Third Saturday Seminar 2009-2010
Curt Gibby, Director

“The Healthcare Business Model”
The root(s) of the Problem

First Session
Saturday, 19 September 2009

9:30 am -12:00 noon

Room B-102, Lone Star College – Montgomery
3200 College Park Drive – Conroe, TX – 77384 – 936.273.7000

Well, we made it through the Summer, more or less. – This Saturday we’re going to try to get a better understanding what is the business model for our healthcare system, and what shape “Health Care Reform”might take.

In last session’s meeting notice before our Summer Recess – I borrowed an opinion from Bob Schieffer, who opened a session ofthe CBS News “Face the Nation” episode by pointing out the The Obama administration had a full schedule over the summer as they planned to have the following three things accomplished by September:

A Health Care Reform plan
A plan for relocating the inmates from Guantanamo
Sonia Sotomayor confirmed as the newest Associate Justice on the Supreme Court

Then if that weren’t enough … the news steps in to make the party more interesting.Iran – Election – was it fair? Can the Supreme Leader and the Guardian Council stand up to a technologically driven transparency that may show the world and their own citizens they had their thumb on the scale of democracy. Then there is the nuclear monster. Is it Iran’s idea or ours for them to build nuclear weapons?Palestine – Israel (the Obama Cairo speech) Why was bin Laden so upset? Was the Obama speech really good enough to put Osama out of business? Netanyahu‘s response, “Sure there can be a Palestine, if …”North Korea – Obama says we are not going to play “Kim’s Game,” That is Kim throws a tantrum and we sent him care packages. Their recent second test blast registered about 4 kilotons, about 8 times their first one. Oh, not to forget the two lady journalists sentenced to 12 years hard labor.

Immigration “Reform” (try to figure what “reform” means)

Oh, and let’s not forget the economy, the recovery, the bailout, or as I think of it, the “rip-off” of the American people. It will be limping along with hopeful conjecture or bearish
I predicted, “Whatever, is the “news of the day,” I can say with great certainty that whatever the subject or issue, you will be getting far more propaganda than fact. More obscuration than transparency.” Well what do you think? Was I right?

Well Obama, did get Sotomayor approved to the Supreme Court.

I’ve lost track of the Guantanamo situation.

But as you well know Healthcare Reform is becoming an elusive Idea; but there is a determination to pass HR 3200 in some form.

I got the idea for the Saturday’s from Nate Price when I talked to him at the ALL Open House. He asked me if I had seen the video, Money Driven Medicine,” that was played by Bill Moyers the Night Before. I hadn’t but had recorded it. I watched it and it opened my eyes to more of the commercial realities of our healthcare system. We will use some mini trailers from the website of the folks that made the video, listed below and I encourage you to watch them at the link that follows. Then skim through the other links, especially the Wendell Potter interview by Moyers which is full length video. I’ve also attached a draft list of questions we’ll touch on, and a two other documents, courtesy of Bruce Phillips, one the much circulated list of analysis of the first 500 pages and a 15 page follow up where a number of the comments from the e-mail are matched to the text to the draft bill. Then there is a link to the 1017 page draft text of HR 3200. It may be worth opening if only to be amazed at a classic example of the documents by which this country is governed.

Does anybody know how many dollars are meant by the phrase “Affordable Healthcare?”

Please bring your knowledge and your imagination to the session. I am sure some of you have actually figured some of this out and I hope you are willing to share with the rest of us.

Money Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Healthcare Costs So Much

We will watch and discuss 5 “issue trailers”from theMoney Driven Medicine Video Gallery

Patients for Sale (2:35)
Not The Best, Only the Most Expensive (1:18)
Questioning Healthcare (3:06)
Dr. Larry Churchill on the Commercialization of Healthcare(1:09)
Making Primary Care a Physicians Priority (6:06)

Written transcripthere, via Bill Moyers Journal 8/28/09

Post airing questions fielded by Maggie Mahar
Bill Moyers Journal: Maggie Mahar Answers Viewer Questions – Part I

Dr. Andrew Weil “Why Our Health Matters” on Larry King Live 9/10/2009

Third Saturday Seminar 2009-2010Curt Gibby, Director

Third Saturday Seminar 2009-2010
Curt Gibby, Director