You know that I normally leave the political stuff to those who actually know what they're talking about, but this pisses me off too much to stay quiet.
I am not an Obama hater. He wasn't my first choice for president, but I also wasn't horribly disappointed that he won, either. Just call me a Purple Donkephant. I point this out so you know that I'm not looking for him to fail.
Anyway, Mr. Obama is now on my List. My list of people who's testicles I would remove with a dull, dirty spoon if I had the opportunity.
Here's why.
He needs to create 500 million dollars in the budget for whatever big government program/bailout/etc... plan he has.
His solution? Make vets (retired or just separated from the military) pay for any care relating to their military service by forcing private insurance companies to cover those costs.
For example, let's say Will goes back to Iraq and gets his leg blown off. That will require care for the rest of his life (new prosthetics, physical therapy, etc...). Currently, that care is 100% free through VA hospitals. As it should be, considering that the injury occurred while he was fighting for his country. Under Obama's plan, whatever private insurance we have after retirement or separation would be forced to pay for it. Let's say we have Blue Cross. How is Blue Cross going to absorb these new expenses? They're going to raise the premiums. Not just our premium, but everybody's. As will all other insurance companies.
And let's not forget deductibles. Maybe we'll have a $500 deductible that must be paid before the insurance will pay. That's straight out of our pocket. And what about those without private insurance? What about those who rely solely on VA care? Well, they'll be totally screwed, apparently.
And get this--it's not just those who get injured after this passes. It's retroactive. It would include everyone who is currently receiving care as well.
So, you voluntarily sign up to serve your country, you volunteer to give your life if necessary, and then your country screws you in the ass (Pardon my French).
How very patriotic of you, Mr. President.
Of course, why am I surprised? This is the man who opted to attend the Record Industry Ball rather than the Salute to Heroes Ball (where they honor soldiers) during inauguration week.
To read about Obama's plan go HERE.
You should also stop by my friend Vivian's blog. While I don't always agree with her, I at least find out what's going on in the world. And this post is pretty much stolen directly from her.
UPDATE: Obama has apparently come to his senses and dropped this ridiculous plan.
i truly don't understand how anyone who is in the military thought that a democratic president could do OK for us.
ReplyDeleteevery time a Democrat is president there are military cuts, and social programs expanded.
i hope there is a revolution and that obama fails in socializing this country. you know, i escaped from a communist country...
if this goes trough, it will create other serious problems. many people join and stay in the military just for the benefits. if that's gone we will have serious retention programs. the military will be overrun with irresponsible 18 year olds...
ReplyDeletei cant think of a single doctor who will stay in when the benefits are gone, unless we have socialized medicine anyway and the pay is just as crappy in the civilian world...
Yet another reason for me to hate Obama. I knew he was bad news, but he's exceeded even my expectations for suckiness.
ReplyDeleteI am really glad you made this post because I have been fuming about this. We currently receive disability due to Matt's knees being completely shot from all the running he did in the Army. At one point he was having to run three hours every day. (This is even post basic training) He ended up having bone fractures for over a year and they eventually put him on permanent profile. He has to ride a recumbent bike, which was possible for us to buy because of the extra disability pay. Now this isn't a combat injury, and hopefully we won't incur any medical expenses, but I have relatives with combat injuries and amputations and it is ridiculous that this could even be considered to be retro-active. New comers can say, no way, I'm not joining the military, but all those people who already served and suffered? Ahhh, it just makes me really angry.
ReplyDeleteJust dropping in to say that I'm a complete stranger and I really enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteGood news - I heard this morning that Obama is (apparently) going to drop this stupid idea. Some say it was just a ruse to open the door to a more socialized medicine. Anyhoo, now if he could drop the other ideas I don't like.
I am not going to post some huge long response here, but just know that even I, a hard-core Obama supporter, think this is atrocious. I never expected that he would be perfect or that I would agree with every single thing he said, but this one caught me off guard.
ReplyDeleteI hope your last commenter is right and that the idea gets dropped. It's in unbelievably poor taste. Like 99% of Bush's entire presidency.
I still think he is honestly trying to do a good job, and he still has my support in most areas.
Let's not forget that supporting the troops ALSO means not using them irresponsibly and exhausting military families to the point of breaking with repeated deployments in a war we cannot win.
True enough, the idea has been dropped. I have no idea what he was thinking, but at least it isn't happening.
ReplyDeleteBut since Brandi's blog seems to be the place for debate, let me pose a question to those of you who are LDS:
How do you reconcile your hatred for socialism with the Law of Consecration? Don't you find it more Christlike to err on the side of mercy than on the side of justice? I certainly hope that on judgment day I am not given what I "deserve" or have "earned".
I could elaborate more, but I have to go get Keaton.
Just something I wonder about...
Oooohhh....I brought up THAT SAME EXACT POINT to Will during the campaign. I said that I was surprised more LDS aren't Democrats because it's essentially the law of consecration through government. He had a bunch of reasons why I was wrong. I didn't really listen.
ReplyDeleteGreat minds, Nicole...Great minds.
I think this should be your topic for the Sunday School lesson this week. Who needs the stinkin' manual?
you guys are so naive, i guess it comes from not living in a communist country...
ReplyDeletethis debate does not have to be long. law of concentration works by choice, socialism works by force, often brutal force...
any questions?
the devil loves things that are very close to the truth yet fundamentally different, sort of like the philosophies of men mingled with scripture...
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I am not surprised Obama would try something like this. In my opinion he has never looked at the military like a president should. I am not saying Bush was perfect considering he wanted to give us 2.9% this last year and Congress told him where he could go. But there are certain things a president should understand and not even toy with an idea such as this.
ReplyDeleteNicole, to answer your question, my opinion is that you have to look at who is administrating the program. I would much prefer socialism, or even communism, if it were administered by people looking to do the Lord's will and not trying to give themselves more while saying everyone is getting what they "need". Perfect communism as I understand it is extreme socialism and very close to the Law of Consecration. If it would have been administered correctly, I believe the former USSR would have done very well. It would not have had the large lower class with the elite upper class. Again, this is my opinion and you can take it for what it is worth.
Yeah, that's what Will said.
ReplyDeleteMen.
:) ( <-- For Sarah M. )
You see how it is no longer a debate when a man makes his point!
ReplyDeleteHopefully there are some women out there who really want to debate this.
Brandi, I am a little disappointed you resorted to using the stereotypical response.
nothing done by force is ever administered correctly, hence agency, and not the devil's plan...
ReplyDeletei'm not a man, i'm just educated on this one by life...
ReplyDeleteJeremy--I was agreeing with you!
ReplyDelete(And you too, Sylwia.)
What I meant by my comment was, "Stupid men, being right so often...ending the fun."
we all need to remember you cant force anyone to be good or to do good, because then it's not really good. and force in never good.
ReplyDeleteif you want to argue the other side, i know one being, often portrayed with horns, that will readily agree with you...or would you then be agreeing with him?
He's definitely trying to open the door to socialized medicine with this trick. Punk.
ReplyDeleteI do hope he fails...fails to turn this country into a socialist government.
Hey Brandi, I can't tell you how happy I was that this moronic idea was tabled for now. (Notice I said "for now".)
ReplyDeleteAs for socialism/communism - just take a look at what happened in China during the Great Leap Forward (1958 - 1961). Low estimates put the death toll at 30 million. This doesn't include all the people killed during the Cultural Revolution. Socialism and it's big ugly sister Communism derive their power from oppression. The point is t strip away all individuality and motivation and to pour all of that energy into working for the state. It usually requires a cult of personality to sustain it, though, in China it is more the cult of the party these days. Look at N. Korea where people continue to starve, and Cuba where people's basic rights are forfeit. China continues to deny basic human rights and oppress her people. Russia is headed back.
Socialism works well if it's attempted on a non-governmental small scale entirely voluntary way, like a commune.
Communism only works for the guy on the coin. Everyone else is either dying or getting ready to be betrayed and die.
Working Socialism is a happy dream, kinda like pretty purple unicorns.
Obama is going to cause an uprising any day now. This country is supposed to be all about "We the People" and it just isn't anymore. I mean there is a little more then 306 million people in the USA, wouldn't it be cheaper to bail out America by sending all working Americans a million dollar check??? Wouldn't that stimulate the economy??? (I know it would stimulate me) =] But to get back on the subject, that's total BS. Our Soldiers and their families should be medically taken care of for the rest of their lives. The sacrifices they make everyday, on this soil or foreign, should be rewarded. Not just the soldier, but their spouses and children as well. So many sacrifices and not nearly enough recognition. Love ya Tit
ReplyDeleteWell if Sylwia is allowed to tell people they are naive, then I suppose it's legal for me to say that all of you who think the problems in this country are all Obama's fault are idiots.
ReplyDeleteDo you people honestly think that in a matter of 8 weeks the country went from beautiful and prefect to crap? No. It didn't.
A lot of people in power have made huge, selfish mistakes/choices that have impacted regular Americans. The Bush administration screwed up over and over again, and yes, now the Obama administration is making some mistakes.
But guess what isn't helpful? Spending all your time and energy looking for someone to blame and bashing the people who have the balls to try to help.
I have no problem -- NONE -- with Brandi saying she is upset with this specific idea that Obama proposed. It was absurd. And now it's over.
We all have stupid ideas from time to time. Bush had them ALL the time. But as much as I disagreed with the man and nearly every decision he made in office, I never wished for him to fail. I never "hated" him. He worried and embarrassed me over and over again, but I respected the impossible job he had to do and tried to at least acknowledge that he is another human being trying his best to do what he thinks is right.
I would love to meet the person who feels he or she is perfect enough to demand more from another human than that.
Must not make joke about Sylwia's perfect husband...Must not make joke about Sylwia's perfect husband...
ReplyDeleteMust not make joke about Sylwia's perfect husband...
I almost forgot --
ReplyDeleteJeremy, thank you for your comment. It was thoughtful, and I appreciate very much what you said.
And you're right Sylwia -- I am naive. I have never escaped from the life you had when you were younger. I have always lived in the United States.
However, I do not need to have lived in Poland to say that I believe that every single child in the world deserves health care. I can't debate specifics with all of you who have lived overseas and have seen all the problems that come from socialism and communism. I am not saying -- nor have I ever said -- that those ideas are the answers.
But there is not a soul on this earth who will convince me that it is right that my mother had to keep working -- not a SINGLE day off -- while she underwent chemotherapy and radiation because she risked losing her job and her insurance if she did otherwise.
The details get messy very quickly, but I dare someone who calls themselves Christian or even moral to look me in the eye and say that poor children don't deserve to get treatment when they are sick.
Really. Please. Clearly I could use a punching bag.
interesting point nicole. but where does the notion that poor children don't have health care in this country come from?
ReplyDeleteif someone is truly poor they qualify for medicaid, if they are even somewhat poor there are programs like "chip" in utah, "hawk-i" in iowa, "peachcare" in georgia.
i should know. when i lived in iowa for med school, we first had "hawk-i" and then medicaid, not only for our kids but for ourselves.
we also got $600 of food stamps every month.
all the other students also had free housing (we decided not to take it) and none of them were truly poor. all went on hawaii vacation in the summers, and got their hair done for 70$ each month. all this, while getting free housing, free food, and free health care, free soccer for the kids, and even free Christmas presents from the community...
since we paid for our own housing, we didnt got on vacation and my husband cut my hair. but i did have 2 babies on medicaid, i ate steak and shrimp any day i wanted, i had a bunch of moles removed, a ton of free dental work, all thanks to the taxpayers who "give" 30 percent to the government each paycheck.
so i want to know why we need to expands these programs???? and increase the tax rate or forgo veteran's benefits to do it???
brandi,
ReplyDeletei want to hear the joke!
Once again I have to run out the door, but I just wanted to restate, Sylwia, that I think Obama's idea to scrap the veterans' benefits was awful. I can't comprehend how anybody would think that was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI have more to say, but I've gotta go...maybe later!
Once again I have to run out the door, but I just wanted to restate, Sylwia, that I think Obama's idea to scrap the veterans' benefits was awful. I can't comprehend how anybody would think that was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI have more to say, but I've gotta go...maybe later!
Once again I have to run out the door, but I just wanted to restate, Sylwia, that I think Obama's idea to scrap the veterans' benefits was awful. I can't comprehend how anybody would think that was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI have more to say, but I've gotta go...maybe later!
all right Nicole, i just want an explanation of what poor children in this country don't have health care.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePlease, like I'm going to ban people. I'm way too lazy for that.
ReplyDeleteLove this blog (and its comments), and hope I don't get banned. :-) I'm also a huge fan of Peanut M&Ms.
ReplyDeleteOops, sorry Brandi. I deleted my comment and now we're out of order. I just thought I might have already said too much. (I'm sort of a pro at that.)
ReplyDeleteDeb
ReplyDeletenice to hear your side.
there is another problem here with health care. americans not only want health care but they want good health care and that's really expensive. and someone does have to pay for it. an MRI machine cost a few millions dollars. we did not have these issues 50 years ago, but as technology advances things get more and more expensive.
what we all need to realize that someone, including us, has to pay for all this. i would like to know if this middle class family that you described would be willing to forgo their cable, their cell phone, and their 2500 square foot home, and one of their cars, and use that money to pay for health insurance. of course i dont know the family and i dont know their circumstances so i just making a fictional example.
the truth is that most people feel like they need cable, and a cell phone and 2 cars, and a large home, and then they complain that they don't have enough money for health care and that the government needs to provide it.
but as expensive as health care is and the costs are only rising, even the government will not be able to provide it. or at least not good health care with good doctors and without huge waiting lists...
First, remember that this family is not unwilling to pay for health care -- they cannot get it privately. As I recall, insuring the entire family through the Chamber was pushing $2,000 a month -- that's a pretty sizeable amount of money to pick up when you've lost the family's primary source of income.
ReplyDeleteBe careful with assumptions. This is not a fictitious family – though 14 years older than me, she was in my wedding. This is a nearly 50-year old couple that bought their 100-year-old, 1,600 square foot home 25 years ago. Their kitchen -- with vinyl flooring, Formica counters and repainted original cabinets -- could easily fit in most of the master bathrooms I see on TV these days. This is a family that pays off its one credit card every month and has one car payment on a used Ford. Yes, they still have cable and cell phones, but I'm not convinced that shutting off the cable and cell will bridge the gap. (And they would love to get a high-deductible plan, incidentally.)
But I hear you on Americans wanting good health care. As I understand it, government/military benefits are some of the very best, and can last for a lifetime. Insurance for those privately employed … not so much. If I'm understanding you correctly, it sounds to me that you are suggesting that we should collectively reduce our expectations for health care in America. Are you willing to give up your excellent benefits for something middle of the road? Don't misunderstand me, I am not at all advocating that we reduce military benefits. As far as I'm concerned, your husbands (wives) are protecting America (me), and America (I) should pay for your good benefits. End of story. But you do have the Cadillac of benefits, as do all those in the public sector. Let's just say that you have those Cadillac benefits because you're married to Joe, a project manager for the Iowa Department of Health, rather than because you're a military family (because I hate to even hypothesize about reducing military benefits). Are you, (wife of Joe) willing to reduce your health benefits because it’s expensive to the taxpayer? Honestly. Are you? If your child needs an MRI, would you forgo it because it's expensive to the taxpayer? Or perhaps only those with public jobs should get to retain their good insurance and health care (courtesy of the taxpayers), while the taxpayers should be the ones to bring down the cost of healthcare with lesser health insurance and forgoing the MRIs?
You are right, it is something we as Americans need to consider, and I don’t know the answer. But I have to tell you, I’m not so keen on providing the best care to Joe the Iowa dude while being told taxpayers need to cut back.
what i was mainly talking about is not expanding the medicare/ medicaid as it is. it serves a great purpose and it does it well. and it already sucks up so much money. i also would reduce some of the medicare benefits. old people go to the doctor just for fun at least 50% of the time (my husband who is a doctor testifies of this) and the old people never want a lifestyle change they only want to take more drugs.
ReplyDeleteto top all that off, when an old person is dying and there is a 5% chance that surgery will help them and the doctor gives them the option #1 of hospice and a peaceful death, or #2 an expensive surgery 2 months of horrible "recovery" in a hospital, 2 million dollars of health care costs, and a slow death, they almost always choose option #2, becasue they have medicare and it costs them and their families nothing. i don't think that's right to waste the taxpayers money that way.
as far as military benefits go, i definitely think there could be cuts. elective surgery i.e. gastric bypass, breast jobs, eyebrow lifts, fertility, ect, are really a waste of money.
and by the way, the care we get here is not first rate. a lot of people i know try not to go to the doctor much because it's such a long and bad experience every time we visit Eisenhower med center. at least when it comes to primary care...
another thing i think would be good is if we in the military would have a co pay. at least for people who are not on active duty. when you pay zero to see a doctor, you may go even if it's not necessary. having a small co pay for families and a large co pay for old people who mostly come in for fun would be a good deterrent to keep them away.
ReplyDeleteFYI Sylvia--
ReplyDeleteGastric bypass saves Tricare so much money in the long run it's insane. That's why they (and private insurances) are so willing to cover the cost completely. They're currently saving over $1500 a month in medication costs on me alone (I had a special order insulin that costs $350 a vial). The surgery done by a civilian runs about $2000, so Tricare has more than made their money back on me. Will has 11 years (at least) left in the military. That's 132 months.
That's $198,000 they're not having to spend on me because of gastric bypass surgery.
As for plastic surgery, you have to pay for it yourself completely if it's not medically necessary. Your EENT friend is either eating the costs himself or is breaking a million rules. Dr. Dinsmore (the former head of plastic surgery who just retired) said that they could go to jail for insurance fraud if they charged Tricare for medically unnecessary plastic surgery.
Also, not all old people come in for "fun."
Some may not be able to afford a large co-pay. So, those elderly who really need medical care but can't afford the co-pay should just suffer because Dr. Hardman happens to think a lot of them come in for fun?
Also, If I'm going to have to pay a co-pay, then I better be able to see a doctor who has completed his residency.
ReplyDeleteIn the civilian world when I had civilian doctor and a co-pay, you can bet every doctor in the practice had completed their residency.
True that brandi! I want a real doctor if I pay for it!
ReplyDeleteAnd I scoff at the person who mentioned military health care being at the top. They've never heard of Kill-brough, oops, Kimbrough clinic. I've been through an entire pregnancy without seeing an OB. God Bless the military. Not that I don't think it's one of our great benefits, but it's certainly not top of the line health care.
Anyone that thinks universal health care is a good idea should try out tricare for a while. I think they'd change their mind.
deb,
ReplyDeleteit was fun to debate with you, too. you are right that there are just as many if not more residents in the civilian world. that's how we train doctors in this country. an no one gets a discount for seeing the resident...
brandi,
i am well aware of the money saved by gastric bypass surgery, especially in your case. not every case is the same however. anyway, i just threw it in my list to get you to comment!
i'm still for copays. it would reduce the population at the hospital by 30%, or so my husband estimates. that would be nice...
Sylwia, if you're going to allow Brandi to leave gastric bypass out of it, you'd better allow me to leave fertility tests and treatments out of it. I'm only a mother because of them. Or would you prefer that Hudson, Cannon and Keaton had remained where they were to save the taxpayers some dough?
ReplyDeleteall i'm trying to say here, is that everyone should be willing to pay or at least contribute to their health care.
ReplyDeleteof course i'm glad that people have children, that they get the care they need or want, i'm the one that set up the eyebrow lift for ashley.
but you wont get me to agree that that other people should pay taxes and we should get things for free. nothing is free, especially not good health care. it's staggering how expensive it is. we all need to feel the obligation to contribute by co pays, to save up at least part for expensive procedures.
we all feel the obligation to pay for our own entertainment. we pay 100% out of pocket for our cable, going to the movies, buying movies, or toys, but fewer and fewer people feel that they have an obligation to actually pay for their health care. i really dont understand it. why should anyone else pay for it?
i see the need for society to pay for the veteran's war injuries, or for truly poor children. but everyone else needs to unplug their cable and start saving for the future.
sooner or later even our government is going to truly run out of money. and when that happens and they they quit funding the military, we all will have a problem on our hands, because there are lots of countries that would like to invade and make sure that we will all wear burkas...
hey nicole
ReplyDeletei cant wait to talk you you when your husband has his private practice and he has to pay 40% of his income to taxes to pay for everyone's health care.
by then it will probably be 50%, if Obama is successful in socializing medicine...
can't wait to discuss socialism with you then...
Ahhhh...and therein lies the huge difference. We know that will happen, and yet we don't mind.
ReplyDeleteDo you think it hasn't occurred to us that we will be paying huge taxes at that income level? Because we aren't idiots over here.
I guess we look at it this way: if we are so lucky that Boone's career choice has us making more money than 95% of the population, we don't mind "scraping by" on a measly $200,000 a year. Why on earth does anybody need more money than that?
It sounds awfully selfish if you ask me.
And please. Obama has lowered taxes for every income bracket except those making more $250,000 a year. if we are so blessed to be rolling in that kind of cash, I will HAPPILY give more money to insure social programs for those who are less fortunate than myself.
Liam is running a high fever, has a sore throat and has been puking since Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to make an appointment for over 20 minutes now and have gotten nothing but a busy signal.
For this I should be paying a co-pay?
brandi
ReplyDeleteif everyone (except active duty) would be making a copay, half of them wouldn't be making an appointment, so you'd get through on your first try.
btw, i dont know if liam gets some complications becasue of his heart... but if he were a regular kid and throwing up for several days, as long as he is drinking he is fine. and he can drink soda, eat popsicles, whatever he wants or likes. he will be fine as long as he is drinking and peeing. even if it takes a week...my husband gets this phone consult from friends and family just about every week, so i though i'd pass it along.
but then again i dont know if any of this effects his heart...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWe have to be extra careful about dehydration.
ReplyDeleteAlso, since he has a really sore throat I want to make sure he doesn't have strep, which he gets ALL THE TIME.
By the way, it's an hour later and I'm still only getting a busy signal.
nicole,
ReplyDeletei still want to talk to you when your husband has been in private practice for 4 or 5 years.
and i want to see if he will treat medicaid patients, and if he will pay for insurance for his employees...
and if he does, i want to see how long his private practice business will last.
brandi
ReplyDeletedo they do strep tests in the walk in clinic? that would be my suggestion, if they do them there, because that's what you really need...
brandi you should be really mad at most of the old people you will see at the clinic today. it is not just my husband's opinion that most of them are there for fun. even before he went to med school and he talked to his doctor uncle about becoming a doctor, that was his uncle's biggest complaint about the profession...
ReplyDeletei'm just kidding about being mad but you get my point...
if only they would have to pay for their entertainment, they may just stay home and watch tv instead...
ReplyDeletebrandi
ReplyDeletesorry my husband is out of town, or he'd just do the strep test, and i wouldn't ask Joel because of his broken thumb he probably works 16 hours a day instead of 14. his typing is much slower now...
There's a walk in clinic?
ReplyDeleteby the way nicole,
ReplyDeletei was never worried that you wouldn't have enough money to live on, but that you won't have enough money to run a business...but no worries, your husband can always come back and work for the government...
or for someone else whom makes a lot more than 200,000 and is able to run a business...unless of course the taxes are too high ,thanks to obama, and they won't be able to employ your huband