Enhancing Transparency in Government using the Internet
By Darrell K. Pruitt; DDS
I recently came across news that could possibly be the first tangible step in the inevitable demise of traditional lobbyist representation that we have known and endured all our lives. True to what the man promised in the fall of 2007, Barack H. Obama is ready to show the nation that he intends to decentralize power by enhancing transparency in government using the Internet.
Decentralization
Decentralization naturally scares entrenched, oppressive leaders inside and outside government who in the best of all worlds, shouldn’t be entrusted with power in the first place. It is my opinion that we are witnessing a huge Presidential step in the inevitable progress of the Internet-powered social revolution many have predicted for a decade or more. According to the unprecedented lobbying rules, virtually anything anyone says to public officials about the Recovery Act and Stimulus package must be immediately posted on the Internet (if it is not there already). No kidding. For example, I discovered this news in an article on the White House blog, posted by Jesse Lee on Friday, Its title is “Update on Recovery Act Lobbying Rules: New Limits on Special Interest Influence” (copied below).
Here is a line from the article: “Following OMB’s review, the Administration has decided to make a number of changes to the rules that we think make them even tougher on special interests and more focused on merits-based decision making.”
I am hopeful that Obama is sincere in his effort to steer our legislative body to make decisions based on merits rather than undocumented conversations funded by special interests. If he succeeds, one class of losers will be managed care stakeholders like Delta Dental who prefer to spend healthcare dollars to lobby congress rather than work things out with dentists who have to deal with their calculated lies. A perfect example of Delta’s stupidity is documented in “National insurer asks legislators to keep dental benefits in mind in health care reform” featuring Delta’s shy PR rep, Janis Oshensky.
Insurance and Financial Advisor Website
The fact that Delta would pay for such a disingenuous PR piece on the Insurance & Financial Advisor Website shows how out of touch Oshensky is. It was posted appropriately enough on April 1. Two months later, I still cannot figure out the purpose of the ad. Just who was the vice president of dental relations and public policy for DDPA trying to impress? Her insurance buddies? Was this Janis Oshensky’s swell idea, or did a committee come up with the stinker? I don’t think we’ll ever know. Also, among the losers to transparency will be healthcare IT stakeholders with lousy goods to move. Rather than compete with each other, they prefer lobbying for mandated sales of worthless, but nevertheless CCHIT-certified products. Fair sales without the help of billions of stimulus dollars are impossible because doctors don’t want eMRs for unanticipated reasons of intelligence.
Healthcare IT Business Leaders
Recognized leaders of big healthcare IT businesses, such as Glen Tullman, the CEO of Allscripts, won’t like handing over political empowerment one bit. Did you know that Tullman and Obama are long-time Chicago buddies? I think the new rules mean Americans will finally have immediate access to their discussions about HIT. Sweet; I think I could learn to like Obama. I bet Tullman keeps his mouth shut. That’s sweet as well. If this news is as significant as it appears to be, I’m surprised it hasn’t attracted more attention by now. While nobody knows yet how Obama’s plan to post transcripts of oral communications with government officials is going to ultimately affect the way professional organizations are represented in Washington (or if it in the end changes anything at all), I’m pretty sure that what I have been reading carefully has the potential to turn the government over to those who can create content independent of committees, talking points and traditional hierarchy. I interpret Obama’s rules as the manifestation of what Thomas Friedman (“The World is Flat”) long ago called individual empowerment.
Got a beef? How are your writing skills these days? How effective is your social network?
This is good. The new restriction on oral communications with government officials for both registered and non-registered lobbyists (everyone in the nation) is terrible news for organizations which depend on store-bought secretive representation. On the other hand, it’s wonderful news for English majors, speech writers and special bastards with no shame.
ADA Lobbyists 
I would never attempt to persuade you to take on my personal issues as your own, but please roll this development over in your mind and decide for yourself if the information I’m sharing might become an advantage for dental patients in the nation if dentists are mobilized for a more democratic form of representation long before the insurance industry can react. And that shouldn’t be too hard. Committees move oh so slowly, including ADA committees. If I am correct, if we work unconventionally, dentistry could be way ahead of the curve by preparing for independent written representation using informal social networks and Internet blogs. No planning or financing is needed. Face it, the money the ADA has paid to lobbyists starting a few years ago was wasted, and there is no way they can help the organization now. Dump them.
PR Assistance
Here is some powerful PR help I offer for free that cannot be purchased at any price, anywhere: If a dentist posts something that parallels my goals, on any blog, I will easily boost the exposure of the article more effectively than any SEO genius in the nation. I’ve proven so many times how I can do this by merely mentioning someone’s name. And I can help again, and again. All I have to do is discover someone who has confidence in good ideas for protecting our patients from harm. Put it out there and sit back. I’ll do the rest.
Assessment
I wonder if Obama knew anything about special bastards and unconventional PR when he chose transparency as a goal for his administration. Maybe I can teach him a thing or two. I have faith that if one’s goals are noble, nothing can hurt you in the land of the free. Come on out. The air is fine.
FRIDAY, MAY 29TH, 2009 AT 5:35 PM
Update on Recovery Act Lobbying Rules: New Limits on Special Interest Influence
Posted by Jesse Lee
THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG
Another update from Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, in the spirit of transparency as always:
I am writing with an update on the President’s March 20, 2009 Memorandum on Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Funds. Section 3 of the Memorandum required all oral communications between federally registered lobbyists and government officials concerning Recovery Act policy to be disclosed on the Internet; barred registered lobbyists from having oral communications with government officials about specific Recovery Act projects or applications and instead required those communications to be in writing; and also required those written communications to be posted on the Internet. That Memorandum instructed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review the initial 60 days of implementation of the stimulus lobbying restrictions, to evaluate the data, and to recommend modifications.
Following OMB’s review, the Administration has decided to make a number of changes to the rules that we think make them even tougher on special interests and more focused on merits-based decision making.
First, we will expand the restriction on oral communications to cover all persons, not just federally registered lobbyists. For the first time, we will reach contacts not only by registered lobbyists but also by unregistered ones, as well as anyone else exerting influence on the process. We concluded this was necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program.
Second, we will focus the restriction on oral communications to target the scenario where concerns about merit-based decision-making are greatest –after competitive grant applications are submitted and before awards are made. Once such applications are on file, the competition should be strictly on the merits. To that end, comments (unless initiated by an agency official) must be in writing and will be posted on the Internet for every American to see.
Third, we will continue to require immediate internet disclosure of all other communications with registered lobbyists. If registered lobbyists have conversations or meetings before an application is filed, a form must be completed and posted to each agency’s website documenting the contact.
OMB will be consulting with agencies, outside experts and others about these principles and will publish detailed guidance, but we wanted to update interested parties on the outcome of the initial review. We consulted very broadly both within and outside of government (including as reflected in previous posts on the White House blog) and we are grateful to all those who participated in the process.
Conclusion
And so, your thoughts and comments on this Medical Executive-Post are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, be sure to subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HealthcareFinancialsthePostForcxos
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com or Bio: www.stpub.com/pubs/authors/MARCINKO.htm
Get our Widget: Get this widget!
Our Other Print Books and Related Information Sources:
Practice Management: http://www.springerpub.com/prod.aspx?prod_id=23759
Physician Financial Planning: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/0763745790
Medical Risk Management: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/9780763733421
Healthcare Organizations: www.HealthcareFinancials.com
Health Administration Terms: www.HealthDictionarySeries.com
Physician Advisors: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.com
Subscribe Now: Did you like this Medical Executive-Post, or find it helpful, interesting and informative? Want to get the latest ME-Ps delivered to your email box each morning? Just subscribe using the link below. You can unsubscribe at any time. Security is assured.
Link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HealthcareFinancialsthePostForcxos
Sponsors Welcomed
And, credible sponsors and like-minded advertisers are always welcomed.
Link: http://healthcarefinancials.wordpress.com/2007/11/11/advertise
Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Career Development, Ethics, Healh Law & Policy, Information Technology, Op-Editorials, Research & Development | Tagged: ADA, Allscripts, American Dental Association, “Update on Recovery Act Lobbying Rules: New Limits on Special Interest Influence”, CCHIT, DDPA, delta dental, EHRs, EMRs, Glen Tullman, HIMMS, HIT, Insurance & Financial Advisor, IT, Janis Oshensky, Jesse Lee, lobbyists, Norm Eisen, obama, OMB
On eMRs
According to Richard Berning MD of http://www.PrivatePractice.MD
“Doctors are resisting the change to EMRs, however, because there are currently just as many problems with the computer ’solutions’ proposed to be the panacea of all problems paper.”
Ann Miler; RN, MHA
[Executive Director]
The only thing that I find “transparent” about President Obama is that it’s easier to find his “dark side” as compared to President Bush, who probably was as lobbied but in a way that is more difficult to track down.
Case in point: my pet peeve is that as a physician I am being asked (almost required) to eventually buy a massively expensive certified electronic health record system (c-EHR). Why you might ask? Obama says that c-EHRs will save money and cure all of our medical system’s ills (a lie), that c-EHRs will increase quality (unproven, another far fetched lie), and decrease errors (actually, c-EHRs was shown to bring about 22 new types of errors- another lie).
The reality is that the real reason that President Obama is trying to force doctors to buy into expensive c-EHRs is because he’s surrounded by lobbyists:
1. Allscripts (Glen Tullman)
2. Cerner (Nancy-Ann DeParle)
3. GE (David Blumenthal, MD)
4. Partners HealthCare System (John Glaser)
5. eCW (Thomas Frieden, MD)
Most of these have donated handsomely to President Obama’s welfare fund, at times flouting campaign contribution limits. I’ve posted a blog on this very topic called “The “Dark Side” of HITECH”, which can be read from here:
http://www.hcplive.com/mdnglive/The_HIT_Realist/dark_side_of_HITECH
Cheers
Al Borges MD
For more on the AMA and Obama healthcare reform, visit this link:
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/06/can-the-american-medical-association-still-be-an-influential-voice-in-health-reform.html
Elizabeth
Nicely written article; keep up the good work!
Juree
Thanks for the compliment, Juree. Admittedly, there’s a lot of hair on what I write. I personally think it’s more exciting than domesticated content without being vulgar. It at least pleases me, and now I know that there are at least two people I am writing for. I’ll try not to let us down.
Since posting my comment a month ago about Obama’s promise of transparency between registered and unregistered lobbyists and lawmakers, I haven’t noticed much change.
Most politicians who have been in Congress far beyond their usefulness think “Transparency” is just another malleable buzzword that can be abused to gather votes.
However, it’s harder to fake transparency than term limits.
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
Follow the Money
A plan to end a program that would cut government payments to doctors is emerging as the flash point in the debate over whether President Barack Obama’s effort to overhaul the health system would increase the federal budget deficit.
Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124801397829262869.html#mod=article-outset-box
Any comments?
Troy
Did you know that, according to Matthew DoBias, of Modern Healthcare [7/21/09], Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said that a bipartisan team of negotiators have locked down “two major issues” that will be part of the broad framework for healthcare reform, but declined to provide details?
He is reported to have said: “We’re making significant headway. I’m probably more upbeat and optimistic now compared to where we were earlier.”
Baucus also said the group focused on insurance issues, including cost and coverage questions that have arisen over individual and employer mandates.
Meanwhile, the committee is apparently searching for ways to bridge about a $100 billion to $200 billion gap in financing the legislative package, which likely will cost around $1 trillion over the next decade.
Kenneth
For advisors to simply disclose conflicts doesn’t go far enough. We all read and hear about the lack of transparency in the financial services world, and the problems it has caused for so many. So why would those of us on the front line with consumers require anything less than transparency for our own clients?
Yet, this FA criticizes doctors! Guess he has never heard of Stark I-II-III? And, FAs are indeed salesmen; not professionals, as the f/u comments rightly mention.
http://www.fa-mag.com/component/content/article/4338.html?magazineID=1&issue=111&Itemid=73
Dr. Joe
As Obama tries to reform the medical welfare system people protest because they don’t want to help others then them selves, let me elaborate …
In a debate yesterday in Wheeling, West Virginia. A woman carefully asked if they please could hurry up with the reform so that her daughter could be helped with her rheumatism since at the moment there was no way of paying for it. The response came quick …
A man in a shirt stood up and said loud and clear: why should I pay for your daughter? Well there you have it people, the actual American reason for protesting against the reform … The product of a Supercapitalistic society. As soon as ones tax money helps other people people shout out Communism and Socialism as if they knew the meaning of these words … is equality for all wrong? I call it Welfare.
In Sweden we have a higher tax which everyone is willing to pay because we care for the less fortunate in our nation … as a matter of fact we have the best welfare in the world because of this … are we Communists now suddenly … No definitely not!
Maybe Obama sees the countries with the best welfare in the world and believes America has something to learn … who knows!
Bob van den Eijkhof
Bob,
Many thanks for the comment. We need alternate non-domestic opinions. You are invited to continue to do so; in comment or post format.
Hope Hetico; RN, MHA
[Managing Editor]
Hi Hope and Bob,
Apparently ready to abandon the idea of a “public option” to his health plan, President Barack Obama’s health secretary just said a government alternative to private health insurance is “not the essential element” of the administration’s health care overhaul.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32437468/ns/politics-white_house
What do you think about that?
Harrison