Elizabeth Edwards Says Medical Debt Deserves Bankruptcy Protections

By Julianne LaJeunesse, University Of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

Elizabeth Edwards testified at a hearing Tuesday in favor of changing current bankruptcy law to one that includes medical debt. At the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight and the Court, Edwards said Kerry and Patrick Burns, constituents of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) are "exactly the reason" why Whitehouse's Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2009 is important.

Edwards, wife of former Senator and Presidential Candidate John Edwards (D-N.C.), spoke at the hearing as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and said that without health care reform, family's yearly health insurance payments could exceed $30, 000 by the end of the next decade.

Edward suggested Whitehouse consider additional interim steps for his bill, but said, "the problem is simply an issue associated with our failing to address adequately, and I hope that we will be addressing, the medical insurance problems that exist in this country."

Kerry Burns of Coventry, Rhode Island testified about her experience with bankruptcy, saying that in March, she lost her son Finnegan to a Cystic Fibrosis related illnesses. She told the Congressmen about the many surgeries Finnegan underwent, and said that because of gaps in her health insurance coverage, her and Patrick couldn't pay their mortgage and lost their home. The Burns are filing for bankruptcy now, and their experience, Whitehouse said, is one that would be covered under his bill.

"We actually had to borrow the money in order to officially go bankrupt," Burns said. "As if this were not enough, a credit counseling class is required both before and after the filing, with fees in addition to the filing."

Whitehouse's bill if passed, would waive both the "means test" and credit counseling requirements for those seeking bankruptcy, and at the hearing, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-W.I.), a member of the Committee, asked Whitehouse to be a co-sponsor.

Committee Ranking Member Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said he felt compassion for the Burns family, but said that under the current Bankruptcy Act of 2005, the Burns could have avoided some of the expenses paid during their bankruptcy application. Sessions made it clear at the hearing, that he believes Whitehouse's bill is a move away from moral financial responsibility.

Aparna Mathur, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute also expressed concern about bankruptcy fraud, saying, "Where do we draw the line for who we want to help and who we don't. The most effective solution to the problem of rising bankruptcies, is to create the right conditions for an economic recovery so that families can hold on to their jobs, retain their earning power, stay in their homes, and live within their means. We should help avoid bankruptcy rather than making it easier to file it."

Edwards countered Mathur's argument, adding that bankruptcy judges are "in the very best position" and "they're sitting with the debtor in front of them, with the creditors who are going to give information if they know it, right there in front of them."

High Health Costs Forcing Americans To Go Bankrupt, Cut Back On Care

By Annie Berman - Talk Radio News Service

The current health care system is not bankrupting America; Rather, outrageously high medical bills, mounds of credit card debt and expensive mortgages are what cause Americans to file for bankruptcy, experts said Tuesday at a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of one-time Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards, shared statistics with the committee regarding vast medical costs forcing Americans into declaring bankruptcy. Edwards explained that such costs force households into cutting back on what they spend on health care.

“According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey, concerns about affording needed medical care led insured individuals to cut back on care due to cost. Responses included postponing care (34%), skipping a recommended medical visit or treatment (30%), not filling prescriptions (27%), and skipping doses or cutting pills (21%),” said Edwards.

University of Michigan Law Professor and bankruptcy expert John A. E. Pottow offered his definition of medical bankruptcy to the committee.

“It could mean someone whose medical debts exceed…a certain percentage of their income. Or it could mean someone who lost income or a job, or even had to mortgage his or her home, due to medical bills,” said Pottow.

Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a physician and Harvard University medical professor, argued that only a single-payer system can make health care coverage available and affordable to all Americans, and would “save hundreds of billions we now waste on insurance overhead and bureaucracy”. Woolhandler also claimed that private insurance is fundamentally defective and the tremendous amount of over-treatment by doctors causes medical bills to go way up.

However, the committee’s ranking Republican member, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), took issue with Woolhandler’s sentiments.

“Here’s my big concern, and that is that somehow the answer to medical bankruptcy is nationalized healthcare…If a [nationalized healthcare system] saves hundreds of billions of dollars, it would be a first in history for government to do something of this complexity and actually save money,” said Franks.

“If indeed private insurance is fundamentally defective…with all the crises that people face with healthcare, if you put it in government hands, even to a partial extent, you will diminish the dignity of the patient and the pressure will be on giving less healthcare…I am convinced that healthcare will become more expensive...Instead of having financial bankruptcy, we will have health bankruptcy,” said Franks.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announces themes for the DNC

"We have plans not only to include voices from across America, but also people from across America who have never had a chance to participate before", said Kansas Governor, and Democratic Vice Presidential hopeful, Kathleen Sebelius at a conference call discussing the nightly themes for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. She went on to say, "We felt that the Democratic Convention was a great way to kick off the momentum for change."

Sebelius said that the overall theme for the convention will be "America's Townhall", and that each night would have a theme of its own marked with a keynote speaker. Monday's theme will be "America at a Crossroads", with the speaker being Sen. Barack Obama's wife Michelle. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) is scheduled to speak on Tuesday night when the theme will be "Renewing America's Promise", which will deal with economic issues and access to health care. On Wednesday, Sebelius said the theme will center around the contributions of veterans, as well as those currently serving in the US military, with the speaker being Obama's Vice Presidential running mate, who will be selected before the convention. Sebelius also stated that the theme for Wednesday does not necessarily imply that Obama's Vice President will have a substantial background in veterans' affairs, though the selection will definitely be knowledgeable in the area.

When asked if she had been vetted by the Obama campaign for the Vice Presidential slot, Sebelius responded by saying, "I have made it clear since I enthusiastically endorsed Senator Obama that I would be enthusiastic about doing anything I can to help him be elected to the president of the United States [...]". She added that all information about Obama's selection for Vice President would have to be answered by his campaign.

Anita Dunn, Senior Campaign Advisor for Sen. Obama, responded to a question as to whether Elizabth Edwards, the wife of former Sen. John Edwards would be speaking in light of recent news regarding his extramarital affair by saying neither will be attending the convention.

Elizabeth Edwards, Lance Armstrong on the hill to discuss cancer and work to be done

There was a full committee hearing this morning on "Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century" with witnesses that included Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate and former Senator John Edwards, in addition to Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner and chairman and founder of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, headed by Senator Kennedy, is dedicated to renewing the "war on cancer." With the Senators praising the witnesses for their work and the witnesses doing likewise towards the Senators, the hearing was very inspirational with first-hand accounts from cancer survivors.

Mrs. Edwards, who is being awarded with the "Mother of the Year Award", was insistent on the fact that health insurance matters. She recounted a story of a young women who had cancer but did not have health insurance while highlighting the difficulties she faced while raising children.

Mr. Armstrong then told his story and was adamant on the fact that early detection was imperative. He was insistent that no matter what age, race or sex, everyone has the right to the proper health care - health care that can prevent, help with early detection, and treat disease.

With testimonies like this, and the confidence and hard work being put forth by these witnesses and others, hopefully the proper funding and work can be done to eradicate this disease.

Progressive coalition announces new campaign to end Iraq war

A coalition of progressive organizations held a conference call today to announce the launching of a new $20 million campaign to end the war in Iraq and inform the public about the connection between government spending in Iraq and the dwindling economy. Former Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth are lending the campaign their names and support. The organizations included in this campaign are MoveOn.org, Center for American Progress, VoteVets.org, Americans United for Change, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) which collectively includes 6 million members.

Eli Pariser of MoveOn.org told listeners that the campaign will be aimed at reminding Congress about the “crushing” consequences of Bush’s “failed” strategy in Iraq, into which the U.S. has already invested $500 billion. He said the MoveOn.org will contribute $5 million into the campaign to pressure Congress to end the war and blamed Republicans for acting to block Democrats’ efforts to do so.

John Edwards said that he witnessed a lot of “anger” and “angst” toward the state of the economy and the war in Iraq during his travels across the country while campaigning for president. He said that people don’t understand why the government is spending $500 billion in Iraq when over 40 million Americans are living without health care and 37 million are in poverty. He also stressed the importance of understanding the connection between the war in Iraq and the price of gas, the “broken” health care system, high college tuition, and mortgage foreclosures. Elizabeth Edwards took the phone from her husband to reiterate his message and told listeners that she sometimes becomes “depressed” because of the lack of media attention these issues receive.