While Main Street USA struggles to make ends meet, our elected representatives continue with their lifestyle, complete with full staff and expense accounts.
Curious that I have never heard of layoffs happening on Capitol Hill. Perhaps there have been during this economic downturn, and, if so, this American missed the notices.
But, more to the point, our leaders create rules and regulations that apply to everyone but themselves. The most blatant was when they voted to exempt themselves from last year's healthcare reform bill. If it is such a great piece of legislation, why are they not taking part with the rest of us?
Another why-on-Earth-do-they-get-this-perk is that staffers of Congress members and family are exempt from having to pay back student loans. That, quite frankly, is unjust and criminal.
More annoying, perhaps, is that those sitting in Washington DC can mandate a retirement age for all, except, of course, themselves.
To ensure that all citizens are on equal footing, there should be a 28th Amendment.
It should read (not my wording, it was received in an email forward):
Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.
Unfortunately, as Congress would have to pass this, it more than likely will never come about.
Perhaps it could be an initiative voted on by the people to become law.
One can hope.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Showing posts with label Health Care Right. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Care Right. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Friday, September 17, 2010
"Culture Crisis" NOT "Health Care Crisis"
The below is posted on Facebook.
It provides an interesting point of view from an emergency room doctor treating someone on Medicaid.
Dr. Jones recently wrote a short, two-paragraph letter to the White House where he accurately puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis" . . .
It's worth a quick read.
"Dear Mr. President:
"During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.
"While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one pack of cigarettes every day, eats only at fast-food take-outs, and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer. And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture" a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.
"Respectfully,
ROGER STARNER JONES, MD
"If you agree...pass it on."
Very well and accurately stated by Dr. Jones.
Food for thought.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
It provides an interesting point of view from an emergency room doctor treating someone on Medicaid.
 |
| Dr. Roger Starner Jones |
It's worth a quick read.
"Dear Mr. President:
"During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.
"While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one pack of cigarettes every day, eats only at fast-food take-outs, and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer. And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture" a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.
"Respectfully,
ROGER STARNER JONES, MD
"If you agree...pass it on."
Very well and accurately stated by Dr. Jones.
Food for thought.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Friday, April 23, 2010
A Day Late . . . A Trillion Dollars Short
The Associated Press issued a news release concerning the just-released non-partisan report from the the Health and Human Services Department.
It is as was feared by those people fighting for fiscal sanity.
The one point it did validate for the Administration, Senate and House is that 95 percent of all Main Street USA will be covered. (Whether one elects to have coverage or not.) The Health Care Rights Act (not the real name of the legislation) extends coverage to 34 million more people.
As pointed out earlier, however, 10 million of those people can afford insurance now but have elected, for whatever reasons, not to carry any. Seems to this Main Streeter that extending coverage to these people is simply a waste of taxpayer dollars and a violation of individual rights as, starting in 2014, you, dear citizen, will have not choice in the matter.
If you do not obtain insurance coverage yourself, the IRS will be standing at your door. With a fine (read tax).
The report points out that costs will not go down, as was heavily touted by supporters (especially those like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi who porked the bill to garner votes). They will increase.
Overall health care costs, per the report, will increase by $311 Billion in the next decade.
Some are quick to point out that the increase is a fraction of a percentage point of total health care spending during that time.
Is that supposed to console Americans, when each and every day our elected (to serve the people) representatives are spending this country into oblivion?
The Affordable Care Act (the legal name of the wretched bill) is NOT affordable at all.
The AP article, in one paragraph, stated that the US spends $2.5 Trillion a year on health care. In the very next paragraph it states that "total health care spending during the decade (ie 2010-2019) is estimated to surpass $35 Trillion."
Is this the New Math about which people complain? Or, perhaps, Creative Accounting?
As when this person divides $35 Trillion by 10 (years in a decade) the answer comes up $3.5 Trillion, not $2.5 Trillion as presented in the earlier paragraph.
That is a HUGE difference.
Why is it that for legislation of this economic magnitude this report could not have been done prior to voting it into law?
America, now more than ever, needs fiscal leadership. (And not the kind that decides that a Value Added Tax or Consumption Taxes will solve the problem while they enjoy the big salary and expense account, free flights and lush benefits of representing the American People.)
Let us hope and pray that fiscally sound men and women can avert financial disaster while not, at the same time, continue to overbruden the middle class.
As stated in earlier blogs, the Congressional Special Interest Group (employing the art and science of buying votes for questionable legislation) is far worse, and, more than likely, costs the taxpayers of this great nation far more than any other form of SIG lobbying that exists.
Over For now.
Main Street One
It is as was feared by those people fighting for fiscal sanity.
The one point it did validate for the Administration, Senate and House is that 95 percent of all Main Street USA will be covered. (Whether one elects to have coverage or not.) The Health Care Rights Act (not the real name of the legislation) extends coverage to 34 million more people.
As pointed out earlier, however, 10 million of those people can afford insurance now but have elected, for whatever reasons, not to carry any. Seems to this Main Streeter that extending coverage to these people is simply a waste of taxpayer dollars and a violation of individual rights as, starting in 2014, you, dear citizen, will have not choice in the matter.
If you do not obtain insurance coverage yourself, the IRS will be standing at your door. With a fine (read tax).
The report points out that costs will not go down, as was heavily touted by supporters (especially those like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi who porked the bill to garner votes). They will increase.
Overall health care costs, per the report, will increase by $311 Billion in the next decade.
Some are quick to point out that the increase is a fraction of a percentage point of total health care spending during that time.
Is that supposed to console Americans, when each and every day our elected (to serve the people) representatives are spending this country into oblivion?
The Affordable Care Act (the legal name of the wretched bill) is NOT affordable at all.
The AP article, in one paragraph, stated that the US spends $2.5 Trillion a year on health care. In the very next paragraph it states that "total health care spending during the decade (ie 2010-2019) is estimated to surpass $35 Trillion."
Is this the New Math about which people complain? Or, perhaps, Creative Accounting?
As when this person divides $35 Trillion by 10 (years in a decade) the answer comes up $3.5 Trillion, not $2.5 Trillion as presented in the earlier paragraph.
That is a HUGE difference.
Why is it that for legislation of this economic magnitude this report could not have been done prior to voting it into law?
America, now more than ever, needs fiscal leadership. (And not the kind that decides that a Value Added Tax or Consumption Taxes will solve the problem while they enjoy the big salary and expense account, free flights and lush benefits of representing the American People.)
Let us hope and pray that fiscally sound men and women can avert financial disaster while not, at the same time, continue to overbruden the middle class.
As stated in earlier blogs, the Congressional Special Interest Group (employing the art and science of buying votes for questionable legislation) is far worse, and, more than likely, costs the taxpayers of this great nation far more than any other form of SIG lobbying that exists.
Over For now.
Main Street One
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Voters Issue Strong Rebuke of Incumbents in Congress
This latest Gallup Poll should tell those on Capitol Hill to Wake Up.
Voters Issue Strong Rebuke of Incumbents in Congress
One has to wonder whether or not they will listen to Main Street USA.
Supposedly they are elected to serve the people.
The people are saying, rather loudly and clearly, that our elected representatives are not serving us properly or correctly.
Main Street USA does not want more and more deficit spending, our alleged trillion dollar Heath Care Rights Bill, usage (or other types of) taxes to help pay for under-funded programs, borrowing from government agency trust funds to cover "shortfalls" in other areas, earmarks and pork, etc., etc.
Senator Reid, Speaker Pelosi, take heed the warning.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Voters Issue Strong Rebuke of Incumbents in Congress
One has to wonder whether or not they will listen to Main Street USA.
Supposedly they are elected to serve the people.
The people are saying, rather loudly and clearly, that our elected representatives are not serving us properly or correctly.
Main Street USA does not want more and more deficit spending, our alleged trillion dollar Heath Care Rights Bill, usage (or other types of) taxes to help pay for under-funded programs, borrowing from government agency trust funds to cover "shortfalls" in other areas, earmarks and pork, etc., etc.
Senator Reid, Speaker Pelosi, take heed the warning.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Polls Continue To Speak
Following is a short summary of recent polls after passage of the Main Street USA Health Care Rights Bill (taken from reports published by the Christian Science Monitor) and, of course, some commentary.
Washington Post poll: Some 55 percent of Americans expect their own costs for healthcare to be higher because of the reforms, and 60 percent say the nation's overall health tab will rise.
Rasmussen Reports: 49 percent said they think the quality of care will be adversely affected.
Washington Post Poll: Nearly half of Americans say the law "creates too much government involvement in the nation's health care system."
USA Today/Gallup Poll: 65 percent said the law "will expand government's role in health care too much."
Rasmussen Reports: Americans favor repeal of the Health Care reform by a 54-to-42 margin.
So, on the whole, this action by Congress and the White House is not what is needed and wanted by Main Street USA.
However, it is interesting to note that Main Street USA seems to feel that erosion of our rights by the government is okay with them.
In a Newsweek Poll a strong 59 percent surveyed felt that they were "open to a mandate on individuals to buy coverage" (with government subsidies available) if they are currently uninsured. In a similar poll by CNN/Opinion Research, 45 percent favored this action.
A Mandate to Buy Coverage?
Certainly no one I know falls into the above category. Allowing our elected representatives on Capitol Hill the power to fine someone for not exercising a supposed right to have something, while they have everything they need served to them on a silver platter (courtesy of the taxpayer), is frightening. (Please read previous post, March 23, 2010, The Concept of Rights.)
Main Street One warned that allowing our government the authority to fine taxpayers via the IRS for not exercising what is being defined as our Health Care Right will surely open the door to fines being levied for not exercising other rights, perhaps even those guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
This is dangerous territory, America!
Attesting to how rhetoric can skew polls (for either side), a USA Today/Gallup showed 51 percent of Americans saying the law doesn't go far enough in regulating health insurers.
This may be true.
Unfortunately, the legislation is so cumbersome that it may take some time to see how far anything and everything reaches in this bill.
Needless to say, Democrats made the insurance company out to be the bad guy and succeeeded to a remarkable degree.
Many folks, however, feel that ambulance chasing attorneys (and their cousins in the field) earning millions upon millions upon millions by being allowed to extract outrageous amounts in punitive damages and, thus, increasing all forms of insurance, as some of the truly basic culprits.
Yet, those voting in the majority on this colossal package turn a deaf ear when Tort Reform is mentioned, brushing it aside as if it were merely a petty annoyance.
And those same members decided, as part of Health Care Reform, that the government should take over student loans and not allow banks and financial institutions to partake in this activity.
Excuse me. What on Earth do student loans have to do with Health Care?
Wake up Main Street USA.
The amount of pork and the number of earmarks on this one piece of legislation is probably unfathomable.
Why is it that people that WE elect think that they know what is best for all of us despite the fact that the majority of us did not want, do not want, our Health Care Right in the manner and in the form in which it was signed.
We do want and need reform.
We do not want and do not need THIS reform.
Especially at this cost, both in dollars and the further erosion of our civil liberties.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Washington Post poll: Some 55 percent of Americans expect their own costs for healthcare to be higher because of the reforms, and 60 percent say the nation's overall health tab will rise.
Rasmussen Reports: 49 percent said they think the quality of care will be adversely affected.
Washington Post Poll: Nearly half of Americans say the law "creates too much government involvement in the nation's health care system."
USA Today/Gallup Poll: 65 percent said the law "will expand government's role in health care too much."
Rasmussen Reports: Americans favor repeal of the Health Care reform by a 54-to-42 margin.
So, on the whole, this action by Congress and the White House is not what is needed and wanted by Main Street USA.
However, it is interesting to note that Main Street USA seems to feel that erosion of our rights by the government is okay with them.
In a Newsweek Poll a strong 59 percent surveyed felt that they were "open to a mandate on individuals to buy coverage" (with government subsidies available) if they are currently uninsured. In a similar poll by CNN/Opinion Research, 45 percent favored this action.
A Mandate to Buy Coverage?
Certainly no one I know falls into the above category. Allowing our elected representatives on Capitol Hill the power to fine someone for not exercising a supposed right to have something, while they have everything they need served to them on a silver platter (courtesy of the taxpayer), is frightening. (Please read previous post, March 23, 2010, The Concept of Rights.)
Main Street One warned that allowing our government the authority to fine taxpayers via the IRS for not exercising what is being defined as our Health Care Right will surely open the door to fines being levied for not exercising other rights, perhaps even those guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
This is dangerous territory, America!
Attesting to how rhetoric can skew polls (for either side), a USA Today/Gallup showed 51 percent of Americans saying the law doesn't go far enough in regulating health insurers.
This may be true.
Unfortunately, the legislation is so cumbersome that it may take some time to see how far anything and everything reaches in this bill.
Needless to say, Democrats made the insurance company out to be the bad guy and succeeeded to a remarkable degree.
Many folks, however, feel that ambulance chasing attorneys (and their cousins in the field) earning millions upon millions upon millions by being allowed to extract outrageous amounts in punitive damages and, thus, increasing all forms of insurance, as some of the truly basic culprits.
Yet, those voting in the majority on this colossal package turn a deaf ear when Tort Reform is mentioned, brushing it aside as if it were merely a petty annoyance.
And those same members decided, as part of Health Care Reform, that the government should take over student loans and not allow banks and financial institutions to partake in this activity.
Excuse me. What on Earth do student loans have to do with Health Care?
Wake up Main Street USA.
The amount of pork and the number of earmarks on this one piece of legislation is probably unfathomable.
Why is it that people that WE elect think that they know what is best for all of us despite the fact that the majority of us did not want, do not want, our Health Care Right in the manner and in the form in which it was signed.
We do want and need reform.
We do not want and do not need THIS reform.
Especially at this cost, both in dollars and the further erosion of our civil liberties.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
How Polls Can Be Skewed
A recent poll released just prior to the House of Representatives' vote on Main Street USA's Health Care Right bill shows what can be accomplished when enough rhetoric is thrown at a topic.
According to HealthDay News, "Nearly half of Americans are 'extremely' or 'very worried' about rising costs for health care and health insurance, and a majority place the blame on drug and insurance company profits, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll finds."
Unfortunately, many on Capitol Hill assailed the insurance companies, in particular, and their profits for rising costs, making them the "bad guy."
The article in HealthDay News continued by saying, "Some health economists say insurance and pharmaceutical company profits amount to only about 2 percent of total health care spending.
"Instead, fees charged by doctors and hospitals, as well as expanding use of increasingly sophisticated and expensive health-care technologies, are the primary cause of escalating health-care costs, these experts contend."
The article, interestingly enough, does not elaborate on the fact that 44% of those surveyed felt that higher costs were due to "more tests, treatments and procedures ordered by doctors due to malpractice worries."
Aside from the possibility of more tests, there is clear and present evidence that escalating malpractice insurance premiums are caused by astronomical punitive damages awarded.
Tort Reform should definitely play a major role in health care reform.
Nowhere in the poll does it mention fraud within the medical industry as contributing to higher costs.
Another form of inflated costs borders on fraudulent practices. More than likely many Americans know that medical offices have two sets of charges. A lower price if someone is paying their own way and a higher price if the care is billed to an insurance company.
The reasons given often have to do with payments not being made in a timely manner or even that payments for those services do not ever arrive.
Regardless of the reason for the disparity, that is another in the many causes for higher costs of medical care.
In this fairly balanced article, there is the point made by Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, a service of Harris Interactive. He said, "These findings show how little most people understand the economics of health care. Increased profits of insurers and drug companies (if they have increased at all) cannot possibly account for the increases in premiums. Many health-care economists attribute the increased cost of care to increased demand and utilization, increased prices and the increased use of expensive tests and treatments. Most people, as shown here, do not think of these as the main drivers of increased health-care spending."
The poll results do show that if enough high-profile people speak out against something often enough that polls can, indeed, be skewed by incorrect information disseminated.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
According to HealthDay News, "Nearly half of Americans are 'extremely' or 'very worried' about rising costs for health care and health insurance, and a majority place the blame on drug and insurance company profits, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll finds."
Unfortunately, many on Capitol Hill assailed the insurance companies, in particular, and their profits for rising costs, making them the "bad guy."
The article in HealthDay News continued by saying, "Some health economists say insurance and pharmaceutical company profits amount to only about 2 percent of total health care spending.
"Instead, fees charged by doctors and hospitals, as well as expanding use of increasingly sophisticated and expensive health-care technologies, are the primary cause of escalating health-care costs, these experts contend."
The article, interestingly enough, does not elaborate on the fact that 44% of those surveyed felt that higher costs were due to "more tests, treatments and procedures ordered by doctors due to malpractice worries."
Aside from the possibility of more tests, there is clear and present evidence that escalating malpractice insurance premiums are caused by astronomical punitive damages awarded.
Tort Reform should definitely play a major role in health care reform.
Nowhere in the poll does it mention fraud within the medical industry as contributing to higher costs.
Another form of inflated costs borders on fraudulent practices. More than likely many Americans know that medical offices have two sets of charges. A lower price if someone is paying their own way and a higher price if the care is billed to an insurance company.
The reasons given often have to do with payments not being made in a timely manner or even that payments for those services do not ever arrive.
Regardless of the reason for the disparity, that is another in the many causes for higher costs of medical care.
In this fairly balanced article, there is the point made by Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, a service of Harris Interactive. He said, "These findings show how little most people understand the economics of health care. Increased profits of insurers and drug companies (if they have increased at all) cannot possibly account for the increases in premiums. Many health-care economists attribute the increased cost of care to increased demand and utilization, increased prices and the increased use of expensive tests and treatments. Most people, as shown here, do not think of these as the main drivers of increased health-care spending."
The poll results do show that if enough high-profile people speak out against something often enough that polls can, indeed, be skewed by incorrect information disseminated.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Concept of Rights
In this case, the concept of the Rights of Main Street USA.
Following is the lead paragraph in an Associated Press article published after the ONE TRILLION DOLLAR* health care reform was signed:
"Claiming a historic triumph that could define his presidency, a jubilant Barack Obama signed a massive, nearly $1 trillion health care overhaul on Tuesday that will for the first time cement insurance coverage as the right of every U.S. citizen and begin to reshape the way virtually all Americans receive and pay for treatment."
Let us take a close look at a critical portion of this paragraph.
"...cement insurance coverage as the right of every U.S. citizen..."
According to the dictionary, right, as used here, is defined as: "a just claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive, or moral."
The interesting fact about the so-called Health Care Right is that if one does not exercise said right the IRS will come calling to collect a fine for not passing go (i.e., obtaining insurance coverage whether you desire to have it or not, such as the ten million Americans right now who can afford it but have elected not to purchase it).
So, yes, that does reshape how we will pay for treatment, as mentioned in the paragraph above.
The question all Americans should be asking is: How is that a "right?"
According to the Bill of Rights, Americans have the right to/of:
-Freedom of speech. Our Founding Fathers, however, did not see fit to fine anyone if they did not exercise their right to talk.
-Freedom of Religion. Have never read about a person being fined for not exercising their right of practicing a religion.
-To petition. When was the last time someone was fined for not submitting a petition?
-To keep and bear arms. We know darn well that no one is fining us for not having firearms in our possession. Fact is, there are those trying to destroy this right.
You get the idea, I am sure.
Politicians cannot have it both ways.
They cannot, sanely and logically, promote to the populace that something is a right if a person will be fined for not exercising that right.
That is an interesting encroachment upon the rights of Main Street USA.
A reversal of the norm.
What comes next?
As it is every citizen's right to vote, will there be legislation (or better yet, a simple earmark to a larger bill) allowing the IRS to fine people who do not exercise their right to vote.
What a concept.
Great fundraiser for the IRS.
Actually it is a double-barrelled fine...you would also pay for not registering to vote.
Food For Thought.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
* to spend One Trillion Dollars you need to buy a million dollar house each and very day for One Million Days.
Following is the lead paragraph in an Associated Press article published after the ONE TRILLION DOLLAR* health care reform was signed:
"Claiming a historic triumph that could define his presidency, a jubilant Barack Obama signed a massive, nearly $1 trillion health care overhaul on Tuesday that will for the first time cement insurance coverage as the right of every U.S. citizen and begin to reshape the way virtually all Americans receive and pay for treatment."
Let us take a close look at a critical portion of this paragraph.
"...cement insurance coverage as the right of every U.S. citizen..."
According to the dictionary, right, as used here, is defined as: "a just claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive, or moral."
The interesting fact about the so-called Health Care Right is that if one does not exercise said right the IRS will come calling to collect a fine for not passing go (i.e., obtaining insurance coverage whether you desire to have it or not, such as the ten million Americans right now who can afford it but have elected not to purchase it).
So, yes, that does reshape how we will pay for treatment, as mentioned in the paragraph above.
The question all Americans should be asking is: How is that a "right?"
According to the Bill of Rights, Americans have the right to/of:
-Freedom of speech. Our Founding Fathers, however, did not see fit to fine anyone if they did not exercise their right to talk.
-Freedom of Religion. Have never read about a person being fined for not exercising their right of practicing a religion.
-To petition. When was the last time someone was fined for not submitting a petition?
-To keep and bear arms. We know darn well that no one is fining us for not having firearms in our possession. Fact is, there are those trying to destroy this right.
You get the idea, I am sure.
Politicians cannot have it both ways.
They cannot, sanely and logically, promote to the populace that something is a right if a person will be fined for not exercising that right.
That is an interesting encroachment upon the rights of Main Street USA.
A reversal of the norm.
What comes next?
As it is every citizen's right to vote, will there be legislation (or better yet, a simple earmark to a larger bill) allowing the IRS to fine people who do not exercise their right to vote.
What a concept.
Great fundraiser for the IRS.
Actually it is a double-barrelled fine...you would also pay for not registering to vote.
Food For Thought.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
* to spend One Trillion Dollars you need to buy a million dollar house each and very day for One Million Days.
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