THURSDAY NIGHT IS HEALTH CARE CHANGE NIGHT, a weekly Daily Kos Health Care Series.

Tonight's installment is intended to be a primer, if you will, on Medicare D and also Medicare C, aka "Medicare Advantage." I thought it would be helpful, however, to first give a brief bit of background on Medicare A and B.

It is important to remember that Medicare is an insurance plan that functions in our healthcare system as a payor for services rendered, and that there are eligibility requirements for Medicare. You, or your spouse, needs to have worked for at least ten years in a job that has paid into the system, or you need to have been diagnosed with a permanent disability or diagnosed with kidney failure requiring dialysis to qualify. This article provides some good background.

At least someone is covering this story:

When Halsey and Bonnie Frost agreed to go public with how the State Children's Health Insurance Program helped them after a car crash left two of their children comatose, the Baltimore couple expected to hear from critics of government-funded health care.

But while the Frosts were helping a bipartisan majority in Congress sell a plan to expand the program, they were not prepared for comments such as this one, posted over the weekend on the conservative Web site Redstate:

"If federal funds were required [they] could die for all I care. Let the parents get second jobs, let their state foot the bill or let them seek help from private charities. ... I would hire a team of PIs and find out exactly how much their parents made and where they spent every nickel. Then I'd do everything possible to destroy their lives with that info."

A couple of months ago I posted a diary about my interaction with Joe from the DCCC. Joe was insulting and pushy and didn't get a penny from me that day; I almost hung up on Joe.

Well, Joe, or at least Joe's cousin, called back tonight. Seems they're having a Labor Day fundraising push.

And this got me thinking about opportunities to send a message about the coming vote on supplemental funding.

I'm literally heading out the door this morning, and I get a phone call. I debated answering it but just before the machine did, I picked it up.

It was 'Joe' from the DCCC calling.

And I just couldn't get Joe off the phone.

The general Maryland threads have scrolled down so I thought I'd start a new one.

How are you feeling about tonight?

Is anyone going to the Hippodrome or to Cardin's HQ?

As most dKos readers know, the Maryland legislature passed the historic Fair Share Health Care law and subsequently, in early 2006, overrode Governor Ehrlich's veto of the legislation. The legislation required that companies with more than 10,000 employees spend a minimum of 8% of payroll on health care, or pay the difference between that floor and the actual expenditures into a fund to expand coverage. The legislation was groundbreaking.

As most of you also know, last month WalMart was successful in suing to have the legislation overturned; the judgement stated that it was pre-empted by ERISA and also that it would be an unfair burden on WalMart. That judgement is on appeal.

But the history of the development of this legislation is largely due to the work of Dr. Peter Beilenson, former health care commissioner for Baltimore and candidate for the third congressional district. Dr. Beilenson has a strong commitment to expanding healthcare coverage that he will continue as our representative in Congress.

For some background on Peter Beilenson and expansion of health care coverage, and why this race matters, continue on.

Or donate in addition to taxes.

I finally got through to the Red Cross web site today, the traffic seems to have slowed down a bit. I chose to give to the Red Cross because I think they do a fantastic job. In fact, they were among the first on the ground even before the magnitude of this became clear.

But there are real, serious limitations to what the Red Cross can do, and this situation in New Orleans is the most unbelievable example of what their limitations are.

We've talked about the fact that Bush doesn't ask for sacrifice. Would giving up your tax cut be a sacrifice?

There are some things only the government can do. And that requires taxes.

There have been numerous diaries written on the subject of Rove and his recent comments, including by the always erudite Hunter. There has been a lot of exposition about the whys and wherefores of his comments and the ulterior motives, and there has been a copious amount of sturm und drang about 'what do we do about this?'

I'll tell you what I'm NOT going to do about it. I'm NOT going to sign a petition asking the White House or Republicans to disavow Rove, I'm NOT going to ask Rove to apologize, and I'm NOT going to seek his resignation through petition drives or other such mechanisms.

Why?

Because that allows Rove to continue to control the terms and language of the debate.

Further exposition continues.