Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Who Do You Trust

So it's the Insurance vs Government on Health Care?

I've had the best of insurance in my time on earth, from work at General Dynamics I was covered 100% for awhile. My family was also covered for a nominal cost. Along came "Choices." I had an option of 90% at a high rate, 80% at a less but high rate, and 75% or finally a HMO lowest cost and no deductible. Sounds like HMO was a natural choice.

The HMO dictated who I could see and what could be done. I chose the 90% plan and paid more. It's all gone downhill from there. Less and less coverage less and less choices. Jobs became insecure. I was lucky to maintain employment without lapse in insurance, fortunately because I have a preexisting condition.

I saw friends lose jobs insurance and even their homes. I heard about the rolling recession starting on the East coast. I've seen hospitals grow and grow with no thought to cost and Insurance companies "cherry pick" who would be covered. I've heard a Junior Chamber of Commerce ask a Canadian speaker "How bad is your insurance coverage, I hear there are long lines." I heard the answer about how the speaker loved her Canadian coverage because she could get medical care and never fill out a form or get rejected.

World Health Organization has these statistics:

Health care ranking 39th
Life Expectancy 24th
Health Care Expenditures 1st
Overall Health System Performance 37

All of this leads me to believe if we can keep some people very healthy for so long with our fine doctors and hospitals why do we rank so low. It's because so many get no or poor treatment options. So many lose their homes, go into bankruptcy, lose their ability to work. All the while the medical industry including the Insurance companies are reaping great rewards.

Just how does the "Law of Supply and Demand" work when lives are at stake? The fallacy with that "Law" is that it isn't a law at all but a system being manipulated by "Supply Side Economics." When prices go down somehow supply gets cut. So when will demand for Health Care go down in an increasingly aging society? Will we all be captive to an industry?

If you think for one minute a "for profit" company can trusted with your life you better think twice. Unless we learn to trust our "Elected" officials and know who we are voting for we will never see an end to being held captive.

Unless we cover everyone, those who are covered will forever pay for everyone treated. Those poorly treated in the system will always cost more to treat because their health deteriorates until it's critical care (the most expensive) and very costly.

I would trust the government and it's medicare, veterans coverage than I'd ever trust an Insurance Company again. For those who dislike the French I have to add their system is rated #1. Or we can follow the Republican suggestion and not tax the wealthy a bit more, do tort reform, and follow "Dick" Armey and eliminate Medicare and Social Security.

Who do you trust

Friday, August 14, 2009

Will the government pull the plug grandma?

The Actuarial System used by insurance companies today it the true "Death Board."

I'm not worried about filling out end of life forms and getting informed medical opinion as to what I should expect. What I worry about is the number of deaths and illnesses untreated because Insurance companies (the private option) need to maximize profits.

It is not hard to figure out what actuarial studies really are in the insurance industry. They are the odds makers. Though not always correct they are pretty close and never err on the side of risk. All this suffering and death and bankruptcy and lives ruined because we couldn't get insurance. Or like in my case I had trouble getting a job out of college with a major oil company in Houston because I have Anklosing Spondylitis. It is devastating and yet I've worked 40 years since Humble Oil said I was qualified but their insurance wouldn't cover me.

It makes me sick that the lies about the government killing old people is being spread by people of high respect like Charles (Get 'er done) Grassley, Dick (Swarmy) Armey and Sarah Drill,baby, Drill) Palin. I find it most disgusting that they have the very people getting hurt by the insurance industry parroting those charges and calling health care improvement a "Socialist" plot. Most interesting is that these people are labeling the plan and President Obama both a communist and a Nazi as if the Communists were not our Allies in world war II fighting the Nazi's

Truth is the only drop in support for the health care initiative is from those who want a single payer plan and watching everything good being watered down by Republicans who will not vote for the final bill anyway and Blue Dog Democrats who got lost in campaign donations and conservative supporters.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

If this is failure please define success

Since January the Barack Obama Administration has accomplished a great deal. I know after the last eight years we just can't seem to work fast enough. I constantly hear how nothing is going well from the Republican't talking points but despite their obstructionist policy of "Just say no" things are getting done.

We do live in a Democratic Republic and our government while not always as responsive as we would like eventually comes around. Health Care Reform, is going on way too long and it sounds like it will be watered down and potentially be counter productive. I personally am tired of people trying to make "sausage" and it does remind me of making plans by committee. I would feel better about bipartisan objectives if there were bipartisans in both parties. I don't see any effort from the GOP to play "give and take" only an effort to add legislation to every effort to weaken the impact. Not only that but after they do "sausage" up the bills they still don't vote for their own changes.

I can't, however, blame President Obama for the lack of vision or of ignoring campaign promises. All changes to his proposal while campaigning are being made by Congress and in particular the US Senate Finance Committee. President Obama is getting things done and the economy is starting to move. The Dow Jones is moving up and is an early indicator Shareholder Confidence. Jobs are a slow indicator but if the recovery is maintained that will change positively as well as the economy is shaken out.

I listen to the news and commentary and all I hear is one outrageous claim followed by another. I see town hall meetings being drowned out by people who have been poorly served by those operatives who say health care reform will kill the elderly, Medicare recipients decrying Socialized medicine, I hear them say the government will be between me and my doctor telling the doctor what to do and I wonder if these people will ever stop screaming long enough to hear the truth.


Meanwhile:

The Senate has passed an additional $2 billion for the wildly successful cash for clunkers bill on a 60-37 vote, clearing the legislation for the president to sign.

Sonia Sotomayor has been confirmed as a justice for the United States Supreme Court on a 68-31 vote.

Sonia garnered eight more votes than Cash for Clunkers program.

What has President Obama done so far?

1. Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Signed: Monday, June 22, 2009

2. Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 Signed: Friday, May 22, 2009

3. Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act Signed: Friday, May 22, 2009

4. Helping Families Save Their Homes Act Signed: Wednesday, May 20, 2009

5. Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act Signed: Wednesday, May 20, 2009

6. Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act Signed: Wednesday, April 21, 2009

7. Omnibus Public Lands Management Act Signed: Monday, March 30, 2009

8. Small Business Act Temporary Extension Signed: Friday, March 20, 2009

9. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Signed: Tuesday, February 17, 2009

10, Analogue to Digital TV conversion Delay Act Signed: Wednesday, February 11, 2009

11. Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act (SCHIP) Signed: Wednesday, February 4, 2009

12. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Signed: Thursday, January 29, 2009

If President Obama is failing at his job I have yet to see it.