GOP Senate Candidate Says Businesses Should Be Allowed To Deny Health Insurance To Cancer Patients

justinspoliticalcorner:

Richard Mourdock, the Tea Party favorite who ousted Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) in Indiana’s Republican Senate primary last month, told a local Indiana newspaper that, contra Obamacare’s protections, employers ought to be able to deny health insurance to people with cancer.

During a freewheeling interview with the News and Tribune, Mourdock said health care will be the “biggest issue” this election. The Indiana Republican, who opposes the Affordable Care Act, argued that businesses should be permitted to deny coverage to employees with cancer “if they want to keep their health care costs down.” 

If Mourdock ultimately wins his election in November, don’t expect him to compromise on his opposition to businesses being required to insure cancer patients. The day after Mourdock won the Republican nomination, he announced on MSNBC that “bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view.”

H/T: Scott Keyes at Think Progress Health

Cigarettes contain radioactive material... And tobacco companies have known that for 40+ years.

seemorebanannafish:

cranquis:

I thought I knew the depths of the audacity among tobacco companies — but to know that your product emits polonium-210, and to have a method of reducing it by 99% but not using that method because it will “decrease the addictive potential of the nicotine”!? WHY DO WE AS A COUNTRY ALLOW THESE CONSCIENCE-LESS BASTARDS TO CONTINUE KILLING US??

never smoking again.  

(via reagan-was-a-horrible-president)

Tobacco Companies Cry Foul Over Graphic Aussie Warning Labels

From Care2.com:

Would you buy a pack of cigarettes that didn’t have a slick, glossy color-coordinated logo on it, but only had a gigantic closeup photograph of mouth cancer?

The Australian government is betting you won’t, which is why they will introduce legislation in July that will completely eradicate brand logos from cigarette packaging. Instead, packs of smokes will be covered with large warning labels and huge, graphic photos of the side effects of smoking. Cancer. Eye disease. Sick children. The only indication of what kind of cigarette the package contains will be displayed in a small, text-only label in a uniform font. They are hoping this will deter people from buying the cigarettes in the first place, thus cutting down consumption and all related side effects of smoking on society.

The tobacco companies are, as you would expect, howling with rage — especially since, if this works, other countries are expected to follow suit.  On Monday, Philip Morris filed a notice of claim with the Government of Australia, marking their intent to fight this with all of their (significant) financial resources.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Philip Morris claims that removal of its logo will devalue its international property. Because the Australian arm of the tobacco manufacturer is owned by Philip Morris Asia, they will also claim in court that this law will breach a trade agreement between Australia and Hong Kong. The filing of the suit has triggered a three month negotiation period, then Philip Morris will take it to international arbitration.

The Australian government is refusing to back down. Nicola Roxon, the Australian Health minister, stated bluntly that the government will put the “health interests of the public before the interests — or profits — of tobacco companies.”

Smoking has a significant impact in Australia, with 18% of males and 15% of females classifying themselves as daily smokers in 2007.  In 2003, there were over 15,000 smoking-related deaths in the country, with the social costs of smoking adding up to $31.5 billion in 2004-5.

Awkward Silence at Philip Morris International Shareholder Meeting

By the time you finish reading this sentence, another person will have died from smoking: one person dies every six seconds from smoking-related causes. At this year’s annual meeting, Corporate Accountability International and its allies stood among Philip Morris International shareholders for a full two minutes of silence to honor those who died from the deadly effects of tobacco.

Then the CEO told a nurse, “It’s not that hard to quit.” Disgusting. More than ever, the Senate needs to stand strong against Big Tobacco and ratify the global tobacco treaty.

Click here to send that message.

Cell phone use can increase possible cancer risk

Mobile phone use is in the same “carcinogenic hazard” category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform, the World Health Organization said today.

FULL STORY