Haslam signs Confederate Plate Bill, forgets he signed it, calls for it’s removal

Haslam signs Confederate Plate Bill, forgets he signed it, calls for it’s removal

June 24, 2015
12:03 pm

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam in a speech yesterday at Volkswagen said he was against the Confederate Flag being on license plates in TN.

In 2012, Governor Bill Haslam, Speaker of the Senate Ron Ramsey, House Speaker Beth Harwell signed a bill to allow the Confederate Flag to be stamped on Tennessee motorcycles, a bill which complements a car version signed by then Democratic Speaker Jimmy Naifeh and Governor Don Sundquist in 2002.

According to an article sighted by the Times Free Press and interview of Haslam, he showed much confusion as he was confronted about the Confederate License Plate bill he signed.

“Haslam said that he wasn’t aware that the flag is stamped on some plates, but “I’d be in favor of discontinuing it.”

According to the TFP “Haslam signed the bill approving the Confederate license plates for motorcycles on March 14, 2012. The bill passed the state Senate and House by wide margins. The vote in the Senate was 27-3, and in the House voted 82-6 in favor, with one person voting present.” 

“The plate, which features the stars and bars of the confederacy on the left side of the plate, is available to Tennessee drivers for an annual fee of $56.50, with $15.38 allocated to the Tennessee Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans, according to the website of the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs.”

“The plate can be personalized with five characters for a total fee of $91.50. The typical fee for a license plate is $35, according to the website. ”
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2015/jun/23/haslam-favors-removal-confederate-flag-tennessee-license-plates/311065/

Its true. On March 14th,  2012, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, along with Ramsey and Harwell signed Senate Bill 2169 into law allowing Tn citizens to purchase a Confederate License plate for use on their vehicle.

Today, Tn Governor Bill Haslam calls for the elimination of Confederate License plate that he signed into law just a few years ago.
https://www.nashvillepost.com/blogs/postpolitics/2015/6/23/haslam_favors_removal_of_confederate_flag_from_license_plates

For one, this speaks volumes about bills passed in Tennessee and when the political winds shifts so does the mindset of a shifty politician along with or without their support. It largely depends on who is in their pocket.

Two, this speaks to how out of touch and hypocritical Haslam is within his own state where one minute he signs a bill, forgets he signs it, then calls for all license plates bearing the Confederate Flag to be removed. 

Readers also remember each call to limit others freedom of speech will eventually lead to restrictions on your free speech as well. Soon, we are all offended by each other and we will have no freedoms or the ability to express ourselves freely. We will all be divided and separated into our own pods with people like us daring not to venture from that border with out our own sets of rules  and beliefs being violated. This is a slippery slope we are slipping on and it will only lead to less rights now enjoyed by all. 

This is the Change our current president spoke of and our liberal law makers are creating it’s path.

God bless America!

Sources of info:

Thanks to the Chattanooga Times Free Press for their excellent coverage of this issue. Please visit their site frequently. There are many more stories on their site you may find interesting.

In 2002, SB 1303, HB 1893, see bill below.

Click to access pc0876.pdf

In 2012, Senate Bill 2169- Confederate License Plates for Motorcyclists signed by Haslam, Ron Ramsey and  Beth Harwell  in 2012

Click to access PublicChapter553.pdf

Health insurance premiums skyrocket as industry scrambles for answers.

Health insurance premiums skyrocket as industry scrambles for answers.

06/01/15
1434 pm

Blue Cross announced recently that it lost 141 million dollars last year under the Obamacare Health Care exchanges.

The deficit in this category of insurance, under the Silver plan, was grossly underestimated as to cost and total claims by this population. 

BCBS serves nearly 2/3 of the 231, 000 total people in TN seeking insurance through the exchanges.

BCBS because of this population’s over usage and a disproportionate share seeking care at inappropriate portals of entry have requested a 36 percent increase in premiums. Of course this will have to be decided upon by the state insurance regulatory body.

“We don’t have prior claim status information” is being used as an excuse for the premium increases.

“It’s a fairly new program.” Insurance officials keep spewing as a reason to further the conversation toward future increases and unanswered questions about overutilization, fraud and abuse.

I would venture to say that if you used the TennCare program as your template for prior claim data you may obtain a wealth of information on how this pool of patients will utilize their insurance options and their spending and use habits, to influence your bottom line.

The main problems lies in the main areas below with subsets stemming from these as generators of continued high costs and a resultant higher premium. 

For the most part, from my observations, we are putting our dollars in the wrong places and not promoting proper access to care.

Let’s attempt to bridle this non frugal population that relies largely on LIP, Low Income Pools to fund or  compensate inside a broken system. One can see that if you restrain and properly train this population in a complementary setting with adequate providers hospitals across the land will see a difference in their bottom line. 

For so long hospitals, mainly ERs have promoted seeking care at their place, relying heavily on those LIPs or DSH, Disproportionate Share Hospital money to pick up the slack. 

Now that federal money is being threatened to be taken away hospitals are now clamoring for a way to survive. 

I think if we took a minute to look at our system based on the suggestions in the section below, a great impact could be made in our fight for healthcare dollars inside a dwindling reimbursement scenario.

We are currently seeing about 45,000 ER visits at an average cost of about $1300.00 for an ER visit. With 1.2 million uninsured in TN you can easily see the impact on our hospitals.

In one study at a hospital in Texas they showed that 6,000 patients to their ER had 10 or more visits. The breakdown for this population cost the hospital on average about $134,000.00 per person per year. If we dared look, I am convinced you would see similar numbers in every state in the US.

There is an irresponsible and overwhelming pattern of use among this population that must be broken. 

Just as those who pay high premiums and even greater deductible and out of pocket expenses we must exercise frugality and promote accountability at all levels. On a large scale, this is not being done.

My assessment of where our healthcare dollars are being wasted that is resulting in these higher premiums.

There is a lack of education as to when and where resources are to be consumed appropriately.

There is a serious shortage of middle level providers in our state and across the US.

We also have a significant portion of providers that see reimbursement too low to continue seeing these patients, thus bouncing them to inappropriate care areas.

There are too many providers protecting their tales and over utilizing the resources available, a serious question arises here about tort reform.

There is very little oversight controlling and directing care and suggesting or providing the proper setting for that care defined.

Overusers and repeat offenders are posting record numbers visiting our ERs, our most costly entry point. Many are seeking drugs to fuel their habits. It is estimated that 4 to 8 percent of Medicaid/TennCare patients represent 21 to 28 percent of all ER visits.

Current federal law states our most expensive easiest access portal to healthcare, the ER, can be used regardless of your ability to pay and we must see you if you show up for any reason.

Over prescribing and fueling drug addiction is leading patients to enter the ER for their drug needs. Currently in conjunction with Joint Commission, a private entity, has joined with Big Pharma to prescribe via a completely subjective pain scale that  encourages over prescribing and threatens fines if not followed. 

We must issue Providers higher reimbursement and incentives to see Medicaid and exchange patients. In one study, 45 percent of Medicaid patients didn’t know who there Primary Care giver was.

In the same vein, primary providers need to reprimanded for referring everyone seen as underinsured or uninsured to go to the ER for care. Especially during office hours.

There needs to be after hour care clinics equipped with dental services to absorb a large portion of this population that uses the ER for primary or dental concerns after hours as well as for primary care issues.

Make the underinsured aware that if they seek care outside of a specified  more costly portal of entry they will be asked to put some skin in the game, or foot a proportionate share of the cost at the door. We used to be able to do this and it was very effective.

Encourage after hour care seekers to pay a co pay at the door of an unauthorized care area. 

And,

Repeat offender, overutilizers and abusers must be limited in their visits. Place limits on use aside from emergencies and reward those that use restraint.

It’s a start, certainly not a complete plan but one that will definitely set a precedent for future utilization of resources.  

I will contacting my reps soon. How about you.

I don’t know about you, I’m frankly tired of talking about these problems. It’s time we act.

Also, I will be releasing a book soon that elaborates more on these subjects and will even point you in a direction to make a difference.

It is in the We the People Books series called “Creating a Health Care Revolution.”

You can follow the book and the series to follow on Face Book called “We the People Books” like and follow if you desire.

Sources of info! Please visit these sights regularly. 
 
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2015/may/31/insurers-proposehefty-rate-increases/307112/

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/industries/health-care/2015/05/15/health-insurance-rate-filing-requests-vary-insurer/27363437/