Sunday, August 16, 2009

SAY "AHHH"

IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE CALLING AMERICA THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, WE HAVE TO ACT LIKE WE MEAN IT.

REMEMBER THOSE INALIENABLE RIGHTS WE WERE PROMISED?
LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HEALTHINESS.
IT’S WAY PAST TIME TO DELIVER THE GOODS.

HEALTH-SCARE TERRORISTS INSIST THAT MEDICAL CARE IS A PRODUCT, NOT A RIGHT.
THEY SAY; IF YOU WANT THAT COUGH TREATED, COUGH UP SOME CASH. ACTUALLY, A WHOLE LOT OF CASH.

WHILE THOSE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE MEDICAL INSURANCE CAN PUT ON THE PAPER GOWN AND SAY AHHH! (unless, of course, they exceed their medical limitations, suffer from a pre-existing condition, or lose their job and benefits)

THOSE WITHOUT COVERAGE ARE NAKED IN A CHILLY DARWINIAN FOREST WHERE EMERGENCIES ARE BASE-CAMP.

BUT, WE DON’T PURCHASE A POLICY WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY’LL PROTECT US.
NOR DOES THE DISPATCHER ASK US IF WE HAVE FIRE DEPARTMENT COVERAGE BEFORE SENDING OUT THE RED TRUCKS.
AND, WE DO PROVIDE A TUITION-LESS SCHOOL DESK FOR EVERY CHILD.

HOW IS HEALTH CARE DIFFERENT?

IT’S NOT.


ALL THAT’S LEFT TO DO IS FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN PROVIDE IT WITH THE LIMITED FUNDS AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE.

WE HAD BETTER GET THIS RIGHT.

WE ALL HAVE A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION.



Coming next...and soon….THE REMEDY

33 comments:

Chris said...

Well said. Unfortunately there are too many scare tactics going on, along with death threats to some elected officials who agree with Obama's plan and the masses are uninformed. Those who voted against Obama seem to think that health care reform equals socialism. Have they not heard of Social Security, unemployment insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, public education...?

Anonymous said...

"WE DO PROVIDE A TUITION-LESS SCHOOL DESK FOR EVERY CHILD.

HOW IS HEALTH CARE DIFFERENT?"

Yes, and be aware of the deterioration of the public educational system since the Federal Government got involved.

quicksand said...

DEAR ANONYMOUS,

SHALL I ASSUME THAT YOU RECEIVED YOUR K-12 EDUCATION AT ONE OF THOSE GOVERNMENT-RUN SCHOOLS?

DARE I GUESS THAT YOU ADORE THE GOVERNMENT-RUN ARMY?

quicksand said...

THE FOLLOWING ENTRY WAS SUBMITTED BY 'FRIEND OF BEN'

Don't get me started! All those who are opposed to "creeping socialism" should refuse Medicare when they turn 65. We don't want that slippery slope now; do we? Also, they should return those social security checks when they are eligible. That isn't creeping socialism, it's rampant socialism, on steriods.

We are the only industrialized country in the world without universal health care. Europeans shake their heads and laugh at our system. They are puzzled as to why we have a system which descriminates against many and gauges the rest, and allows the insurance companies to get between us and our doctors. To make matters even more ludicrous, they see thugs breaking up town hall meetings and talking about death panels. To suggest that we look like morons would be an insult to mentally deficient people.

The secret to success in the marketing. Obama made the mistake of mislabeling health care reform. He should have simply called it "Medicare for all." That might have simplified the issue for the mentally challenged among us.

quicksand said...

DEAR BEN,

PERHAPS IT'S ALL BECAUSE WE ARE NO LONGER IN STEP WITH THE OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS OF THE WORLD.

HEY...WE ARE NO LONGER INDUSTRIALIZED....
UNLESS TEXT-MESSAGING AND REALITY-SHOWS ARE INDUSTRIES.

quicksand said...

DEAREST CHRIS,

HOW ABOUT FIRE INSURANCE ON A HOME?
ISN'T THAT ALL ABOUT POOLING RESOURCES TO PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST PERSONALLY INSURMOUNTABLE CALAMITY?

Anonymous said...

My point wasn't where I received my education, the point was the deterioration of the system once the federal gov't got involved. And to cite the Army in this context is just obsurd! The issue is the inability of the government to run 1/6 of our economy and control our health decisions. We all accept some social programs that doesn't mean the government has a blank check to run all aspects of our lifes. The issue isn't about socialism but about effectiveness.

Anonymous said...

Chris makes a vaild point about effectiveness but that puts the onus on him and others who support the current system to prove how effective it really is, either in terms of the quality of healthcare or economic efficiency. If we were to take a range of indicators in terms of health of citizens in industrialized countries, the US consistently ranks near the bottom. Exactly how is that "efficient" in terms of the quality of care? If we look at economic efficiency, how is it efficient that the US spends more per capita for healthcare than anyone else in the world, yet has some of the poorest outcomes (see previous point). Let's terat healthcare as a product and not a right; if that is the case, then it would seem that Americans are getting an inferior product at higher prices than everyone else. If the country has to dedicate more of its GDP to healthcare than its competitors, but is getting an inferior product (e.g., higher insurance costs for employers, more lost days due to sickness, etc...), how is that efficient?

Unknown said...

Anonymous. You want effectiveness, here we go:
1. We have a public system. It is called Medicare. The administrative costs are 1-3%. Private insurance administrative costs are 25% because they have to pay big CEO salaries, advertising, under-writing, dividends etc.
2. Medicare Advantage is the Private Medicare pushed by conservatives. Our government gives the private insurers an extra 12-19% to cover seniors as compared to what Traditional Medicare spends on each senior. It is a huge subsidy. In fact, that's how Obama wants to cut Medicare costs, by eliminating the subsidy. This would save 18 billion a year. In fact United Healthcare received one half of all their profits this year from their Advantage plans. By the way, patients who have Medicare Advantage must stay in the network. With traditional Medicare you can see any provider in the Country that takes Medicare.
3. Many say that providers receive less from Medicare. I am a doctor and my reimbursement from Medicare is as high or higher than any or the private plans.
4. We are totally brainwashed to think private is more effective!
5. By the way, for all of you that think Obama's plan will lead us to socialized medicine. 31% of Americans are already there. If you add Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA, one third of Americans are already on Government run healthcare. Go to a Town Rally and look at all the folks shouting. Most are on Medicare. I get so upset when I hear them shout, "keep the government out of my Medicare!". Ignorance, lies, and deception are what leads this issue.

quicksand said...

DEAR ANON,

YOUR CONCERNS AND APPREHENSIONS ARE REASONABLE.

HOWEVER, YOU MIGHT AGREE THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN OUR HEALTH-CARE INDUSTRY.

IF THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T INTERVENE WILL THE SYSTEM CORRECT ITSELF?

quicksand said...

THANKS DOCTOR JAMES,

RIGHT ON!

WE NEED AN HONEST, INTELLIGENT DIALOGUE ABOUT THE FACTS, NOT THE FICTONS.

quicksand said...

DEAR ANON II

THE ANSWERS TO YOUR POINTS WILL APPEAR IN MY NEXT POSTING.
DON'T MISS IT!

Horse Breath. said...

It has very much to do about race.

quicksand said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
josheisenberg@yahoo.com said...

In my opinion, people in general go to the doctor and "Urgent Care" and the Emergency Room far too often. It's true that everyone has pre-existing conditions; I have Crohn's disease, and what I learned is that western medicine is very overrated. Everybody dies and we DO live in a "Darwinian" world.

Whether healthcare is a right or a commodity is an opinion. My opinion is that healthcare is simply overrated.

Anonymous said...

But Dr. James,
Isn't it true that you are employed by the Federal government because you got your medical degree from the University of Mexico?

John Bell said...

Anonymous' puerile point about our public school system's deterioration under the federal government is exemplified by his or her spelling of the word "absurd," "obsurd."

I find it particularly distressing that every person with whom I have discussed this subject, and opposes a public option, has health insurance. Overwhelmingly, most people who are insured get their insurance due to federally mandated regulations regarding workplace practices and policies. Those who own fully private insurance policies can afford them, and exercise their prerogative to do so.

I fall between the huge gap of employer provided health insurance and an individual policy. In the last 20 years, I have had health insurance for only 3 years, as a result of having been married. During those three years I only got sick to my stomach, and did not seek treatment.

So I would ask Anonymous, if that really is his or her name: What makes you so special? Is it because you have a job? Many working people don't have jobs that provide health coverage. Are you so devoid of compassion for your fellow Americans that you would prefer they go bankrupt because they get sick? We all get sick, but not all of us get rich, or gainfully employed.

We are talking about 40 million people who have not been as blessed as you in their abilities to provided for their own physical welfare. Which reminds me: "... provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty, for ourselves and our posterity...". You probably heard those words sung some years ago on your public television station. You may have even just hummed the jingle.

Is it unreasonable to ask that we add one more blessing of liberty? Is it unreasonable to think that our society has the ability to grow together and mature as a nation, so as to better realize our collective American dream? Can I get just one more blessing of liberty, so that when some patriot exercising his 2nd Amendment rights shoots me, I can get the bullet removed?

I find Anonymous' approach and attitude towards healthcare in America to be unconscionable, and, ultimately, un-American. He or she should have paid more attention in elementary school.

Anonymous said...

Dear John Bell,
You have come to a self derived conclusion, no where did I state that people should be without health care nor should they go bankrupt because of illness. Everyone agrees that health care in the US needs extreme restructuring. The POINT was that the Federal Government does not have the ability to maintain a health system. You apparently paid to much attention in school and never learned to think for yourself. Do you even know what plan the government has proposed to provide health care or are you just another liberal lemming headed for the sea?

John Bell said...

Anonymous,

Self derived conclusion? Who derives your conclusions? That tomato ripening on your windowsill? Maybe it's just your windowsill? Ever think about that? Hmmm?

The government runs Medicare just fine. It is the preferred first payer of a large majority of it's recipients. Blue Cross Blue Shield would not exist, but for federal mandate and participation. If you are not 65 yet, will you refuse Medicare payments on your 65th birthday? If you are over 65, will you give up your Medicare payments, now? If you are a union worker, will you refuse BCBS payments? If so can I have some so I can pay back the thousands I owe to emergency rooms and hospitals and doctors and ambulances? Would you disband these organizations and deprive your neighbors of their health coverage?

I'd be fine with you sending me your Social Security checks as well. I am not too proud to accept charity. Does the government make them payable to Anonymous? I bet they show up on time.

I am well aware of the various proposals of both the Obama administration and the Democratic Party. I am also aware that they are still working toward an agreement on various aspects. I fully expect that the senate and house will produce a bill in conference this fall, and that it will become law. Hopefully with a public option, so I can get covered. I trust the government in this regard much more than any corporation I know. At least profit and greed won't be the guiding principals in play.

I am NOT aware of any Republican proposal, except to leave things as they are and encourage the insurance industry to reform itself. Please enlighten me with your acumen on this subject if I am wrong, or if you have any ideas of your own.

As for my schooling, I am extremely proud of and satisfied with my public school education. And though I could not afford it myself, my parents (both life-long public servants, one a public school teacher) paid an enormous sum to send me to an excellent private university. Yet, the most informative class I ever took was a two year course of study called American Civilizations. We learned about what it means to be American. That class was in high school. I wish you were there, too.

Obsurd, indeed.

quicksand said...

DEAR JOSH

YOU SAY QUITE A LOT IN A FEW WORDS.
YES...WE ARE ADDICTED TO MEDICAL ATTENTION. TOO MANY WANT A SNIFFLE-FREE WORLD. IT OVERTAXES THE SYSTEM.

IF WE ARE DARWINIAN...WHY DON'T WE JUST ADMIT IT. MAYBE IF WE STOPPED THE PRETENSE, THINGS WOULD BE MORE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD.

quicksand said...

THE FOLLOWING ARRIVED BY E-MAIL.


I think everyone should be required to watch Michael Moore's Sicko. Here's a good idea: Fox should air it instead of Glenn Beck's show.

In spite of all the chatter and speculation, I believe that President Obama and Rahm will get the health reform bill through Congress. Obama has yet to show his toughness and strong will.

As far as the birthers/deathers/gun-toting inciters, I no longer think about their ignorance and hate.

Sassy

quicksand said...

DEAR JOHN AND MR. ANON,

IF WE LOOK AT THE GLASS AS HALF PRODUCT, WE HAVE SOME SAYING,
"WORK. PAY MONEY. BUY A POLICY AND YOU'LL BE INSURED!"

IF WE LOOK AT THE GLASS AS HALF RIGHT, WE HAVE OTHERS SAYING,
"EVERY CITIZEN SHOULD BE GIVEN MEDICAL CARE JUST BY BEING A MEMBER OF OUR SOCIETY."

CLASSIC CASE OF 'ME' vs 'WE'.

SEEMS OUR HYBRID PATCH IS WEARING THIN. THIS COUNTRY IS TORTURED OVER JUST WHAT IT WANTS TO BE.

PITCH FORKS OR PITCH IN!

quicksand said...

DEAR HORSE BREATH

I HEARD IT SAID THIS WEEK THAT THERE WERE THREE TYPES OF REPUBLICANS:

THE ELITE
THE IGNORANT
THE RACIST

WHAT DO YOU THINK? A BIT HARSH OR RIGHT ON?

Unknown said...

Anonymous: Here's what you said, "But Dr. James,
Isn't it true that you are employed by the Federal government because you got your medical degree from the University of Mexico?"

What was that all about? No, I never got my medical degree from the University of Mexico. And even if I did, so what?

horsebreath said...

I think you ae correct. However I know alot of racist and ignorant republicans but very few elite ones.

ben's friend said...

I don't know where the mythology about the ineffectiveness of government run programs comes from. Perhaps it got a huge boost from our "acting" president Ron Reagan. He tried to develop that folksy, guy next store, common sense, rustic, down home sceptic of the big boys in Washington (it was all bullshit and he in many ways epitomized the power of big government. Certainly that was true in the international arena. He unilaterally started a military action in Grenada. He, while saying he wouldn't negotiate with terrorits used the power of his high office to serreptiously negotiate with the Iranian government in the midst of the hostage (terrorist) crisis and at the same time funded the contras in Nicaraqua.)

Despite the rants of Palin and Regean, government (federal, state and local) run programs very succesfully. Look at social security, Medicare, armed forces, post office, parks departments, fire departments, police departments, school districts,public transportation..the list can go on and on.

The same people who spout the cliche of "get government off our backs," are often the ones who are most dependant on government run programs. They would shout the loudest if these programs were eliminated. Personally if I had to choose who ran the health care system, government or the insurance companies, I would without hesitation choose the government.

Anonymous said...

The world is full of people who judge others negatively because of race, sex, sexual orientation, weight, looks, athletic ability, etc.

You are living in a bubble if you believe these people who judge others only exist in the Republican Party.

Anonymous said...

Most likely you are living in a "Lily White" bubble.

quicksand said...

DEAR HORSE,

FEW ELITE REPUBLICANS?
UM........WALL STREET FOR STARTERS.

quicksand said...

DEAR ANON,

YOU ARE CORRECT.
ALL THE NEGATIVE -ISMS EXIST IN MANY PLACES.
BUT PLEASE DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT.
THE ISSUE MENTIONED WAS RACISM. SEX, WEIGHT, LOOKS ETC. WERE NOT PART OF HORSEBREATH'S COMMENT.
SO, WHILE I DON'T WANT TO DISMISS YOUR COMMENT, IT COULD BE ADDRESSED ANOTHER TIME.

BUT, FOR NOW, ASK YOURSELF...BASED ON YOUR OWN LIFE EXPERIENCES...ARE THERE MORE RACISTS ON THE RIGHT OR LEFT?

AND YES...THE BUBBLE I LIVE IN IS LILY WHITE....WELL, ACTUALLY
OFF-WHITE SINCE I LIVE NEAR AN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY.
WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT MY NEIGHBORHOOD...MY BUBBLE...IS SO WHITE?
MIGHT IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH INCOME AND OPPORTUNITY?

AS ALWAYS, I APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION.

quicksand said...

DEAR BEN

LET US NOT FORGET FOOD INSPECTIONS, THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL...........

ben's friend said...

Yes, let's not forget. The list goes on and on and on and on and on...

Anonymous said...

The system needs reworking, for sure -- but you all really trust the bufoons we call Congress to get it right? These people who forget to pay taxes? These people who are so in it for themselves and for all the perks and private jets? Come on now people, wake up. I wouldn't trust them to change a lightbulb -- oh no actually, they'd be good at that, it involves screwing.