Repealing Obamacare? Get a Grip

 

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Would you believe the new congress has already scheduled a vote for January 12th to repeal the new Healthcare Bill?  Not since a special prosecutor was appointed by Republicans to investigate the Bill Clinton/ Monica Lewinski affair has there been such a waste of time and taxpayer money.

Republicans may narrowly control the House, but they don't control the Senate, so  there is no question of  repeal actually happening. What is sure, is a lot of grandstanding, hot rhetoric and a total waste of taxpayer money by people in theory dedicated to cutting government spending, but who are, in reality. bought and paid for by the  Insurance Industry and Big Pharma -- the folks who really run the Washington puppet  show. Ironic, isn't it?

Meanwhile, in the wake of economic recession, the number of Americans without health insurance rose to an estimated 50 million in 2010.  The situation is getting worse not better. Repealing Obamacare will not happen and would not help if it did..  The entire thing is a small minded attempt to discredit the President and obstruct his administration.  Remember that the chief aim of the Republicans is to make Obama a one term Prez.

Pass the popcorn. It's going to be quite a show.  I may need Kleenex too because it is also very very sad.

Tea Party Healthcare

Rush Limbaugh Thinks the Icelandic Volcano Is Armageddon

 Rush Limbaugh: image from Kansas Mediocrity

Can you believe it?  Rush Limbaugh inferred on his radio show yesterday that the plume of smoke spreading over Europe from Iceland and grounding air traffic ( principally keeping President Obama from attending a State funeral in Poland) might be divine punishment for the passage of the Obama Health Care Bill.  I swear it's true The guy is totally nuts.Here's the quote:

"You know, a couple of days after the health care bill had been signed into law Obama ran around all over the country saying, “Hey, you know, I’m looking around. The earth hadn’t opened up. There’s no Armageddon out there. The birds are still chirping.” I think the earth has opened up. God may have replied. This volcano in Iceland has grounded more airplanes — airspace has more affected — than even after 9/11 because of this plume, because of this ash cloud over Northern and Western Europe. At the Paris airport they’re telling people to head to the train station to catch trains out of France, and when people get to the train station they’re telling people, “There aren’t any seats until at least April 22nd,” basically a week from now. It’s got everybody in a shutdown. Earth has opened up. I don’t know whether it’s a rebirth or Armageddon. Hopefully it’s a rebirth, God speaking."

Rush, honey........Get a grip!!! It's time to lay off the OxyContin. Everything isn't about you, sugarplum.  Everything isn't even about Obama,or American politics. Sometimes things happen in Iceland that are about the geology of Iceland. This may not be so good for the airlines, but Armageddon it's not. So just relax and try not to appear too whacko or they just might cart you off to rehab.

Link to the original post on Think Progress

The Last Word on Health Care Reform

Susan of Everyday People has really nailed it this time. I can't add a thing. Go read what she has to say now that the bill has finally passed. Hint: I borrowed this wonderful graphic from her post.

Here's the link.

Go on, now. You won't be sorry. I promise.

Medicare Is Socialized Medicine

Listen up my fellow Americans, especially those of you who fear that socialized medicine is the work of Satan.

Here in America we already have socialized medicine in the form of Medicare, a single payer, government run system for people over 65 and the disabled. Medicare comes in two parts. Part A covers hospitalization and Part B covers various tests and outpatient treatments.

Guess what, under this government run, single payer system, seniors get to choose their own doctors, their own hospitals, and since their health care is administered by the federal government, its administrative costs are much less than those of private health insurance companies( even given bloated government bureaurocracy).

There are no referrals or permissions necessary as with HMO's. On top of that, every hospital in the country accepts Medicare which means a New Yorker who breaks an arm in Arizona won't be turned away from the local emergency room if he hasn't got cash or a credit card. Medicare is good everywhere in the United States.

Scare Tactics

It amazes me how many grey-hairs I see in videos and TV coverage of the protests against the health care legislation now being hammered out in Congress. I'm stunned to find that many of these mature adults who are screaming about socialized medicine like it was the end of days, do not realize that Medicare, on which they rely, is socialized medicine. It may not be perfect, but it works. Every doctor I know spends more time hassling with insurance companies and filling out forms than seeing patients. Physicians can opt out of Medicare, but most don't. The fees aren't as high as for private insurance, but there is less hassle and they do get paid. Every hospital has a huge accounting staff just to handle insurance billing as every Insurance company has different rules, different forms and a different contract with the hospital.

Here's what folks. The American health care system is broken. We have to fix it, pronto. Entrenched Insurance interests are trying to scare the pants off you not because they care about you, but because they care about their bottom line. They won't make as much money if everybody has the single payer government option. It's that simple. They are businesses with a primary fiduciary responsibility to their investors and shareholders not to you. You are the product on which they make a profit. That's the way business works and in this country, health care is a business and a very lucrative one at that.

If I have to choose between corporate greed and government beaurocracy, I'll take the government. But you don't have to. As the President says " If you like your present plan you can keep it" Something for everybody. In the meantime, please remember that Medicare is not a dirty word.. Millions of seniors depend upon it and are happy to have it.