Comments on: AN ENDANDERED HOPE! by Reverend Hurmon Hamilton

By: Barbara Anthony

Barbara Anthony — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:09:05 +0000

We agree with Rev. Hamilton’s description of Commonwealth Care members and the effects of the proposed premium and co-payment increases on them. Our clients also face these same daily struggles of paying for basic necessities, including medical care. The costs of this program should not be borne on the backs of those least able to afford it; those for whom a $5 monthly increase means a $5 monthly decrease in food. There are other opportunities available for funding this program and these should be explored before the working poor and penalized. These families should also have some stability in their lives with regards to the cost of these programs. Commonwealth Care members should not fear doubling or tripling their health care costs because of this system. We should seek lasting solutions so Commonwealth Care member can get the care they need.

Barbara Anthony, Esq.
Executive Director
Health Law Advocates

By: d. bridges

d. bridges — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:58:18 +0000

Too bad you were such an ardent supporter of this scam and didn’t see this coming. This hasn’t been about health care from the get-go and as a man of faith, you believed what the state was telling you. Welcome to the real world.

Now let us pray this nightmare comes to a swift end before too many hard-working residents are hurt. There are at least 300,000 paying penalties which will subsidize the freebie plans while the penalty-payers can’t pay their bills and still have no insurance.

Your friends at the Connector don’t care. They just need money whether it’s from penalties or premiums so the state can meet its part of the deal with Washington for the waiver money to continue. And if this policy fails sooner than later, it’s not a big deal for them – they made a ton of money in salaries and have their Golden Parachutes.

Meanwhile, our legislators, Winkem, Blinkem and Nod, continue on their merry way supporting this mess despite what they hear from constituents because their leaders told them to do so.

By: Ron Norton

Ron Norton — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:42:35 +0000

According to a story in the business section of the March 1 Worcester Telegram and Gazette, the Bay State’s HMOs had a very profitable year in 2007. The Fallon Community Health Plan had net income of $15.1 million on revenues of $916.2 million. Harvard Pilgrim saw income of $45.6 million on revenue of $2.5 billion. Tufts had a net income of $110 million on revenues of $2.2 billion. Lastly, BCBS HMO Blue earned $63.1 million on revenues of $4.5 billion. Executive compensations for the year were similarly impressive, here is the breakdown:

Fallon CEO Eric Shultz–$636,698

Harvard Pilgrim’s Charles Baker–$1.3 million

Tufts CEO James Roosevelt, Jr.–$1.1 million

BCBS CEO Cleve Killingsworth–$3.6 million

Now do we really need to ask who is benefiting from health reform?