. (under 26 yp kid, pre-existing condition and gender discrimination), but took my name and contact and will send it to DC for a response. She was also polite and pleasant.
None of them knew the answers – except the kid one – and the non DC office staffers were pleasant and engaging. But for someone who holds himself out as a Congressional health care leader, the answers, or where to get them, ought to be provided in a more polished way.
johnny aquitard
@Scotius: Ignorance or genuine befuddlement is as damning as misdirection.
The ACA is the law of the land and has been upheld by SCOTUS and affects millions of people. If your congresspeople can’t help you with this law at this point in time it’s not simply ignorance or incompetence. It’s ideology trumping constituent services.
If they are ignorant or befuddled it is because their ideology precludes them from learning how the law really works and what it really means to YOU.
PopeRatzo
So, from these comments so far, it appears that not a single congressperson, Republican or Democrat, had the least bit of useful information.
Maybe we should call the White House and see if they have any useful information. My guess is that not a single government official at any level has ever given a minute’s thought to actually putting the ACA into effect. Including the person for whom the law is named.
johnny aquitard
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q):
See my response at #43.
It’s the law we have to abide by, and they are fucking clueless about it?
What bullshit is this? They vow to repeal it because they say it’s so terrible but they can’t tell you a damn thing about how it works?
They never read the fucking law. They have no idea what’s really in it nor do they care to learn, else they would know this shit.
All they know is it’s Obama’s and therefore must be destroyed.
Hey, Scotius. You still naive enough to think a gooper would never let their ideology interfere with constituent services?
Violet
Senator Cornyn (R-TX). I called the Washington office, chose the option to talk to a real person and ended up in a voicemail box. They said they were open until 6 p.m. and it’s not yet 6 there, but couldn’t get a real person.
Senator Cruz (R-TX). I called the Washington office, chose the option to talk to a real person and got a voicemail box. Their recording said they were only open until 5 p.m., and since it was almost 5, I decided to call a local office where it’s an hour earlier.
Called a local office, got a real person on the line and asked about the healthcare law and what I needed to do. He told me I needed to call the Washington office because “the policy guys are there”. I said I had already done that, but just got voicemail. He said they closed at five. I told him I had called that office prior to five so they should have been there. I then said that Sen. Cornyn’s office was open until six so they weren’t keeping up with the senior Senator. He retorted that they had the better voting record. I thought that was interesting, because he clearly thought he was talking to a wingnut, since Cornyn is dinged as being “too liberal” by the teabaggers.
I said something about “constituent services” and he then said to call the Austin office because “they do constituent services”. I told him I felt like I was getting the runaround–that I called Washington and just got voicemail, called a local office, got told to call Washington and that I could try Austin. He was nice, but he knew nothing about anything and just wanted to make me someone else’s problem.
TooManyJens
Called my local district office for Rodney Davis (R-IL13). The staffer I talked to was very nice and said that she would have somebody get back to me, hopefully on Monday. So we’ll see.
jharp
My Congressman Luke Messer (IN) has promised to help.
Other than that he is a huge dick.
Forgot to ask Senator Coates’s office today.
Senator Donnelly is a yes.
Brian R.
@PopeRatzo:
Yeah, Senator Patient Protection and Affordable Care (D-NY) really fucked this one up.
fuckwit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE
PsiFighter37
I am represented by Carolyn Maloney, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Chuck Schumer at the federal level. I may have 99 problems but a Republican representin’ me in Congress ain’t one.
PF37 +1 protein shake
J R in WV
@raven:
In case you didn’t already know, Eric Clapton did the guitar part for “While my Guitar Gently Weeps.”
According to an interview with George, actually.