Healthcare-Get off my back!!

I have been reading for awhile now various articles and discussions regarding healthcare reform. I have also been in classes where my professors have extolled their dubious opinions on the subject ad litem. I have also endured the countless rants by various well intention friends who like myself have their own perspectives on the subject. And what I want to see to all is get off my back! The seniors in my life have run for the hills because there is a black man in office so instead of facing their own bigotted views and looking rationally at the future and present situations they vote, comment, and blindly follow ideals that contradict everything they practiced and preached to me as a child and young adult.

These are people I admire, respect, and love, but alas I fear the first two are all but gone from my purview. I cannot respect someone that teaches me all are equal and deserving then act as if one group is better than another by denying the other they equal duty. I cannot admire someone that saved us during WWII, but won't continue the freedoms ensured by them through their valiant efforts by saying everyone is not equal in the eyes of the law, god, and constitution. Why? I don't understand the logic. Maybe it is because it's not logic but emotional rule? I do not know.

I am still waiting for someone to explain to me how someone that is given medicare at a lower cost than I get my benefits now which I could loose if I become unemployed, deny me the right to have health coverage that I pay for them to have? Where is the equality in that? If we are suppose to take care of our own why aren't we? Why am I required to pay for benefits that are being bankrupted out before I will ever get a chance to use them? I have tried for a while now to figure out what is the best solution to the problem, and I have come up with two of them.

The first is get rid of Medicare, Medicaid, any kind of public assistance. Everyone is on their own! Sink or swim. Do or Die (literally)! Not a really positive turn to take, but according to most Republicans the most practical for most businesses (not). The second is still get rid of Medicare, Medicaid, and give everyone a equal cost effective access to basic benefits. If you want more coverage, then you buy at your expense. As for myself I prefer option 2. It alleviates a burden that most of feel especially in today's economy when jobs are scarce, unemployment is constant, and there is no guarantee of when the next job may come along.

The next issue is payment for such a plan. This too is fairly straight forward. If you remove medicare and medicaid, stop paying farmers to not farm, reckless science experiments are stopped or atleast no longer funded by us, but most of all make sure that no budget is passed unless it is balanced and is paying off debt.

I realize I do not have all the answers, but the ones that are being negotiated do not make sense, and only seem to have a few us in mind. We are not a country of a few people, we are country of MANY! We need to remember that when we cast our votes and lift our voices to be counted.

MCCAIN AND EVERYONE LIKE HIM!

I still want to know why the groups that get affordable or free health insurance don't think it is fair to level the playing field for everyone? There are millions of social security recipients, congressmen/women, and so forth that get health insurance that they can either afford or is given to them at no charge. I don't think that health insurance can be free but I do think it should be affordable and provide care that is humane and doesn't make people chose between going to the doctor and seeking timely care or waiting until the situation is out of control and going to a public hospital and sticking us all with a tab of thousands of dollars when an office vist for $60 and some medication could have prevented the emergency room visit. Why can't the GOP see that they are hurting us because they were too busy trying to cut down a man that was smart enough to give American a picutre of what we should and could be with some work. Our President is not always right, but he's made some decisions that in the long run will benefit us even if we can't see the whole picture now. We as a nation are suppose to be the leaders of the free world yet we lag behind in education and in healthcare because we see red anytime we think that we have to give up something even if we're not sure exactly what it is. I love America. I love the fact that my ancestors came over and helped establish freedom and democracy for all, but I think they would be ashamed to know that we have the ability to take the innate goodwill for ll we all have a citizens of this country by turning our backs on our neighbors who may need a helping hand. No one wants their life dictated by the masses, but if we don't stop worrying about the small things then we destroy everything we as citizens value about our country. What happened to community? What happened to safe neighborhoods and quality of life? We have de-evolved from a nation into mere individuals in a race of the survival of the fittest, and this is wrong, so very wrong!

Healthcare Reform

Hello all! Just a thought...why are there those of us over 65+ or disabled that are mad at AARP for supporting reform of healthcare? Screaming socialism and other things that make no sense? For those on Social Security they are already participating in socialized medicine when they use their Medicare benefits that I as a tax payer paid. Why can't I have what I already pay for and may need if I lose my benefits or employment? Why do I have to see children go without basic healthcare or those with chronic health conditions get sick and go to the emergency room because that all they can do because regular doctor's offices won't see them because they have no insurance or the means to pay CASH immediately? WHY?!?

It makes no sense to me that there are people out there that think that causing the insurance companies to alter their preditory practices or take some of their billions in profits and make sure that a child gets proper vacinations or medications they need as a "bad" thing because it may mean that there may be a record of the transaction somewhere is wrong. Wake up! Most doctor's offices already digitally record their records so that means they are traceable. Anytime you pick up a prescription at your local pharmacy your insurance company, and others see what is now a digital record that can be hacked and used as the hacker sees fit.

With all this information why would my neighbor or someone I don't even know deny me the ability to have basic care so that I can continue to work and pay for their healthcare? It costs more for us to go the emergency room that to a clinic or urgent care facility to get the same treatment. We have to stop worrying about what about what someone knows and worry about how we can end the cycle of poor health in this country.

France is #1 in healthcare in the world and uses a universal system that gives everyone access to care, even in your own home if necessary. We don't have to copy their system, but we do need to come up with one that will work within ours, and now! Not later, not after we think about it a little longer, but now. The road will be bumpy and there will be mistakes made and lessons we will have to learn, but the time for action is NOW not Later!

The greatest generation gave us hope that we can do whatever we need to do to maintain our way of life, but we are not fighting an outside force we are fighting against our own intelligence of know that we can not continue on the path we are on now. We have allow capitalist greed to over shadow that biblical virtues we seem to cherish in this country which is the to treat others as you would treat yourself.

I propose that we look to what we already have, which is a healthcare and benefits system already in place for those working for the federal government. It has over 200 private providers that the government has negotiated with for favorable rates and coverage. Why can't we all participate? This would mean that the insurance carriers would have little to modify to accomodate the solution, and still guarantee that all can participate.

So my elders, tell me why you can have insurance but I can't? Why is socialized medicine good enough for you, but not me and your grandchildren?

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS

Just drove 240+ miles to come the funeral of a man I loved just as much as I loved my own father. He was my father-in-law, Pat Patton. He was a kind, caring, loving, and extraordinary man. Everyone that I have ever spoken with since his death has spoken of the fact he never met a stranger and always treated everyone as someone special in his eyes. To know him was to love him, this may be corny but it is true and from the heart. I cannot believe that I only got to know him 15 years ago. He gave the one of the greatest gifts- his son who he raise in love and respect, and passed on his wisdom and kindness to. For this, I loved him. I do not know what I am going to do without him in my life. I see the affect his death has had on others and it gives us a silent bond to one another that will never die. I guess that it what I am trying to get to. Though his is gone, his legacy lives and will prosper, as those of fortunate enough to know him will remember the unconditional kindness and love that he gave us all. This is the gift that he left us and expected us to pay forward as we all go our own way in life. So as we go all move forward once we have paid our respects and sent him to peace and life everlasting, we need to remember that kindness, love, understanding, and the wisdom he shared are the things we all should practice in his honor.
Godspeed!

Hello out there!

It's been awhile, but I thought I would try this again. It may be a pipe dream on my part because once school starts again everything seems to fall by the wayside. There is so much going on that I am not sure where to start.

Personally: I am mourning the loss of family, the hope of finding a brother and sister lost to bad decisions and their own addictions, and the knowledge I have no control over any of it.

Professionaly: Life sucks. Hence- school! I have a job that I tolerate and dreams of something more that I am still not sure what that is. I am also left with the question, "Graduate school or not?" Decisions, Decisions!

Politically: Still loving Obama, question Biden's ability not to screw up the works, and wishing that Healthcare reform would be solved. Why can't we all understand that making sure that we have basic care available to all, and that Americans shouldn't have to go bankrupt to pay for health needs. We pay such a higher premium with wasted emergency room visits for ear aches by the un or underinsured than we would by making sure that basic services are ensured. I hope that we figure this out very soon!

Peace Out!