Key health care senators have industry ties

As an ex-career rep (who now owes over $200,000 for medical/surgical bills due to a catastrophic accident which caused us to be medically uninsured - no preexisting conditions), once again, this comes as no surprise to me.  Big Pharma has it's hands involved in everything that involves them.

"Influential senators working to overhaul the nation's health care system have investments and family ties with some of the biggest names in the industry. The wife of Sen. Chris Dodd, the lawmaker in charge of writing the Senate's bill, sits on the boards of four health care companies. Members of both parties have industry connections, including Democrats Jay Rockefeller and Tom Harkin, in addition to Dodd, and Republicans Tom Coburn, Judd Gregg, John Kyl and Orrin Hatch, financial reports showed Friday. (...)"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31331116/ns/politics-capitol_hill/
or
http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_senate_disclosures.html

Their total health-care holdings could be worth $27 million, because congressional financial disclosure forms released yesterday require reporting of only broad ranges of holdings rather than precise values of assets.

The reports come on the eve of what is sure to be a dramatic health-care debate in Congress, beginning with a key Senate committee hearing Tuesday. With several proposals floating on Capitol Hill, the legislative battle could overhaul an industry that represents nearly 20 percent of the national economy.

While no congressional rules bar members from holding financial stakes in industries they regulate, some ethics experts suggest that it often creates the appearance of a conflict of interest, particularly if there is a chance that the legislation could result in a personal financial boost.

We need a health care system that provides readily accessible & affordable health care for EVERYONE - especially those with pre-existing conditions.  Did you realize that when you are approved for SS disability (due to health reasons), you have to wait 2 years to become eligible for Medicare medical benefits? Makes a lot of sense to me.  I understand the reasoning and the desire not to have those "milking the system" to abuse it but what about those truly in need. 

Americans are at a crossroad… we must make a choice as to whether it is morally and financially sound for the future of our country to allow pharmaceutical & insurance companies to siphon off medical care dollars to the detriment of the patient and the provider of care - at what ever level that care is provided. Both are highly lobbied burdens that can no longer be tolerated.

To find out more from a physician's point of view HERE is a wonderful article as well - I do have sympathy for their positioning too - it affects us all by the way we receive our care and the lack of time spent with our physicians causing mistakes or health risks to be missed due to lack of time with patients. Many patients without proper coverage delay their care too - costing EVERYONE more in the end as a result:

Many doctors agree that lack of health insurance is a big problem. But their day-to-day concerns also include a lack of time with patients and a system that has evolved into a confusing web of paperwork.

I don't have the answer but I do know that our system in severly broken and needs to be fixed - it also needs the input of it's consumers - you and I - voice your opinions and concerns to those in power. We need to be heard as well!