Okay so it really is 09/09/09 but you get the idea that it is one of those dates. I hadn't thought of it being one until I read this in a newsletter from Cynthia Tierra--
These dates are always coming along and usually we wouldn't even know they were there if nobody told us. When we do know, can we use such times as cosmic windows to attain what we want? Might those be things we want for our own lives but also for others, for even something universal?
Naturally those of you, who don't believe in psychics or portending times, just tuned me out. Mysticism bad. Logic good. Okay, but you also don't happen to believe Christ's birth was predicted based on signs in the sky, do you?
What if tomorrow is a special date with the benefits that Cynthia speaks of in her newsletter? How could we use it? How about the health care debate? Here's the thing. Is there anyone who would really wish people who needed health care could
not get it? The argument isn't really over some who like to see others suffer and the others who hope all are healthy and well. I think we all want to see people receive the care they need. The debate is over how.Could 9/9/9 be a good day for putting out positive energy toward a solution that helps everyone. Some are afraid of a public option. You know for those who fear we will all be turned into Nazis (talk about believing in mysticism) if everyone can go to a doctor, stop, tak
e some deep breaths and just think about it a bit. . There are facts that can be checked and validated and articles like this one to consider:Supposing more of us got informed and put out positive energy toward seeing this situation be resolved in a way that for once puts our people first? I think we all know one of the main reasons it's not going through is corporate profits and the money they can throw at the debate. They not only want to keep their existing profits but want guarantees of even more.
If you think health insurance is not your
problem because you have a job and therefore, your insurance is secured, ask yourself what happens if you lose that job. How long could you afford insurance then?.Today you think you have a co-pay you can afford. Wait until you or a family member gets a catastrophic health problem. The co-pays alone can break you and that's if your insurance company doesn't find an excuse to dump you. Some have a clause about the maximum they will cover in a year. With catastrophic illness that number can be reached pretty fast.
You think you have Medicare; so no worries. If the costs keep rising as they are, Medicare is in for a big readjustment for benefits and costs.
Health care costs have to be brought down and unless a lot of very strong government regulation happens (something Republicans also resist), that can only come through competition from a public option like Medicare for everyone. Too many in Congress, from both parties, don't want the public option because of the payola they receive for their campaigns from the industries. Only public pressure can make them do what is right.
The arguments used against the public option are mostly based on misinformation. You think the government can't run a health care program-- tell that to Veterans and elders. It's not perfect but it's basic care that many could not afford any other way.
I heard a good discussion on this video Al Franken Calms Down Health Care Opponents. Franken gave some information about insurance company profits. It's well worth your time to listen especially if you consider him to be inarticulate and a clown as the right tries to paint him. He's a very bright man and knows his stuff.
You have been told getting health care is terrible in places like England. Click on Elder Woman Blog and find the article titled 'Setting the record straight about health care.'
This isn't a partisan or political issue. It's a humanitarian one and the time is now!
(Photos of geese, pelicans, otters, frogs are from September 7 at William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, after a few days of wonderful fall rains. Fall and the start of the annual migrations are bringing in more birds. These ponds are the kind of places that lower blood pressure and help put things in perspective. When I had been out there before, the frogs had been quiet. All they needed was these wonderful rains to bring them out of hiding and into the world.)
I retired when I turned sixty-two. It would be three more years before I would be eligible for Medicare. At the time (and I think it is still the same) you could sign up with Cobra and maintain the same insurance as you had with your employer. This, however, was limited to a length of 18 months which meant that at the end of that period I would have to have some other form of insurance.
ReplyDeleteBeing single is a major financial benefit when it comes to heath care coverage. While working I was contributing around $100 a month to my insurance coverage. After going with Cobra my out-of-pocket insurance payment was right at $220 a month. Obviously all and all, not too bad for sure. I should also mention that there was no co-pay or deductible with this particular insurance.
But as time wore on I had to purchase other coverage off the street. It took me almost three months to find something I felt I could deal with financially. I did have to accept an exclusion for existing conditions for one year, a yearly deductible of $5000 and a monthly payment of $790. Certainly some 'sticker shock' to deal with there.
Although I have heard rumors about Cobra in the new health care rhetoric, I think it should be a very important issue with those covered by their employers to push for a much longer coverage envelope for Cobra because they have no idea what they are going to be faced with financially in the market place if they lose or quit their jobs.
The wonderful pictures amaze me. Just a week ago we were at Finley and didn't see many birds.
ReplyDeleteAs for the well considered debate on health care: Good sound thinking Rain and Alan G.!
I know that no one wants to see others suffer but I do think people forget their values in the heat of their fears. They might come back to their senses if reminded of their core values. Also, it a quirk of misinformation to use lies that could better describe the instigators themselves. I say the intstigators who fan people with deep seated prejudices that open them to believe the lies.
Thanks for your personal story, Alan. I think people need to hear more of what it's like. This article explains something many of us didn't know from personal stories of people caught in it: Rescissions Spawn Outrage.
ReplyDeleteHi Rain . . . I am no fan of Dubya but glad you've toned down your bashing. Presidents inherit whatever is there when they take office, and deal with it. Mr. Obama has surprised many Americans with his vigorous effort to turn the government from center to left. He has proposed huge changes faster than most of us dummies can absorb. We worry if he is leading us in the right direction. There is starting to be a movement to slow down a bit.
ReplyDeleteOur Congress should have time to READ and UNDERSTAND bills before voting on them. Isn't that what we elect them for? Isn't it normal to question major legislation before it is enacted?
Most religions reguire a person to believe (without proof)that they have a soul.
You might say that is the beginning of mysticism.
Politics requires a person to stick to the facts, and it is a fact that our health care system is less than perfect, and it obviously needs to be more effective. We've elected a President that sincerely wants to fix it - but most Americans don't seem to want a totally controlled government managed system. For many of us this is killing a mosquito with a shotgun.
Al Franken is a nasty clown of the first order. Yes, he is very smart. So what. He is also a despicable human being. Why bring him into the debate? Even Bill Maher could contribute more to the discussion.
Forget mysticism, zen, Franken, and Maher. Enjoy your natural world on the farm. Your sheep. Lambs. Your fresh water creek.
Instead, think about Kaiser. They have a fairly good handle on linking data bases of medical information and a have a record of reasonable reaction to medical problems. Important: Kaiser makes extensive use of nurse practicioners and provides them with back up from specialists when necessary. Kaiser's system isn't perfect - but it's pretty darn good.
If Mr. Obama presented a similar but NATIONAL health care plan, I think he'd get more support.
Just clean up the private (hated) insurance companies alone. Just clean up our FDA and establish a faster, safer, and cheaper path to the marketplace - and leave the (hated) pill industry otherwise alone.
Private entreprenuerial enterprise created the enormous success of American industry. Mr. Obamna must not kill it.
Dixon
Thank you for presenting the alternative view, Dixon.
ReplyDeleteI assume you didn't listen to Al Franken on the video and probably never listened to his radio shows because he is not detestable but a nice man who yes has a sharp sense of humor but he's not remotely what you have been told. Try the video and if you see what you expected, you can always quit it part way. His discussion was solid with real information.
Just out of curiosity, what has Franken done to make you see him as so despicable? He took on Rush and the far right but you have said you don't defend Rush either.
Franked waited patiently and with dignity to let the courts sort out the to the wire finish to the Minnesota race. He has behaved with dignity every time I have seen him speak anywhere.
Sounds like this will be another of those where we have to agree to disagree but it's too bad you don't hear his points as he had some good ones regarding what makes our system so expensive and how it works out in states that limit their insurance companies, like Minnesota, to non-profit. You can't blame Franken for that. In Minnesota the cost of the insurance company is less than 10% while it's nearly 30% and they want more in any state with insurance companies for profit. Should people's health care, their necessary medical treatments be a for profit business? Does everything have to be about the dollar?
A lot of insurance companies have been good to their clients but if you read the link I put in comments, you know it's not how it always is.
I would not personally want Kaiser's program, but it's only based on what i heard. Farm Boss's parents were in it but it didn't work well for them. I am in an HMO and have been for many years but I don't consider it a perfect system. The insurance companies make the decisions you are worried about the government making.
Oh and I haven't just blamed Bush for everything *s* I have blamed those who supported him also *a Sarah Palin wink*
I do think where it comes to health care that most people (from right or left) want to see this work out but I am not done bashing Cheney or Bush... That's yet to come in a planned series of Republicans, media and Democrats. I've given myself plenty of time to be sure I've covered them all because I want to not write about politics much for awhile. BUT I have a powerful reason to care about it-- four grandchildren who will have their lives much impacted by our choices.
Oh and here's the reason I think this will take a big gun to fix. If they just demand everyone buy insurance with no cost controls (anathema to Republicans), the insurance companies will have a bonanza of forced clients and no limits on their profits. Is it any surprise that their stock has gone up. Why should people who fear being sick or are sick be the ones to fund their profits to those levels? So if there is not an accompanying limit on profits, and that would be easiest with a public option (that is not required but just that can compete), we will have over 30% of our GDP going to medical. There a lot of economic prices that are hidden and I think one if our current state of health care funding. It is a limitation on productivity and taking a bigger and bigger chunk of our economic pie. We will be a deteriorating culture if we don't get a handle on this.
ReplyDeleteThey force us to buy car insurance and there are commercials on every 2 minutes telling us how one company can save us money over the company we have. Why wouldn't it be cheaper with more competition?
ReplyDeleteHealth insurance competition is limited quite a bit and I don't know if they would change that or not. Like when we went onto Medicare, to choose a supplemental policy, we really wanted on that serves the town where we have our doctors and hospital. They can't cover us because we live in the wrong county. States, counties and a lot of other things do regulate competition right now. The greatest stimulant to it would be to enable all to basically join Medicare. not be forced to do so but have an option and maybe for a coverage that doesn't cover everything but does all the basics. If you have been listening to the insurance companies whine, you know they don't want the ones already sick or at high risk. They want the feds to cover them already. They just want to collect their 31% profit (the new guarantee they want). Do you know of any other business that can ask for that high of a profit?
ReplyDeleteI think they should let them compete across state lines. And no guaranteed profits. That is no different than guaranteed prices. This is America and the free market should decide. If you charge too much there should be another company lined up behind you that will charge less.
ReplyDeleteBoth your last posts are very informative, Rain, and I will digest them when I have quality time. Thanks for all the research you did to come up with this.
ReplyDeleteI love everything you said, Rain . You really know how to put it ALL into words that make sense and enlighten, too!
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE all the pictures....It is so wonderful to see the Pelicans in a group like that and the Canadian Geese, too...But I think my favorite is the one of ALL the Frogs. I've never seen so very many all at once....They sure are cute!
I love the frogs; they look like they just heard Joe Wilson yell "You lie" at Obama.
ReplyDeleteThe pelicans have found great use for that log. A spot for all of them. And the geese - some in flight and some in the water - photo is just marvelous.
Al Franken showed Bill O'Reiley up to be the liar and fool that he is one time and he did it with humor while O'Reilley stuck his lower lip out and pouted like a four year old. This was when they were both on a C-Span panel and it was pathetic to see how small and petty O'Reilley was. I'm afraid that Bumps Stump has the wrong guy pegged as being despicable.