How Will Yoder Vote?

By David Losey
July, 6, 2010

Any venture into predicting how an elected representative will vote is rife with uncertainty. It is so uncertain that one might question the sanity of anyone who might attempt such a task. However, I will attempt to bring some sense of clarity to this issue by looking at a critical factor that will shed some light on what can be expected from Kevin Yoder should he be elected to Congress.

That critical factor is who is financing his election. Knowing who is financially supporting his campaign will reveal a great deal about how he might vote if elected. Determining how he will vote on specific issues is extremely important because we need to know if he will represent us or will he represent special interests who financed his election. Voters of the 3rd District should be especially sensitive to this lest we get into the same situation like we did with Dennis Moore who ignored phone calls, faxes, e-mails, and letters from his constituents and repeatedly voted for more spending, more debt, and more government control over our lives.

The scope of this article will be to predict with some certainty how Yoder will vote on bills that come before Congress regarding the repeal and/or modification of the current law, the Affordable Health Care For America Act. The likelihood of this happening is high because the law was written in such a manner that it left a lot of details and regulations to be determined at a later date. For instance ... “Congress left it to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to craft the guidelines for what is acceptable expense for use in the medical loss calculations and NAIC committees are working to have those written by the end of July” according to Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, who chairs the NAIC committee that is drafting the guidelines. “One of the subcommittee's working on this is still haggling over how to define these things,” Praeger said. (http://www.khi.org/news/2010/jun/28/health-reform-without-cost-control-unsustainable-i/.)

I have previously reported that Cerner, Corp. has contributed over $11,500 to Yoder's campaign. Cerner is an international information technology health care corporation located in Kansas City, Mo. It is the leader in HIT (Health Information Technology) that will be at the forefront of putting everyone's health information in electronic form so that all health care providers, insurance companies, and government agencies can access it. It has considerable financial interest in this with an estimated $2B of stimulus money coming its way. It, also, estimates that the CPOE (computerized physicians order entry) system has a potential revenue of $8-10B (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Mzg3MTMxfENoaWxkSUQ9Mzg5NTE1fFR5cGU9MQ==&t=1)
This order entry system “includes embedded alerts and protocols that help providers make the best care decisions.” ( http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2009/08/24/story3.html?b=1251086400^1971701)

(Note: Who sets this protocol? What are the penalties for not following the protocol? Reduced payment? Does this mean that you and your doctor no longer determine your treatment? What about those with serious health issues or terminal illnesses? Do they get treatment?)

Cerner's revenue for 2009 was $1.67B. The stock price in March, 2009 was below 40 and traded above 90 in April, 2010. This represents a paper profit of over $250M for Neal Patterson, Chairman and CEO. This is big business! Cerner, as a corporation, and Mr. Patterson and the other executives, as individuals, have a great deal to protect! Is it any wonder that they would want to have a friend in high places to protect their interests? A friend who would vote in such a manner that would benefit them.

They are clearly not in the habit of wrecklessly spending money. Their investments are made wisely and prudently. It is, therfore, not too far of a stretch of the imagination to speculate that their investment in Yoder's campaign is done with the hope of having such a friend.

If one were inclined to dismiss this as an isolated case let me assure you it is not! I will briefly recap others in the health care and related industries who have contributed to his campaign.

1. One donor is HMS. It is the strategic source for innovative cost containment solutions that benefit government and commercial healthcare programs. One of their main objectives is to make efficient and appropriate use of public healthcare funds. In a time of economic recession HMS reported the following exceptional financial growth.

Q1 2010 Revenue of $65.0 million (+30%y/y), Net Income of $7.6 million (+33% y/y) and EPS $0.27 (+29% y/y) 2010 EPS Guidance Increased to $1.38 from $1.34 (+27% y/y)

2. Health Management of Kansas provides a full range of long-term care services. The scope of its operations include in-home service to 1250 Home Care clients, two Assisted Living facilities, a 171 bed skilled nursing facility in Coffeyville which includes 43 Special Care Alzheimer’s beds plus a 60 bed skilled nursing facility in Iola. Other services provided to aged and disabled clients include two transportation programs, outpatient therapy, adult day care, respite care, weekend Meals on Wheels, community education programs and support groups. The Executive Director has contributed to Yoder's campaign.

3. A member of management for Visiting Nurse Association made a contribution. VNA provides quality home health care to Kansas City and the surrounding metropolitan area regardless of the patient's ability to pay.

4. A member of the American Academy of Family Physicians also made a contribution. It has joined other leading physician associations in establishing Principles of Reform of the U.S. Health Care System as a guide to help Congress to improve both individual health and the collective health care system in the U.S.
Among them are
a.) Health care coverage for all is needed to ensure quality of care and to improve the health status of Americans.

b.) The health care system in the U.S. must provide appropriate health care to all people within its borders, without unreasonable financial barriers to care.

c.) Access to and financing for appropriate health services must be a shared public/private effort.

d.) Cost management is critical to attaining a workable, affordable, and sustainable system.

e.) Comprehensive medical liability reform is essential to ensure access to quality health care.


5.The owner of S & S Drugs has also contributed. This Drug Store business also delivers medical supplies and equipment to all of North Central Kansas.

6. Lockton Companies has given nearly $10,000 to Yoder's campaign. It is the world's largest, privately owned, independent insurance brokers. It is headquartered in Kansas City, Mo. and specializes in creating comprehensive and integrated benefits strategies for clients.

In addition to the six companies detailed above the following companies' corporate executives or management have contributed to Yoder's campaign.

• Menorah Medical Center
• Forest Pharmaceuticals
• Health Care Financial Advisers
• United Bioscience
• Discover Vision
• Durrie Vision Centers
• Haake Insurance Cos.
• Biomedix Vascular Solutions
• Farmers Insurance
• MW Pulmonary Consultants
• Peppes Dental
• Delta Dental
• Childrens Mercy Hospital
• Medicis Pharmaceuticals

How significant are the contributors cited in this article? The three industry groups represented (Health Professionals, Insurance Cos., and Computer/Internet) have a combined total of over $29,000 in contributions representing over 10% of total contributions (as of March 31, 2010 according to opensecrets.org) . Combined they represent the third largest industry behind Lawyer/Law Firms and Finance/Credit Cos.

On his web site Yoder states,

Fourth, I will work to repeal portions of the Obama/Pelosi Healthcare Legislation that will drive up costs, increase the deficit, grow bureaucracy and lower the standards of health care that Americans expect. I support making healthcare more affordable for all Americans. But what I can’t support are pieces of legislation rammed through Congress that will raise our taxes, increase insurance premiums, and promise to make drastic cuts in Medicare. Americans deserve better than this bill. I will work to re-write this act and build true health care reform that focuses on free market competition, patient choice and high quality of care.

To his credit he sounds like he is going to take a stand against Obamacare. But upon further review it is clear he only wants to repeal portions of Obamacare. Mr. Yoder, which portions do you support? Do you support the electronic entry of every American's health information into a system that can be viewed by all health care providers, insurance companies, and government agencies. Do you support protocol that will dictate how a doctor can prescribe care? Do you support cost controls that will be needed in order to have a sustainable system but will of necessity result in rationing? Do you believe that sufficient taxpayers' funds must be made available to cover every person within our borders whether they are legal or illegal residents? How can coverage be expanded without increasing costs? In 2014, Medicaid eligibility will be expanded to include all adults earning 133% or less of the federal poverty guidelines. How will this be done without increasing taxes?

A major concern that Mr. Yoder fails to address is the fact that mandated universal health care for all Americans is unconstitutional. No where in the Constitution does it allow for the federal government to require citizens to buy something and penalize them if they don't! Mr. Yoder, I would expect that anyone who wishes to represent the people of the 3rd District would know the enumerated powers listed in Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution. This is what restrains the federal government and dictates what it can and cannot do! Mandated government health care is not one of them! One final question, Mr. Yoder. Will you follow the Constitution and vote accordingly or will you be persuaded to vote as the special interest groups who financed your election dictate?

In conclusion, there is one basic economic fact that Mr. Yoder does not seem to grasp. In order for health care to be available for all current residents of the United States, health care costs will increase, the deficit will increase, government bureaucracy will grow, rationing will occur, taxes will increase, insurance premiums will go up, and there will, by necessity, be cuts in Medicare. It appears obvious! Mr. Yoder, like his predecessor, wants to tax, tax, tax and spend, spend, spend! It looks like Moore of the same!