Although the health care bill signed into law in March did not mention end-of-life planning, the topic was included in a huge Medicare regulation setting payment rates for thousands of physician services. The final regulation was published in the Federal Register in late November. The proposed rule, published for public comment in July, did not include advance care planning.

Another example of how vigilant we must continue to be, and then … how vocal. My guess is that if bloggers hadn’t gotten this word out to activists who then began questioning and calling, this latest reversal would not have happened.

Here’s a short blog from Randy Barnett from The Volokh Conspiracy with an update. He talks about severability (VERY important!), mentions next Thursday’s oral arguments in Pensacola FL, and includes this nugget from a White House fact sheet:

However, unless every American is required to have insurance, it would be cost prohibitive to cover people with preexisting conditions. Here’s why: If insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to anyone who applies for insurance – especially those who have health problems and are potentially more expensive to cover – then there is nothing stopping someone from waiting until they’re sick or injured to apply for coverage since insurance companies can’t say no. That would lead to double digit premiums increases – up to 20% – for everyone with insurance, and would significantly increase the cost of health care. We don’t let people wait until after they’ve been in a car accident to apply for auto insurance and get reimbursed, and we don’t want to do that with healthcare. If we’re going to outlaw discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, the only way to keep people from gaming the system and raising costs on everyone else is to ensure that everyone takes responsibility for their own health insurance. If we don’t, then we will go back to the days of allowing insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

so … they know … and admit it. hmmmmph.

Here is the official list … so far … of companies and organizations on the Health and Human Services website of waiver recipients. It is well hidden, taking SIX CLICKS to dig that deep.

From the article:

As I’ve boiled it down before:

Old Democrat promise: Everyone gets to keep their health insurance.

New Democrat promise: You can keep your health insurance…if you BEG hard enough for an Obamacare waiver.

Yep: The only way for hundreds of thousands of workers to keep their health insurance is to exempt them from the government-imposed “fix.”

It is crystal clear at this point from the ever growing list of waivers that OBAMACARE IS A JOB KILLER.

New Congress… REPEAL must be your first order of business. Put it on Obama’s desk every month. Make him defend it again and again. Do not let up on this, it is the line in the sand by which the voters who just elected you into office will judge you, no matter what else you take up in Congress, no matter what other votes you cast. This is non negotiable.

As you read the story remember … there was no severability clause in the Obamacare bill, as explained here by Prairie Pundit.

“Apparently there was no ‘severability’ clause written into this law, which shows how amateurish the process was,” he wrote. “Virtually every bill I’ve ever read includes a provision that if any part of the law is ruled unconstitutional the rest of the law will remain intact. Not this one. That will likely mean that the entire law will be thrown out if a part of it is found to violate the Constitution.”

and this story at BigGovernment.com

… explain how unions and big companies like McDonalds are getting waivers from the mandates in Obamacare because … sigh … I can barely type this … Let me just quote the articles.

USAToday:

Thirty companies and organizations, including McDonald’s (MCD) and Jack in the Box (JACK), won’t be required to raise the minimum annual benefit included in low-cost health plans, which are often used to cover part-time or low-wage employees.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which provided a list of exemptions, said it granted waivers in late September so workers with such plans wouldn’t lose coverage from employers who might choose instead to drop health insurance altogether.

From BigGovernment.com:

ObamaCare was such a great idea at the time – the AFT gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Healthcare for America Now, the leading organization pushing for the government takeover of health care.

It was announced Thursday that the UFT has requested and received an Obamacare-waiver after it discovered their members would end up losing their health insurance plans.

Our new Congress had best pay attention to how angry we STILL ARE about Obamacare and REPEAL or DEFUND immediately. Don’t mess around with this. No “fixing”. No “replacing”. JUST KILL IT! Then when that is accomplished, begin the free market alternatives of selling across state lines etc.

We are NOT going to have a lot of patience, new Congress.

from the letter…

… in addition to “badly exacerbating the current doctor shortage,” ObamaCare will bring “major cost increases, rising insurance premiums, higher taxes, a decline in new medical techniques, a fall-off in the development of miracle drugs as well as rationing by government panels and by bureaucrats like passionate rationing advocate Donald Berwick that will force delays of months or sometimes years for hospitalization or surgery.”

“Please remember when you vote this November that unless the Democratic Party receives a strong negative message about this power grab our health care system will never be fixed and the doctor patient relationship will be ruined forever.”

and toward the end of the article …

The latest round of pro-ObamaCare television spots targeting the elderly and starring veteran actor Andy Griffith have not only failed to move the polling numbers. They have caused five U.S. Senators to ask for an investigation of the ads as a violation of federal laws barring the use of tax dollars ($750,000) for campaign purposes.

Going on record as saying that, despite our warm thoughts of Matlock and Opie’s dad, Andy Griffith officially now sucks.

But GO DOCS!~!~ thanks for standing up in your businesses, and putting yourselves on the line to bring the truth to voters!

The article begins:

Key White House allies are dramatically shifting their attempts to defend health care legislation, abandoning claims that it will reduce costs and deficit and instead stressing a promise to “improve it.”

Ben’s article details how the message has failed, that targeted groups of voters have not bought into the lie, that the financial disaster is becoming too big too ignore or hide. Read the article which includes a link to the actual presentation that was given to Dems providing these talking points.

Seems that Obamacare is leading to budget cuts in Nevada hospitals, which is leading to layoffs … of SEIU hospital workers!

Read the article and check out the reprint of Reid’s letter to HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius. and then do the happy dance a little!

Fox News headline Virginia Attorney General Rules Police Can Check Immigration Status

“It is my opinion that Virginia law enforcement officers, including conservation officers may, like Arizona police officers, inquire into the immigration status of persons stopped or arrested,” said State AG Ken Cuccinelli.

And from Gateway Pundit, Virginia Challenge of Obamacare Wins One in Court

The chief claim of Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is that the mandate to buy insurance violates the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. The federal government was attempting to have Virginia’s lawsuit thrown out with the claim that it doesn’t and should be thrown out because it is obvious that Obamacare does not violate the Constitution.

The judge, however, disagreed that it was so obvious and has allowed the suit to go forward.

…would amend state statutes to effectively shield Missourians from complying with the federal health reform law, protecting them from fines and penalties, and would “prohibit any person, employer, or health care provider from being compelled to participate in any health care system.”

Clark’s article outlines the impact of passage or failure of this Missouri bill on overall repeal of Obamacare, Obama’s re-election, the re-energization of the Tea Party, and the current state lawsuits. His most compelling paragraph is this:

After months of rallies and protests for and against the bill, the American people have not yet had a single chance to actually cast a vote on Obamacare. August 3 will be the first time anywhere in the country that voters will be able to make their voices heard in a clear-cut fashion. As one blogger from Red State opposed to Obamacare phrased it: “We’ve been forced to speak through rallies and a diminished Republican party, until now. Now there is an opportunity for the average voter to act upon that disgust.”

I’ll keep my calendar fixed on this August 8 vote and bring you the scoop.