Get Notice of CCHF Events!
CCHF sends email invitations and notices for events and educational forums to those who request them. Such forums and events follow different formats and take place at various time during the year.
To receive notice of an upcoming forum or event, send a request to CCHF.
Press Releases
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May 08, 2013
The Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) announced a huge victory today with the defeat of Senator John Marty’s (D-Roseville) newborn screening language.
This is a list of all the data the MN Department of Health collects and how they use it.
CCHF President, Twila Brase, was published in the Pioneer Press on April 17, 2013 regarding legislation in the Minnesota House and Senate that would grant authority for DNA and personal medical information to be collected, stored and used for research WITHOUT individual consent. It has now been APPROVED by the Senate but still will need to be heard by the House before it can go to the Governor. Protect your Privacy! Sign the NoBiobank petition!
Press Releases
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April 15, 2013
The Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom is voicing concern and criticism for proposed changes to stop-loss models of health insurance that small businesses can use to provide employee coverage. Rather than pay premiums to a health insurance company, many businesses instead use a self-insurance model, creating a fund to pay for minor and non-catastrophic employee health services and reserving actual insurance claims for major medical issues that exceed $20,000 – the current NAIC threshold that claims must meet before stop-loss insurance kicks in.
eNews Commentary
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February 21, 2013
Do conservative organizations all sing the same health care tune? No, writes John Goodman at the National Center for Policy Analysis. In fact, I'd argue that sometime they are singing in complete dissonance.
National Reports
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January 10, 2010
Health Care Sharing Ministries are exempt from the Obamacare individual insurance mandate. More than 100,000 Americans have found an alternative to health insurance in what used to be called medical sharing groups and is now called health care sharing ministries. They have been available for decades, but they are virtually unknown. If you haven’t heard of them before now, you are not alone.
Press Releases
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January 21, 2013
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider and debate the merits of H.R. 307, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013. The act would authorize the federal government to connect online with private clinics and hospitals to collect and share real-time private health information and to share the information nationally and internationally. It also authorizes the updating and enhancement of current biosurveillance activities, at a cost of more than $138 million over the next four years.
Press Releases
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May 23, 2002
Although several citizen organizations testified multiple times against the provision, the MN Department of Health received authority to quarantine individuals and groups suspected of having a communicable or potentially communicable disease without a court order - 365 days a year.
Press Releases
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May 02, 2002
FIRST RIGHT: The first right to go was the right of the public to testify on the proposed legislation. Rep. Richard Mulder (R-Ivanhoe), chair of the committee and author of the bill (HF 3031), began the third hearing of the Conference Committee by saying public testimony would not be taken. It had not been allowed in the first hearing, but in the second hearing, thanks to the insistence of Rep. Lynda Boudreau (R-Faribault), the public was given permission to testify.
Public Comments
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September 01, 2011
The Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), established under Obamacare, asked the American public to comment on the Institute's definition of "patient-centered outcomes research." The deadline was Friday, September 2. Many CCHF supporters responded. In short, PCORI's definition is deceptive and leaves the public thinking that PCORI (pronounced "pea-CORE-ee") is going to do great work. However, the controversial "comparative effectiveness research" will be used by the federal government to make insurance coverage decisions for all citizens.
National Reports
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December 01, 2008
Evidence is said to be the new bright star of health care. A growing chorus of voices is calling for physicians and other health care clinicians to follow “evidence-based medicine” (EBM) or so-called “best practices.” To practice EBM, proponents say doctors must follow evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
Petitions
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July 31, 2005
How do you feel about Angelina Jolie's decision? On Monday, The New York Times published her opinion piece called, "My Medical Choice." Angelina, the popular 37-year-old actress, chose to have a double mastectomy. After three months of medical procedures to remove her breasts and perform reconstructive surgery with implants, she wrote about her prophylactic decision.
This is a list of all the data the MN Department of Health collects and how they use it.
CCHF President, Twila Brase, was published in the Pioneer Press on April 17, 2013 regarding legislation in the Minnesota House and Senate that would grant authority for DNA and personal medical information to be collected, stored and used for research WITHOUT individual consent. It has now been APPROVED by the Senate but still will need to be heard by the House before it can go to the Governor. Protect your Privacy! Sign the NoBiobank petition!
South Dakota Senator Thune sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew asking that the IRS be removed from enforcement responsibilities for the ACA due to the controversial deference and admitted misconduct in granting tax exempt status for political and educational groups.
Press Releases
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May 21, 2013
ST.PAUL, Minn.— Guess which government agency will enforce Obamacare? One with a stellar record for privacy and fairness?
No. It’s the Internal Revenue Service, currently under investigation for unfairly targeting conservative groups in America with audits, harassment and delays. Once Obamacare kicks in fully, the IRS will not only oversee your tax returns but your health insurance status too.
Tracking is a favorite federal activity. Two bills in Congress would create prescription-tracking systems, ostensibly to identify and locate counterfeit drugs: a bipartisan 85-page House bill and a bipartisan 107-page Senate bill.
South Dakota Senator Thune sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew asking that the IRS be removed from enforcement responsibilities for the ACA due to the controversial deference and admitted misconduct in granting tax exempt status for political and educational groups.
Press Releases
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May 21, 2013
ST.PAUL, Minn.— Guess which government agency will enforce Obamacare? One with a stellar record for privacy and fairness?
No. It’s the Internal Revenue Service, currently under investigation for unfairly targeting conservative groups in America with audits, harassment and delays. Once Obamacare kicks in fully, the IRS will not only oversee your tax returns but your health insurance status too.
Press Releases
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April 30, 2013
Nebraska, which originally refused to create a state health insurance Exchange, is moving to create a state commission to oversee and make recommendations to the federal government regarding the creation of a federally-facilitated Exchange for Nebraska.
Obamacare requires States to set up federal command and control centers over health insurance and medical care. These centers are called "American Health Benefit Exchanges" or "Health Insurance Exchanges" for short. The data infrastructure will monitor citizen compliance with the unconstitutional mandate to purchase health insurance. The first set of federal exchange regulations include the word "require" 811 times. The Minnesota legislature said "no" to the Exchange, but Governor Dayton is using more than $5 million from the federal government to build it.
Employers have found an Obamacare loophole. According to ACA regulations, "minimum essential coverage" with a robust and rich set of benefits is required only for plans offered to individuals and small businesses with less than 50 employees.
South Dakota Senator Thune sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew asking that the IRS be removed from enforcement responsibilities for the ACA due to the controversial deference and admitted misconduct in granting tax exempt status for political and educational groups.
eNews Commentary
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February 28, 2013
A lawsuit has unexpectedly revealed Obama's rationing plans. The Administration says states can cut Medicaid payments to doctors and other providers to hold down costs. This is a breathtaking statement. President Obama's signature law, Obamacare, adds 16 million people to Medicaid. It offers states the "opportunity" to expand Medicaid at no cost for the first two years, and then offers to pay 90% of the cost in perpetuity of all individuals eligible under the expansion. The law also increases payment to primary care doctors for two years to encourage them to accept more Medicaid patients.
Press Releases
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October 15, 2012
As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be implemented, patient privacy is one of the most oft-noted concerns as data is forced online, but the law’s impact on patient access to care is critical. The Citizens' Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) predicts, based on the results of a new study, that patients will have difficulty accessing medical care.
Public Comments
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April 09, 2009
No patient, no government official, no policymaker should be able to require a practitioner to do what is viewed as unethical, morally objectionable or a violation of the religious beliefs of that practitioner.
"Many advocacy groups felt that accepting lower standards for racial and ethnic groups as compared to the total population was unjust."
Press Releases
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March 15, 2010
The U.S. Census has become an intrusive data collection tool for the federal government. The change from constitutional enumeration to federal intrusion has turned led to higher costs, public resistance, and lower compliance. The Census Bureau's plans to count everyone, not just citizens, may also deny American citizens their constitutional right to equal representation," says Twila Brase, president of CCHC.
Press Releases
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February 24, 2010
Texas began storing newborn DNA, collected for the newborn screening program, in 2002 without parent consent. A recent lawsuit against the State was settled, forcing Texas officials to destroy the 5.3 million infant blood spots in storage.
Employers have found an Obamacare loophole. According to ACA regulations, "minimum essential coverage" with a robust and rich set of benefits is required only for plans offered to individuals and small businesses with less than 50 employees.
South Dakota Senator Thune sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew asking that the IRS be removed from enforcement responsibilities for the ACA due to the controversial deference and admitted misconduct in granting tax exempt status for political and educational groups.
Press Releases
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May 21, 2013
ST.PAUL, Minn.— Guess which government agency will enforce Obamacare? One with a stellar record for privacy and fairness?
No. It’s the Internal Revenue Service, currently under investigation for unfairly targeting conservative groups in America with audits, harassment and delays. Once Obamacare kicks in fully, the IRS will not only oversee your tax returns but your health insurance status too.
Press Releases
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March 21, 2013
CCHF maintains that the speed of implementation will result in insufficient data protections in a PPACA technology infrastructure that is a rich target for data thieves and that patient data will be compromised, and therefore implementation must be halted until patient data security can be assured.
eNews Commentary
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February 21, 2013
Do conservative organizations all sing the same health care tune? No, writes John Goodman at the National Center for Policy Analysis. In fact, I'd argue that sometime they are singing in complete dissonance.
Public Documents
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November 27, 2012
CMS has issued a request for comments, including a list of questions, on how to redesign health care through the Exchanges. It's under the rubric of Obamacare's "National Quality Strategy" (Section 3011) and it follows the Section 1311 requirement that Exchanges pay health plans more if they improve health outcomes through government reporting, case management, care coordination, chronic disease management, medication and care compliance initiatives, health IT, wellness activities, and reduction of "health disparities." Read the questions for clarity of intrusions to come.
Press Releases
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January 04, 2010
If the U.S. Senate version of health insurance reform passes and premium costs increase as predicted by the Congressional Budget Office, medical sharing may be one of the only ways for Americans to get affordable coverage," says Twila Brase, president of CCHC
Links and Quotes
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October 01, 2003
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of uninsured Americans increased last year by 5.7% to a total of 43.6 million Americans. The Council for Affordable Health Insurance (CAHI) believes that the solution rests in legislation currently pending in Congress. October 1, 2003
eNews Commentary
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April 18, 2013
Next year, Obamacare goes viral. And not in a good way. Full-force Obamacare will infect your life like no law in the past, present, or likely the future. You'll feel the ill effects on your employment, your income, your insurance, your doctor, your health, your family, your choices and your medical and personal privacy.
Health Care Sharing is item #2 in the list of exemptions to the requirement to purchase Healthcare Insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
An update to our original Medical Sharing Chart completed by Health Care Sharing Ministries and shared with permission.
Press Releases
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May 21, 2013
ST.PAUL, Minn.— Guess which government agency will enforce Obamacare? One with a stellar record for privacy and fairness?
No. It’s the Internal Revenue Service, currently under investigation for unfairly targeting conservative groups in America with audits, harassment and delays. Once Obamacare kicks in fully, the IRS will not only oversee your tax returns but your health insurance status too.
Personal Data Required to Apply for Obamacare in ACA Exchanges
Exchange Coverage Application Form – Single Adult, Not Offered Employer Coverage
This is a list of all the data the MN Department of Health collects and how they use it.
eNews Commentary
•
February 28, 2013
A lawsuit has unexpectedly revealed Obama's rationing plans. The Administration says states can cut Medicaid payments to doctors and other providers to hold down costs. This is a breathtaking statement. President Obama's signature law, Obamacare, adds 16 million people to Medicaid. It offers states the "opportunity" to expand Medicaid at no cost for the first two years, and then offers to pay 90% of the cost in perpetuity of all individuals eligible under the expansion. The law also increases payment to primary care doctors for two years to encourage them to accept more Medicaid patients.
eNews Commentary
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February 21, 2013
Do conservative organizations all sing the same health care tune? No, writes John Goodman at the National Center for Policy Analysis. In fact, I'd argue that sometime they are singing in complete dissonance.
eNews Commentary
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January 10, 2013
Obamacare is coming. Soon everyone will feel the painful realities of what the Democrat-empowered Congress imposed on the nation. It's going to be more painful than many experts predicted. Besides the negative impact on quality of care, there will also be significant cost increases leading to reduced access to health insurance and patient care.
A Toolkit for Planning Home Visiting Partnerships with Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers
Undoubtably every mother would like help with her newborn infant, but how many mothers would be willing to submit her child and family to a comprehensive parenting, child health, and home environment evaluation by a government employee?
This is a list of all the data the MN Department of Health collects and how they use it.
CCHF President, Twila Brase, was published in the Pioneer Press on April 17, 2013 regarding legislation in the Minnesota House and Senate that would grant authority for DNA and personal medical information to be collected, stored and used for research WITHOUT individual consent. It has now been APPROVED by the Senate but still will need to be heard by the House before it can go to the Governor. Protect your Privacy! Sign the NoBiobank petition!
On April 10, 2013, CCHF Presidenta Twila Brase spoke at a press conference hosted by Rep. Peggy Scott opposing the creation of a DNA BioBank by the state of Minnesota. She was joined Dr. Michelle Goodwin, a Bioethics professor from the U of M, and several other members of the MN House and Senate.
Public Documents
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November 01, 2012
The Complaint: "Plaintiffs the American Hospital Association, Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital, Munson Medical Center, Lancaster GEneral Hospital, and Trinity Health Corporation ("Plaintiffs") bring this action to end an unlawful government practice: The Medicare program has been refusing to pay hospitals for hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of care provided to patients, even though all agree tha tthe care provided was reasonable and medically necessary as the Medicare Act requires. The government's refusal to pay for this care is harming hospitals and patients. More pertinent here, it violates the Medicare Act and is otherwise unlawful. Plaintiffs seek a declaration to that effect as well as monetary and other relief." - AHA, et. al. vs Kathleen Sebelius, HHS, November 1, 2012.
Announcement
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February 15, 2012
The Court should declare that ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety because severance, in the absence of a severability clause, wreaks havoc on the Constitution’s system of checks and balances and ignores the Separation of Powers doctrine. Such severance provides Congress with less than “ALL” legislative power, imposes a new “reconsideration” mechanism outside of the Presentment Clause, and is beyond the enumerated powers of Article III courts.
Issues
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February 08, 2012
Kavanaugh, Circuit Judge: "This is not your typical lawsuit against the Government. Plaintiffs here have sued because they don’t want government benefits. They seek to disclaim their legal entitlement to Medicare Part A benefits for hospitalization costs. Plaintiffs want to disclaim their legal entitlement to Medicare Part A benefits because their private insurers limit coverage for patients who are entitled to Medicare Part A benefits. And plaintiffs would prefer to receive coverage from their private insurers rather than from the Government."
Press Releases
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December 03, 2012
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health met last Wednesday to hear testimony on ways to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare system. While few deny the need to reform Medicare and cut payments based on fraudulent claims by common thieves, the lack of definitions around “fraud,” “waste,” and “abuse” are troubling, according to the Citizens' Council for Health Freedom (CCHF). A sample of the various definitions...
Press Releases
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September 17, 2012
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced earlier this month it will not regulate the nationwide health information network, or NHIN, through formal rule-making, instead offering “a framework of principles and good practice models” to help guide deployment without hindering the implementation. The NHIN is designed to share patient health data among insurers and all types of health providers that an individual may seek treatment from. The nationwide network will interact with all state and individual provider networks, to....
Press Releases
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April 10, 2012
St. Paul, Minn.—Which is more important? Standardizing care or ensuring a positive patient experience?
To patient advocate Twila Brase, president and co-founder of Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom, a patient-centered national health policy organization based in St. Paul, Minn., there shouldn’t be a trade-off. But new research shows that hospitals that adopt strategies to meet government requirements see a decline in the quality of individual patient experiences.
CCHF President, Twila Brase, was published in the Pioneer Press on April 17, 2013 regarding legislation in the Minnesota House and Senate that would grant authority for DNA and personal medical information to be collected, stored and used for research WITHOUT individual consent. It has now been APPROVED by the Senate but still will need to be heard by the House before it can go to the Governor. Protect your Privacy! Sign the NoBiobank petition!
On April 10, 2013, CCHF Presidenta Twila Brase spoke at a press conference hosted by Rep. Peggy Scott opposing the creation of a DNA BioBank by the state of Minnesota. She was joined Dr. Michelle Goodwin, a Bioethics professor from the U of M, and several other members of the MN House and Senate.
Press Releases
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April 09, 2013
The Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.com) has discovered a newly created federal system of records. The system, called the “Health Insurance Exchange Program,” was finalized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 6, 2013 and will house much of each state’s health insurance exchange information, including personally identifiable information, private health data, employment and insurance data, and qualified employer information in a single, federal records system.
eNews Commentary
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February 28, 2013
A lawsuit has unexpectedly revealed Obama's rationing plans. The Administration says states can cut Medicaid payments to doctors and other providers to hold down costs. This is a breathtaking statement. President Obama's signature law, Obamacare, adds 16 million people to Medicaid. It offers states the "opportunity" to expand Medicaid at no cost for the first two years, and then offers to pay 90% of the cost in perpetuity of all individuals eligible under the expansion. The law also increases payment to primary care doctors for two years to encourage them to accept more Medicaid patients.
eNews Commentary
•
February 21, 2013
Do conservative organizations all sing the same health care tune? No, writes John Goodman at the National Center for Policy Analysis. In fact, I'd argue that sometime they are singing in complete dissonance.
eNews Commentary
•
January 10, 2013
Obamacare is coming. Soon everyone will feel the painful realities of what the Democrat-empowered Congress imposed on the nation. It's going to be more painful than many experts predicted. Besides the negative impact on quality of care, there will also be significant cost increases leading to reduced access to health insurance and patient care.
Obamacare requires States to set up federal command and control centers over health insurance and medical care. These centers are called "American Health Benefit Exchanges" or "Health Insurance Exchanges" for short. The data infrastructure will monitor citizen compliance with the unconstitutional mandate to purchase health insurance. The first set of federal exchange regulations include the word "require" 811 times. The Minnesota legislature said "no" to the Exchange, but Governor Dayton is using more than $5 million from the federal government to build it.
Press Releases
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May 08, 2013
The Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) announced a huge victory today with the defeat of Senator John Marty’s (D-Roseville) newborn screening language.
Press Releases
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April 30, 2013
(St. Paul/Minneapolis) Today, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton released his list of seven appointees to the MNsure health insurance exchange governance board. Twila Brase, president and co-founder of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom provides the following statement in response:
Issues
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February 21, 2013
The public will have no say over federal control of health insurance and medical care if the Minnesota Healthcare Exchange legislation (SF1/HF5) passes in its present form. The Exchange Board will be exempt from all the requirements that protect the public from runaway rulemaking.
Issues
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February 12, 2013
Many health insurance agents fear the loss of their livelihood once government health insurance Exchanges are created and people begin to shop online. But Exchanges will not be simple. Thus, Obamacare established a new entity called “navigators” to assist individuals and businesses in buying coverage from federally-qualified health plans on the exchange. Health insurance agents will be only one of many groups allowed to become navigators.
Issues
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February 07, 2013
Among the far-reaching powers granted to the seven-member MN Health Insurance Exchange board in the proposed legislation is the power to choose what health insurance plans you, the consumer who may be forced to buy insurance on the Exchange, are allowed to purchase.
Minnesota Documents
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January 22, 2013
Minnesota Legislation: Senate File 1/ House File 5
Adding Minnesotans to “the largest consolidation of personal data in the history of the republic” - USA TODAY
eNews Commentary
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January 10, 2013
Obamacare is coming. Soon everyone will feel the painful realities of what the Democrat-empowered Congress imposed on the nation. It's going to be more painful than many experts predicted. Besides the negative impact on quality of care, there will also be significant cost increases leading to reduced access to health insurance and patient care.
Press Releases
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January 29, 2013
The federal health department recently granted $1.5 billion in aid to states actively building their health insurance exchanges – government entities that feed private data into a ‘Federal Surveillance Center’ that has access to a wide variety of data about all Americans and makes it available to state and federal government agencies...
Obamacare requires States to set up federal command and control centers over health insurance and medical care. These centers are called "American Health Benefit Exchanges" or "Health Insurance Exchanges" for short. The data infrastructure will monitor citizen compliance with the unconstitutional mandate to purchase health insurance. The first set of federal exchange regulations include the word "require" 811 times. The Minnesota legislature said "no" to the Exchange, but Governor Dayton is using more than $5 million from the federal government to build it.
eNews Commentary
•
February 28, 2013
A lawsuit has unexpectedly revealed Obama's rationing plans. The Administration says states can cut Medicaid payments to doctors and other providers to hold down costs. This is a breathtaking statement. President Obama's signature law, Obamacare, adds 16 million people to Medicaid. It offers states the "opportunity" to expand Medicaid at no cost for the first two years, and then offers to pay 90% of the cost in perpetuity of all individuals eligible under the expansion. The law also increases payment to primary care doctors for two years to encourage them to accept more Medicaid patients.
Public Documents
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November 20, 2012
On November 16, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker sent a letter to Secretary Sebelius saying, "...we have determined Wisconsin will not develop a partnership or state-based exchange."
Press Releases
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April 23, 2013
Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom is drawing attention to the significant safety and privacy concerns of the mandate within Obamacare that requires doctors and hospitals to have federally-certified electronic health records or face financial penalties in 2015.
eNews Commentary
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April 18, 2013
Next year, Obamacare goes viral. And not in a good way. Full-force Obamacare will infect your life like no law in the past, present, or likely the future. You'll feel the ill effects on your employment, your income, your insurance, your doctor, your health, your family, your choices and your medical and personal privacy.
eNews Commentary
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April 11, 2013
Will “the covered” receive care? Our health care coverage certificates may soon look and feel like the American dollar: a piece of paper backed by nothing. Just like there is no gold backing the U.S. dollar, so there may be no care backing the “coverage guaranteed” certificate you receive under Obamacare’s universal coverage program.
Medical Privacy
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April 14, 2003
The federal medical privacy rule is commonly known as the "HIPAA privacy rule." However, it actually holds the title, "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information."
Personal Data Required to Apply for Obamacare in ACA Exchanges
Exchange Coverage Application Form – Single Adult, Not Offered Employer Coverage
Tracking is a favorite federal activity. Two bills in Congress would create prescription-tracking systems, ostensibly to identify and locate counterfeit drugs: a bipartisan 85-page House bill and a bipartisan 107-page Senate bill.
eNews Commentary
•
February 21, 2013
Do conservative organizations all sing the same health care tune? No, writes John Goodman at the National Center for Policy Analysis. In fact, I'd argue that sometime they are singing in complete dissonance.
Minnesota Reports
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December 15, 2008
Specifically, a Tennessen Warning requirement [to tell individual how their data would be used by the Dept., whether they have to provide it, etc.] would not be workable for the reporting of communicable diseases or related specimens or for the collection of many other types of public health data or specimens. There may be other privacy protections or some sort of modified Tennessen Warning, but they would have to be tailored to balance MDH's responsibility to protect public health with the individual's privacy. The goal would be to maximize public health protections while minimizing any intrusion on personal privacy.
Minnesota Reports
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December 13, 2008
In response to the “2009 Genetic Information Report – DRAFT Version Two,” this report was submitted to Commissioner Dana Badgerow, Minnesota Department of Administration by Twila Brase, RN, PHN, Member of the Minnesota Genetic Information Work Group and President of Citizens’ Council on Health Care, January 2009
$1,600,000,000
and Rising
Links and Quotes
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January 01, 2010
Info Cards/Brochures
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December 12, 2003
This document, explaining the impact of the provider tax on cost of health care services, can be hung on the back of exam room doors, inserted as a double-sided poster in billing statements, framed at the front desk of the clinic, and provided as a handout in the waiting room. Phone numbers for contacting state officials are included on the second page. This document may be copied unaltered for noncommercial distribution and information purposes only.
Minnesota Reports
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October 29, 2003
Provider Taxes Collected To Date - received October 29, 2003
eNews Commentary
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February 21, 2013
Do conservative organizations all sing the same health care tune? No, writes John Goodman at the National Center for Policy Analysis. In fact, I'd argue that sometime they are singing in complete dissonance.
Issues
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February 05, 2013
The Minnesota Insurance Exchange legislation specifically defines the “Minnesota Insurance Marketplace” as a Board. This board would be a defacto state agency, signing IT contracts, accepting state appropriations, having a dedicated state account, overseeing health care across the state of Minnesota, and choosing what insurance options are available on the exchange.
Press Releases
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October 15, 2012
As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be implemented, patient privacy is one of the most oft-noted concerns as data is forced online, but the law’s impact on patient access to care is critical. The Citizens' Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) predicts, based on the results of a new study, that patients will have difficulty accessing medical care.
Medical Privacy
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January 18, 2009
Medical Privacy
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December 12, 1998
The 1998 Minnesota K-12 Omnibus Education bill mandated that all schools bill third-party payers (HMOs, insurers, and Medicaid) for health care services given under Special Education. M.S. 125A now mandates that funds ($50,000) be provided for training school staff in coding and other necessary skills and information for submitting Medicaid and insurance claims.
Referring to a 1986 newspaper expose': "It took four years, an audit of Pennsylvania's federal funding links to the EQA [Educational Quality Assessment], and a series of threats and counterthreats between federal and Pennsylvania education officials over the particulars of the funding, before state testing authorities finally admitted to the public that the EQA was, in fact, a psychological testing instrument and that it violated several of the seven protected areas under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, passed in 1978, sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch." (page 11)
Public Documents
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November 06, 2012
As reported by Bloomberg/BNA's Health IT Law and Industry Report (10/29/12), Tom Frieden, director of the CDC wasnts doctors and hospitals to use EMRs to "track and refer tobacco users to public hotlines that offer support to patients working to quit smoking." In Stage 2 of "meaningful use" (MU), doctors and hospitals receive incentive payments if they record the smoking status of more than 80 percent of all patients 13 years or older. Patients may of course refuse to answer the questions or assist in the data collection. The CDC letter also suggests that EHRs should "automatically retrieve information from immunization registries." Click to read the CDC's letter.
Links and Quotes
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June 12, 2002
(Disclaimer: CCHC does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of this report).
Medical Privacy
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July 17, 1998
Total of 122 medical clinics currently participating (about 16% of the state's total clinics that provide childhood immunization) according to the Minnesota Health Department on June 1, 1998.
