Health Care summit

[admin]

This will be an interesting coming together. Perhaps not a politically correct analogy, but both parties are functioning at the limits of their political philosophy...socialism versus corporate eliteism.....they are much like rabid dogs snarling at one another with just a small leash holding them apart.

It is disconcerting to watch our government in action while all around band aid fixes ranging from reining in credit card companies to large bank manipulations to programs to provide health care to all comers without a non inflationary way to pay, are screaming for attention. Yet there they are beating Toyota to death as if that warrants full immediate attention as if the world will stop unless they get to the bottom of that issue.....

In view of the world shaping events unfolding before our eyes that pose great threats, our government is fixated more on perpetuating their political philosophy at the expense of solutions, and usns.

[Roy Smalley]

Well the House has passed this plan. While there might be some good things in there there are a couple that stick out. One is a 40% tax on "high cost" policies. So, if I can afford a Cadillac and it is my money the government is going to tax me? Unfortunately, the insurance available thru many risk pools can reach that threshold. And on risk pools. The bill says that "pre existing condtions" cannot be considered in risk pool insurance. That is already there for that is what, at least in Texas, risk pools are all about...for those that can get insurance no where else. And now the morality of abortion became critical in passage. And oh, by the way, Medicare reimbursement is going to be cut, some more. It is real and palabable, the dissatisfaction of physicians. We got a letter from a 50 year old OBGYN that the ladies of my house go to after a long selection process. She is one of the best, but she is getting totally out of medicine because of the horrendous impact governments and insurers have upon her practice. I hear more and more of physicians refusing to accept insurance....now who would have guessed that? But the impact on everyone is fewer patient based interests; fewer physicians taking medicare and practically no physician will take medicade which pays about 20% of medicare rates.

Us old folks will pay in great part for the plan...and if you ain't old now you will be and in a few years when you are, you better be prepared to pay as much for medicare as you are for private insurance now. Medicare costs for me for example, are about 60% of what I was paying for private insurance when I became medicare eligible....there is no free lunch even if you paid for it.

For 10 years my daughter has been on an insurance risk pool. While not cheap we are thankful. Sure the doctors have to go thur circles to get treatments approved but have in that time never asked for us to get involved. It works as designed and is one program the Texas Legislature did right, and so is our insurer. That is a hellofa compliment from me, the cynic.