Incidentally—since you are forced to pay for Medicare, I think you should get it when the time comes. This is a social contract—you are pretty sanguine about violation of social contracts. This isn’t just another dopey campaign promise—this is a national social contract. We hired these politicians to make all this work—for all these decades. They have failed us all and are failing once again. I have said all along, they need to regulate the insurance companies like the Medicare supplementals are regulated—every co’s Plan A has the same benefits as every other co’s Plan A. Plan B, same, etc. to I think Plan L. Most people buy Plan F. This way people could choose, as members of Cong do, a plan for their needs… There also needs to be a cap on premiums or all this is ridic—people will be priced out in 2 yrs if not sooner. Costs need to be walked back to actual cost plus a profit. Not these ridic inflated prices…no MRI costs anyone $1500. None of these things are suggested because so many fixes are in no one even knows what they are anymore.

I’ve paid into medicare/Social Security and don’t want any of *my* money going to those poor people." is a perfect example of what is wrong in America today.

I don’t think this is how people feel—no people I know do. We all give a few bucks when the Food Bank envelope comes—all we can afford. This whole notion that "rich" people sitting on Medicare are trying to make others suffer is ridiculous—at least in my opinion. People with Medicare, however, do feel they paid in for yrs (I used to cry sometimes writing that FICA check as a self-employed person, but always said—it’s for Mom, it’s for Mom). I am fighting against having this admin and of course any other coming along have control over health. I don’t like or trust or even understand these people or get any whiff of what they are up to.

The WSJ thinks we’re down to three bills… http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703787204574443121104281790.html#

 

A little patronizing to use "matures," what? I will whack you with my walker, LOL. We are not so much afraid of change as we are of stupid or calculated change. I am sure you know perfectly well, many older people objected to an apparent mindset within the admin on the part of SOME of their advisers who. among other offbeat things, have said that one teen "equals" 15 older people. We better find that teen! It was a mindset—that the worth of people was actuarial and could be calculated when favoring or disfavoring certain tests or treatments—and that doctors should be paid for all the free legal counseling and may persauding they would be doing. But I digress—Yes, people who paid for decades into Medicare don’t want to see it evaporate because some lame pols spent the money out of the general fund. We also see that a choice between some plain vanilla federally run "company" or option (you would still pay) and forcing people into private cos on threat of fines or even jail when there is no cap on premiums might be a Hobson’s choice and even at that, will be paid out by cutting Medicare. It’s alllose-lose—that’s why it cuts in after these people leave or close to the time they leave. Then someone else can bellyache about what he or she inherited.

I agree to this extent: We do have control and judgment over what happens to us—at least to some degree. Don’t be passive. If you just had an MRI and the doc orders another one, say what is wrong with the one I had? Can I get that sent? Same for many lab tests—-your primary may order them, then the specialist does—same tests. If these are not too far apart—you the patient get the results sent to the second doctor. You can ask for your lab results when you leave the doc—and probably get your whole chart entry soon after by signing a release for it to be sent. Same for ER encounters or hospitalizations. You need to ask what is the purpose of every test—get an answer. I also believe this admin is trying to destroy the industrial base of this country or else has very little interest in it because it’s "capitalism" or some nonsense, but I also think we need to walk back health costs to actual cost plus profit. They are just any old thing now because docs and hosps know they will only get a percentage and want it to be a percentage of something large. As for how doctors treat us or will react to more activism on the part of patients, you can count on fewer docs, more patients, longer waits, more docs who will not take Medicare or Medicaid, higher fees, higher premiums—a total worsening. 

Emma I have no idea what you mean by *knock thousands of dollars off the billed amount to what they actually accept from the insurance company*. 

Have you ever looked at one of your EOBs? The doctor bills $5,000 and accepts say, $900. This is what has led to the tremendous cost-creep that has placed medical tests, procedures and fees into the stratosophere. They need to walk costs back to cost+profit. No one ever suggests this, though—although this is where the "fat" is, the waste. When you do not have insurance, you pay the whole fee, now what the insurance co would pay, which is a fraction. The "luck fairy" remark seems a little condescending to me, but this is WOW. Anyhow, no matter how much training you have for a "good job" you are still going to be offered a declining level of coverage, with more cash out of your pocket and fewer services, no matter what comes out of the health cluster-you-know-what. None of it would become available for yrs, anyhow, and by then who knows what the regulation writers will have visited upon the country. Just sayin’.

Sanger had some pretty weird notions in the eugenics area.

I still get more laughs and smiles from Sharon Gless in Burn Notice than I ever got from Oprah, Camille, or Maya. I value laughs very highly. Good choice!

To me, Oprah has given us the gift of being able to admire Oprah as much as we want to.

First, Steinem came to mind, but she got married and sort of off track. Then Sarah, second, but in a positive way as someone who stands up and tries to right wrongs, even in her own party and even when ridiculously attacked and besmirched. Yes, I know—I am also a moose-chomping idiot for liking her, etc. I’ve heard it all. 

As was I—my point here was that people who oppose this admin are called everything from airheads to wingnuts, with terrorist in between. It’s all so dopey it’s meaningless. I wouldn’t know a revanchist is he, she, or it bit me.

Remember the DHS description of "right-wing" groups as potential terrorists…

Example: http://somd.com/news/headlines/2009/9833.shtml

 

What is wrong with you people today? Yick. No comment. How low rent can you go? Oh, don’t answer that…I can imagine.

Since this is basically a hostile and not too constructive forum, I guess I won’t for awhile.

As I recall a lot of us were against the Iraq war and the cost in lives and money…We were upset that Bush spent the Clinton suprlus…We were upset!