Sign up to ask Senator Amy Klobuchar about the future of health care: Monday, Sept. 21 @BlogHer

I'm glad you're raising this today on the call. In eights states, and DC, it is legal for insurance compaines to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence. This pdf, from the National Women's Law Center, provides a lot of background information on this this topic: http://nwlc.org/reformmatters/NWLCReport-NowhereTo...

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for sending in your questions for today's call with Senator Klobuchar. As a staffer with the Leader's office, we're thrilled to make this possible and thank Sen. Klobuchar for talking to us about this important topic.

In anticipation of the call, please don't hesitate to check out her health care reform web page and YouTube channel!

Health Care page: http://klobuchar.senate.gov/healthcare.cfm

YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/SenatorKlobuchar

Looking forward to talking with you all at 2:30pm.

Best,

Erin

Thanks!

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

We'd love to have you, but your profile does not contain an email. Please contact me at erin.kotecki.vest@blogher.com for call information. 

Thanks

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

I am a writer and editor who focuses on health and well-being and would love to take part in the call!

Thank you for the opportunity.

Elizabeth M., Associate Editor at Gallup.com ( http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx ) 

If you have not gotten it, please ping me at erin.kotecki.vest@blogher.com but everyone should have mail! 

Thanks all, 

Erin 

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

I've read HR3200 - well as much as I was able to digest without having to hire an attorney to help get me through some of it, and I didn't see an issue addressed that is impacting our family greatly right now.

I am going through a medical/mental health care crisis and our deductibles are outrageous!  INSANE is more like it.  My husband makes wonderful money, however we are now faced with having to chose between our home and my continued treatment for PTSD and bulimia. We can't continue to pay my co-pays and meet the deductible and struggle to make our mortgage payments.  We carry no other debt than our mortgage and it's truly frightening to be in this situation.  I'm sure we aren't the only family in this boat.

I'm also very interested in the treatment of pre-existing conditions (we have been "advised" that if my husband's company switches carriers in order to reduce costs, I may not be covered, this is terrifying to me!) and how those will be addressed.

I'd also like to know if she supports the Baccaus bill?  If that were to pass it would potentially be financially devastating to our family.

I am a Libertarian with strong fiscally conservative leanings.

Audrey from Barking Mad ( http://www.iambarkingmad.com )

Contributing Editor at New England Mamas ( http://www.newenglandmamas.typepad.com )

I wrote about that at my place this week -- I want to know how we can ensure that domestic violence and pregnancy are never treated as "pre-existing conditions" again.

I would love to participate- as someone who has worked in health care (care coordination) and seen the issue first hand.  I've advocated for both my patients and family members, with insurers, state medicaid and providers.

In particular, I'd like to ask about continuing care and end of life care.

Still sorting my blog, but am very interested!  Thanks for the opportunity!

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

I'm sorry I won't be able to attend (ironically, I have a dentist appointment at that time on Monday), but here are my questions for the Senator.

Can you comment on national efforts to secure a health insurance bill with a strong public option in combination with Minnesotans simultaneously working for state single payer? The two efforts are happening in parallel; obviously your focus is in the US Senate as opposed to the workings of the Minnesota Senate and House, but I thought you might be monitoring interest in single-payer among Minnesotans too. I'm specifically referring to the Minnesota Health Act (SF118/HF135) ( http://www.muhcc.org/faq/minnesota-health-plan ), which, as I understand, is one of 5 such state single payer bills currently being considered around the nation. 

Also, will you support the Rockefeller amendment to Senator Baucus' health insurance reform bill? It was just made public recently: links to Rockefeller Amendment #C7 to Title I, Subtitle C (Making Coverage Affordable) of the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009. ( http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/19/784232... )

Thank you so much for making yourself available for questions, Senator!

Cynematic

MOMocrats ( http://momocrats.typepad.com/ )

P i l l o w b o o k ( http://cynematic.wordpress.com )

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

..pre-existing condition. I am appalled to report that I had no idea. Thank you, ESC, for the link to Feministing.

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Thank you! I think our moderator, Nancy Watzman of OpenCongress.org ( http://opencongress.org ) and the SunlightFoundation.com ( http://sunlightfoundation.com ), is just the person to help pursue questions such as this one.

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

To yours I'll add this question ( http://www.blogher.com/want-talk-architects-health... ) asked by Suzanne Reisman ( http://blogher.com/blog/suzanne-reisman ) on my other post: "What reproductive health care services covered under this plan?"

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Thank you for organizing this forum! 

I've been learning about US health policy from Karoli and living it along side my daughter who has breast cancer!

Currently organizing my blog.

I would love to sit in as I sooooo want reform. In particular I want to know about pre existing conditions.  I am pro-life (Moderate Republican, remember) and am intrigued about the abortion issue as well.

Count me in!

Stephanie Himel-Nelson

Lawyer Mama

http://lawyermama.com

http://momocrats.typepad.com

http://dcmetromoms.com 

Good for blogher for organizing this!

karoli

odd time signatures ( http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/ ) (life)

bang the drum ( http://politics.drumsnwhistles.com/ ) (politics)

Thanks!

Becky

Deep Muck Big Rake ( http://deepmuckbigrake.com/ )

We'd love to hear Senator Klobuchar's thoughts on the fact that currently insurance companies in nine states consider "domestic violence victim" to be a pre-existing condition ( http://www.feministing.com/archives/017742.html ), and how health care reform can prevent unacceptable policies like that one in the future.

The ESC ( http://evilslutopia.blogspot.com )

EvilSlutopia ( http://evilslutopia.blogspot.com )

I can make the event, and I have several questions I would love to ask the Senator about health reform. In particular I am interested in hearing her opinion on how best to reconcile the different versions of the bill currently moving through the House and Senate.

http://www.momocrats.typepad.com/momocrats/jaelith...

http://www.jaejudy.com

Can't wait!  I think she rocks!

PunditMom
( http://www.punditmom.com )

aka Joanne Bamberger
( http://www.mediabistro.com/joannebamberger )

BlogHer News & Politics Contributing Editor ( http://www.blogher.com/blog/punditmom )

Recently both the President and Sen. Baucus have said that a new health care plan could work without a government run public option but instead people could choose - via the Exchange - to  go into insurance co-ops. Co-ops are popular in states with smaller populations but the fear is that in larger states like NY or California these co-ops wouldn't be able to garner enough members to compete against private health insurance companies. Some members say that there should be a "trigger" in the bill in the event that co-ops do not work. What is your stance on the "trigger" option? Or do you think that there should be a government run public option?

Heather B. 

No Pasa Nada: www.nopasanada.org ( http://www.nopasanada.org )

BlogHer: http://www.blogher.com/blog/heatherb

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

This is something I, like many women, fear mentioning because I want health care reform to pass and I know it's a dangerous topic. But I don't want the legal right to choose a low cost abortion to disappear in compromising. How do pro-choice bloggers talk about preserving access to abortions while not playing into right wing fear tactics?

See this article for reference: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/letters/b...,... ( http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/letters/b...,0,7041465.story )

Morra Aarons-Mele
www.womenandwork.org

Thanks for this awesome opportunity. 

Melissa Smallwood

www.multitaskingmama.com ( http://www.multitaskingmama.com/ )