The Woody Allen Israel Project
The Woody Allen Israel Project Read More »
June 28, 2012
HEALTH CARE DECISION: L.A. Jewish community reacts
The following are some of the statements from community leaders and from Jewish organizations that were issued following the Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act:
Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center:
“Access to affordable healthcare for all is vital to our nation and remains a key piece of the legislation that was upheld today by the U.S. Supreme Court. Cedars-Sinai remains strongly committed to that goal, as well as to the other key factors transforming healthcare, including accountability, quality and value. Thanks to the extraordinary dedication of Cedars-Sinai’s physicians and staff to our patients and to community health, we’re in a strong position in this new environment, and look forward to continuing to serve the communities of Southern California and beyond, as we have for more than 100 years.”
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a national coordinating body for local community relations councils:
“As we study today’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, we are struck by the seriousness and thoughtfulness of the Court’s process and deliberations. The rule of law is central to the American legal system, the protection of civil and human rights, and the viability of democracy. The ACA is the law of the land and universal, affordable, and accessible healthcare coverage for all Americans remains a compelling policy goal and moral imperative. Over the next few months, as the Court’s decision is parsed and the ACA is implemented, we will work with Congress and the Administration continually to improve our healthcare system and governance. We are particularly focused on the implications for Medicaid, a vital program that ensures healthcare for the most vulnerable among us. Today, we are reminded of the genius of American system of laws and government.”
Congressman Brad Sherman, who graduated Harvard Law School with Chief Justice Roberts in 1979:
“Today Chief Justice Roberts provided a well-reasoned legal analysis based on precedent.
In doing so, he helped bolster confidence in the United States Supreme Court, while dispelling the view that all controversial cases are decided on party lines.
In his opinion, he noted that every reasonable construction of a statute must be considered, in order to save a statute from unconstitutionality. He then showed that for over 100 years the Supreme Court has looked at the substance of an enactment to determine whether it is a tax, rather than whether Congress chose to label the enactment a tax.
He then demonstrated that taxes designed to influence behavior are hardly new, and that some of the very first taxes enacted by the Federal Government were designed to deter the purchase of imported manufactured goods in order to foster the growth of domestic industry. In fact almost every tax influences behavior, and often influencing behavior is the primary intent. For example, cigarette taxes are designed to reduce smoking as much as they are to provide revenue.
Roberts then pointed out that the payment due from those who do not purchase health insurance is not a punishment to be imposed on ‘outlaws.’ Rather it is estimated that 4 million people every year will choose to pay the IRS rather than buy insurance and that those people are acting reasonably and lawfully—they are not wrongdoers being punished.”
Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist organization, had filed an amicus curriae brief in the case on behalf of its 330,000 members. The following statement is from Marcie Natan, National President of Hadassah:
“Central to Hadassah’s mission is the commitment to enhance the health of people worldwide through the organization’s support of medical care and research at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. Hadassah is devoted to strengthening the healthcare system in the United States and has a long history of advocating for comprehensive healthcare reform. As a fervent supporter of economic security for women and families, Hadassah recognizes that lack of coverage compromises the health and economic well-being of millions of uninsured individuals, as well as our nation as a whole. Hadassah maintains its support for healthcare access and will continue to advocate for policies that ensure affordable coverage and improve the quality of care for every American.”
The Rabbinical Assembly, the international body of Conservative rabbis, affirmed health care as a Jewish moral imperative and applauded the Court decision.
Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, the RA’s executive vice president, and Rabbi Gerry Skolnik, RA president, released the following statement:
President Obama entered office on a message of hope for all Americans, modeled most clearly in the vision of affordable health care. Americans without access to affordable health care cannot sustain hope for themselves nor for their families. The President’s vision is consistent with Jewish tradition, which is unambiguous about the requirement of a just and decent society to provide a basic level of health care. We are gratified to see that American society, whose values we also cherish, also lives up to this standard.
As an international community of 1,600 Conservative rabbis, the Rabbinical Assembly has been continuously supportive of universal health care. The 16th-century compilation of Jewish law, the Shulhan Arukh, states that where doctors reducing fees to care for the poor is not sufficient, the community must provide a fund. Consistent with this and many other related dicta in Jewish tradition, the Rabbinical Assembly passed resolutions on health care in 2002, 2008 and 2011, in support of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
All people deserve access to affordable and equitable healthcare coverage, and we join other people of faith in their staunch desire for a U.S health care system that offers health, wholeness and human dignity for all. Today’s decision brings us significantly forward on that moral path, and the members of the Rabbinical Assembly will continue to promote a system of health care that is inclusive, affordable, accessible and accountable.”
HEALTH CARE DECISION: L.A. Jewish community reacts Read More »
Anti-Semitic Elmo identified as former porn purveyor
The man dressed in an Elmo costume who was captured on video spewing anti-Semitic epithets in a New York City park has been identified as the former proprietor of a pornographic website.
The man was identified by The New York Times on Wednesday as Adam Sandler, 48, formerly of Ashland, Ore., who once ran a Cambodia-based porn site.
Sandler, in his Elmo costume, was handcuffed by police in Central Park on Sunday and taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation after launching into an anti-Semitic rant. But he was back in the park posing for pictures by Tuesday.
Video that circulated online showed the costumed Elmo directing bystanders to read “The International Jew” published and distributed by Henry Ford, the automobile manufacturer who was also known for his anti-Semitic views.
“I’m not making money because the Jewish costume company is harassing me,” said the man in a video. “That’s why I’m doing it, and that’s why I want people to read ‘The International Jew,’ because if you start your business in this city, Jews will harass you.”
The Times reported that Sandler had lived in Cambodia, where he produced a website called “Welcome to the Rape Camp.” According to The Journal of Asian Law, the site featured Asian women who were used for “bondage, discipline, and humiliation.”
Sandler said the women on the site were paid for their performances and not harmed. Cambodian police arrested Sandler in 1999 and deported him.
An academic who wrote an article about the site later received emails from a man identifying himself as Sandler. In one, the man wrote that he had sex with young girls in Cambodia in exchange for money, according to the Times.
Sandler, no known relation to the comedian of the same name, told the Times that he had changed his first name to “Adam” to escape the notoriety surrounding the porn site.
He said he bought his costume online after noticing how much money some Elmo impersonators were making in New York by posing for pictures.
Sandler said of the doctors who interviewed him during his psychiatric evaluation, “Obviously they saw I was not a threat to myself or anybody.”
Anti-Semitic Elmo identified as former porn purveyor Read More »
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews React: Bikur Cholim Jewish Healthcare Foundation President
Rabbi Hershy Ten, president of Bikur Cholim Jewish Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles, never thought the health care system needed much reform.
“Thank God, the United States has always been a destination for people from all over the world to come here to receive the best possible care. Our system of health care has always been a leader innovation, in safety, in creating proven therapies that have gone from the lab to patients’ bedsides,” he said. “So I never thought that our health care system required reform. But I do believe the insurance industry requires reform.”
Bikur Cholim offers health education to the Jewish community and support services to those facing illness, including helping them find physicians and navigating insurance.
Ten isn’t convinced that the Affordable Care Act will get more people better health care.
“The administration has always been motivated to see that more Americans are insured, and I believe Obamacare is an end to that means,” he said. “But, the fact that more Americans will be insured does not guarantee that more Americans will have access to health care.”
Most medical providers don’t accept public benefits, Ten said. He said for people on
Medicaid, finding a doctor is two-fold challenge. Very few providers accept Medicaid, and there is no comprehensive list of those that do. And he said almost no specialists or surgeons accept Medicaid. Many doctors don’t even accept some nationally known private insurers, because the reimbursements are not worth their time.
“Insurance does not allow for equal access, and my concern now is whether our already overburdened health care system will collapse under this new law,” Ten said.
Ten concedes that opening up insurance to those with pre-existing conditions, and other provisions in the health care law, will help those who can afford private insurance.
Ten said he would remain vigilant as implementation rolls out.
“I think for those of us dedicated to making sure people get quality health care, time will tell, he said. “ We need to stay focused on how things, at the end of the day, affect the people that need care.”
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews React: Bikur Cholim Jewish Healthcare Foundation President Read More »
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews React: Beverly Hills cardiologist and internist
Beverly Hills cardiologist and internist Dr. Reed Wilson – a former member of the Republican Jewish Coalition who helped found its Los Angeles chapter – called the mandate “an amazing breach of the American trust.” Moreover, he said, the law’s finer print contains “rules and regulations” pertaining to doctor reimbursement rates that will threaten physicians’ private practices and health care quality.
“I want to be able to take care of my patients in a way that I think is wise medicine, is good quality medicine. I don’t want to be subjected to rules that I think are detrimental to my patients,” Wilson said.
But “the Supreme Court decision is one we are going to have to live with,” he added.
The Republican Jewish Coalition released a statement shortly after the decision came down, expressing disappointment: “The serious negative effects this law will have on the economy, on jobs, on medical research and development and on the quality of health care in America are very troubling.”
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews React: Beverly Hills cardiologist and internist Read More »
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews React: Chief executive officer of Bend the Arc
“This is a huge win for the American people,” said Alan van Capelle, chief executive officer of Bend the Arc, a Jewish social justice organization. “The Supreme Court has validated the ACA [Affordable Care Act].”
The court’s decision is good news for everybody, including the Jewish community, Capelle said. “The Jewish population is not immune to poverty, and there are many Jews in this country who are living just above the poverty line, so our community is affected in the same way that every other community is affected,” he said.
Instating the health care law will also lead to a more equitable distribution of medicine that reflects Jewish values, Capelle believes. “Jewish law, practice, has always considered health care a communal responsibility,” he said.
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews React: Chief executive officer of Bend the Arc Read More »
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews React: One LA community organizer
Skip Koenig, a Temple Judea congregant and co-chair of the community organizing group One LA’s health strategy team. Koenig said he is “thrilled” and “excited” about the court’s decision to uphold the mandate that requires all Americans to buy health insurance.
But “I’m not quite sure what the full impact is going to be on the …part of the decision where they said states could not be compelled to participate in the Medicaid expansion,” he said. “That’s one of the things that One LA will be working closely with our elected officials [on],” he said.
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews React: One LA community organizer Read More »
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews react: Los Angeles Jewish Home CEO & President
Molly Forrest, CEO and president of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, had surgery to alleviate arthritis in her neck in December 2010.
Stuck in bed for 35 days, she read the entire Affordable Care Act – all 2,080 pages of it. She has since read it again so she knows it well, and she takes it personally.
“If I were unemployed now, I would not be able to get insurance, and I’m not old enough for Medicare,” Forrest remembers thinking after her surgery.
The Supreme Court’s decision today to uphold the law “settles a 100 year debate about whether access to health care is a right that each American has,” Forrest said.
The 1,000 elderly clients who live at the Jewish Home in Reseda, as well as the 1,500 non-residents it serves and the employees the organization insures all will benefit from the law as implementation goes forward, she said.
“Seventy-five percent of our clients rely on welfare programs to support whatever care they receive, and so anything that threatens or affects Medicaid or Medi-Cal dollars is of enormous concern and importance to us,” Forrest said.
Forrest said she supports the one adjustment to the law the court made—prohibiting the Federal government from withholding Medicaid funds from states that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act.
“We already face such enormous challenges with funding programs for the needy in this state, that for us the decisions of the Supreme Court at least removes the threat that the Federal government could penalize the state in any way for not fully complying with the Affordable Care Act,” Forrest said.
Forrest sees many benefits in the law.
Not only will those with preexisting conditions not be denied coverage now, she said, but the law prohibits insurers from charging highly elevated premiums to those with complicated conditions. This will help many disabled adults get private insurance, she said, since previously their pre-existing conditions either shut them out of insurance or made it entirely unaffordable.
She also sees much benefit in removing insurers’ lifetime cap and the annual cap, and in allowing children to stay on parents’ plans through age 26.
“I think there are a lot of good things here,” she said. “I know there is a lot of controversy around this, but this is America, and I think in the end this will work out and American will be better for it. I know the health of American will be better for it.”
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews react: Los Angeles Jewish Home CEO & President Read More »
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews react: Jewish Family Service CEO
Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles CEO Paul Castro lauded the announcement of the Supreme Court’s decision this morning to uphold President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, saying it will benefit JFS’s target population.
“For our clients, who are on the poorer end, we’re hoping that there is going to be greater accessibility to health coverage,” Castro said. “We see many clients who have no coverage, and they come to us because they need help trying to get coverage.”
In fact, some of the law’s provisions already are in place in California, he said. “California has already been ahead of the game in terms of state opportunities for coverage, through programs for children and others, and our hope is this will allow it to expand beyond children, to adults who don’t have access to health insurance.”
JFS is already part of the process of moving forward on initiatives spawned by Obama’s health care act, Castro said. The act includes funding for innovations in streamlining care, a process California has already begun.
“With the support of the Federal government, the state has been moving folks out of siloed programs into a more integrated system through Medi-Cal managed care,” Castro said. JFS can help in figuring out how to make that transition in a way that does not outstrip the levels of Federal reimbursement, and has already been working with the managed care plans in Los Angeles County charged with making the transition.
“These are high utilizers of medical care, and if not appropriately managed in the transition to a new system, it can be a large cost item. Not only does JFS know the business, but we know these clients and we know what keeps them out of higher levels of care,” Castro said.
But, he added, “Our major concern is that, in the effort to get streamlined and integrated, our most frail and vulnerable clients are not the casualty of an attempt at efficiency.”
Given that Federal funding and state programs are intricately linked, Castro said he worries about the permanence of the state budget Governor Brown signed this weekPu. JFS programs that serve vulnerable populations –people who are poor, elderly, abused, mentally ill and disabled – were left intact in this budget. But, the new budget relies on voters passing a tax increase in the November elections – an initiative JFS supports.
“If that initiative doesn’t pass, there is immediately an additional hole in the budget, in which case I would suspect the governor would then put the legislature into emergency session and there will be large cuts across the board,” Castro said.
At the same time, he is not fully rejoicing over the Supreme Court’s decision.
“I can already see the opposition lining up with talking points about it being a tax, so I can see how energy is going to coalesce around opposition and an effort in congress to if not repeal it, minimize things that they see as onerous.”
Still, he believes the court’s decision keeps the topic on the table.
“I’m happy the decision was upheld because it keep the whole conversation about having affordable heath care open. We can debate about whether it’s enough, or if it’s too much, but the court has said ‘we’re out of it now,’ and this is your conversation.”
HEALTH CARE DECISION — Jews react: Jewish Family Service CEO Read More »
Chicago Chabad House avoids foreclosure
A Chicago Chabad House avoided foreclosure by filing for bankruptcy.
The brownstone housing the Lubavitch Chabad of the Loop, Gold Coast and Lincoln Park was to have gone on the auction block Wednesday, but the bankruptcy filing this week gave Chabad additional time to repay a bank loan, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The group has found a way to pay its debts but needed more time, Rabbi Meir Chai Benhiyoun said, according to the Tribune.
Seven years ago, Chabad sought to build a new center at Chestnut and Clark streets, on Chicago’s so-called “Gold Coast,” and used its building on North Dearborn as collateral to the bank on the $4.9 million loan.
Following the economic downturn, donations for Chabad took a hit, the bank changed its rules and the organization was unable to finance its loan on the new property.
The Chabad House has served as a residence, classroom and a place to stop for Jewish travelers on visits to Chicago.
Chicago Chabad House avoids foreclosure Read More »