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2/25/2010

Broken Pattern

As of late, I've been publishing my 100 Word Challenge responses on Thursday, in order to keep Sunday (the due day for the challenge) open for Sarah or whatever other fiction I've been working on.

Well, it seems that Velvet Verbosity has a broken blog and is overwhelmed with work and stuff, so her schedule has not permitted her to link the posts from last time, nor has she been able to post a new challenge this week. So I guess you're stuck with me - or whatever it is that's going on in my head.

I want you to do me a favor. This isn't something I would normally do, but there's something that's been stuck in my craw for a while and this post really brought it to the fore. So I'm going to ask you to read that post. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Now. Having read that post, are you as unimpressed as I am by the Republican talking heads that keep saying "The American people don't want health care reform" every chance they get?

In a word? Bullshit. I'm one of those "American People" they keep talking about - they never asked ME, but they're willing to put words in my mouth readily enough.

This is the only industrialized country in the world where you can go broke and lose everything, if you get sick enough.

Dear Republicans. I am an American. You don't speak for me.

Ndinombethe.

21 comments:

Jientje said...

Health care is a nightmare for the American people, that's what it is!

Audubon Ron said...

My grandmother is 100 years old. I can’t imagine living that long in today’s world. Most everyone of my relatives get cancer in the 55 to 60 range. I suspect I will too. I’ve had this conversation w/my wife already. I’m taking the bullet, no treatment, I don’t want to give all my savings to a doctor to live an extra five years, possibly in poor quality, nor do I want to give it to the government to mismanage. Health care in America is broken and we need to continue to complain. Behind the costs are drug companies whose sales reps take entire medical offices out to lunch and pass out gifts and we wonder why medicine is incredibly over priced, doctors over treat to jack-up the bill and then there is the cost of insurance. In Mississippi, we had to go to Louisiana because doctors couldn’t afford malpractice insurance. Sadly, one has to go on Medicaid, which means they’ve lost everything on their way to Medicaid and then you and I pay for Medicaid in addition to Social Security/Medicare that I may not collect. Sorry, this is a hot button for me.

Mrs F with 4 said...

I am fortunate enough to be FROM a country with universal healthcare (which everyone moans like hell about being terrible - to which I say, try living where there IS NONE), and to currently live in another country with great healthcare. Sure, sometimes it might be slower than we'd like, and we are taxed to high heaven in this province, but, BUT, whatever we need, we can get.

I find the US system of 'healthcare' (I have to put that in quotes, as I cannot think of a word that actually describes the true situation) to be.... unfathomable.

Tara R. said...

No one asked me either. We've been going through our own medical insurance hell lately. It's crazy! The health care is out there, the doctors are out there... it's the insurance industry that is limiting our access and despite the $$$$ we pay in premiums, are making getting the necessary care a choice between losing our house and treating our children.

(no we aren't at that point - yet, but it's still a dog and pony show trying to get answers from the insurance companies)

Wait. What? said...

My god that is sad. I agree with you Lou. Bullshit we dont want health reform. As it is now we pay taxes that we never see put to good use, why not up my taxes and take care of the US people the way they deserve?

Cat

Wait. What? said...

Interestingly enough, I just ran accross this and wanted to share it:

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/17/news/companies/cleveland_clinic_cosgrove.fortune/index.htm

Unknown said...

I'm an American and I WANT HEALTH CARE REFORM.

But.

This administration has proven in the past 13 months that when they hurry and push things through unread and not-understood by those signing it, what is being passed is not what the American People want.

I hate our insurance and it seems like it doesn't ever pay what it seems like it should be paying... and yet, I'm still better off than my parents who's insurance has doubled and tripled in the past few years. Their monthly health insurance premium is more than double my home mortgage payment, and my dad was laid off twice in 2008, forcing him into early retirement. My mom will never be able to retire, else she'll lose their VERY EXPENSIVE insurance.

Reform? Yes.

The continued Washington hogwash that's been shoved down our throats for years? No.

I liked Cat's comment on that post: Denmark's people are taxed at 80%, but get great health care. Can Americans EVEN IMAGINE having their wages taxed at 80% and have the US Government at the helm of our well-being??? We are not used to that, we would become very unhappy people.

Unknown said...

p.s. For the Americans who wanted Health Care reform... WHY OH WHY didn't we vote into office the one person who has made it her life passion: Hillary Clinton!!?

hold a grudge much, Hyphen?

Julie said...

I read this last night and wrote a blog post about the same thing. I am so sick of the "slow down, stop, start over" from people who so very obviously don't want any sort of reform to happen, because they want this President to fail. Way to serve the American people.

Nan Sheppard said...

Health Care? What Health Care? That young woman is not getting health care. What's to reform? The whole system needs to be shaken up.

This is why I have no problem with paying huge taxes in the UK. WE get health care. Free, quick and great.

Nevine Sultan said...

Amen, Lou. Totally 100% Amen!

Nevine

Momisodes said...

I feel the same way. They never asked ME either.

I've seen families fall apart, go broke, and divorce because of the expenses of healthcare.

Joyce-Anne said...

It's all about $$$$ and who will be able to line their pockets with our hard earned money.

Maggie Moo said...

I Lou-I just wanted to tell you that I (finally) started reading Sarah today at work. It's GREAT so far!!

Gretchen said...

Lou,
I want insurance company reform. But I do NOT want the government telling me who will be my doctor, or if I get to see a specialist or not, or how many days I can be in the hospital.

I think this story is filled with a lot of unknowns... I don't know why that person didn't have enough health insurance to get the more expensive (but apparently necessary) insulin. I don't know why she had an economic windfall or crash. I don't know why she doesn't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid or CHIP (depending on how old she is). It's hard for me to make judgements about her situation if I don't know the facts.

Because doing that, is exactly how this firestorm keeps being fueled. People who don't know all the facts fan the flames with their inflammatory remarks and unresearched comments. Not that you did that! You just offered opinions. But certainly there are people who desire to get other folks worked into a lather over healthcare. I just want to stay out of the discussion for the most part.

But you asked. It's just my opinion.

Holly said...

I am an Independent and am often unsure how Democrats and Republicans view certain issues. But I do know my mother's recent surgery for ovarian cancer literally made her go bankrupt. I don't know anything about the reform issue, but I do know our health care system is flawed.

PattiKen said...

Our health care system is killing us. Literally.

Moonrayvenne said...

Of course they don't want it changed, they're afraid all their benefits that they have for life, will be tampered with. I will never understand how they can live with themselves when people are literally DYING for health care!

Heather said...

Wheeeew, this is a hot button for me. Families that divorce over healthcare? Yep, that was my mom and dad, at age 27 who lost their house because I got solmenella poisening from spoiled milk at age 9 months and spent exactly 183 days in the hospital. They lost everything, and consequently, their marriage.

Did I mention I was born in 1984?

SO I can ONLY imagine how much things cost now.

THAT BEING SAID.

As someone who works for one of the nations largest insurance companies, I can tell you that healthcare IS expensive, and while the premiums are high, you (general you, k?) have no one to blame but your companies that you work for because it is the EMPLOYER who picks the plan, not the insurance company. I don't know how many times a DAY I have to explain this to people. Yes, I hate that there are those out there who are only getting a 70/30 split, that is HORRIBLE, but the bottom line, on this side of the coin, is that the EMPLOYER is too cheap to pay for the better coverage. And it's expensive because the employer builds it that way because there is a kick back from us for staying with us. It's very strange, seriously. The whole thing.

But maybe I'm the last person on earth who is thankful that I HAVE insurance, no matter what it costs. Because medicine IS expensive. The years of research, the years of time and effort, it all costs MONEY to build the correct formula, and to be honest, it's all a process that deserves compensation.

Yes, I agree, there are certain things that are overpriced, but a lot of the tests and procedures are worth every penny if they save your life, right?

And as a side note, I know how expensive it can be as a member too, having a brain tumor that requires MRIs every 3 months has definitely put a strain on our household wallets, but maybe I'm just lucky that my providers office will work with me on a payment system if its needed.

I am all for healthcare reform, if it's done the correct way. If it's done in a way that still allows privatized insurance but the option for free health care as well, and it's done in a slow, and very calculated manner.

Heather said...

ps: I guess I metion all of these points not only as a employee of an insurance company, but as a student in med school. I feel like I'm one of the strange ones who can bridge the gap between members and providers.

Loraine said...

Thanks so much, Lou. I'm sorry I've been so busy lately...