A couple of days ago, I used the term double-speak in an entry when addressing something or other that politico's were talking about. This morning I think I came across what has to be at least triple-speak regarding how bailout fund recipients are paying off their donors and those in office who supported the bailout concept. As usual, the column was buried among others, as if inconsequential.
Here's the first couple of paragraphs of what I read. "Several companies that escaped financial failure two years ago through massive taxpayer-funded bailouts are spending millions of dollars to make donations to political causes and even some candidates' campaigns.
General Motors, Chrysler and Citigroup are just three of the biggest bailout recipients who have continued to remain politically active, through their political action committees, federal lobbying or direct donations to the pet projects of lawmakers."
Now, not all bailoutees are proceeding that way, but seem to have some sense of decency because according to the same article, "The potential public relations disaster for firms spending big dollars on political causes and federal lobbying after being extended a taxpayer lifeline has led some, such as AIG, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to suspend their political activities until they pay the government back in full."
The way the paybacks are being packaged and sold defends them in some cases as simply efforts to form groups whereby employees voluntarily support political causes, or that federal lobbying is needed to keep Congress informed of their mission, and also that donations to pet projects are going to a good cause.
Critics though, doubt the logic. GM for example has spent $4.2 million on federal lobbying efforts so far, and likely to ultimately match its $8.4 million in 2009. Yet taxpayers own 61 percent of GM because the federal government gave the company about $50 billion in aid. GM's paid back $6.7 billion of the money, the balance converted to ownership.
Chrysler, another bailee, spent $1.2 million on lobbying this year, nearly half of the $3.12 million it spent last year. Chrysler has given back $2 billion of the $11 billion it has received from the government.
Citigroup's returned $31 billion of the $45 billion received from government. This year they've spent $3.03 million on federal lobbying, while last year, they laid out $5.56 million.
Now, in the scheme of things, a couple of million dollars laid out by major corporations is practically a non-event. I mean, who cares if these folks spend some bucks on candidates and their causes. But, the key point here is, it's not these corporations money being spent, it's ours. Because, without the taxpayer bailouts, these businesses would no longer exist.
So, what do we have here. As usual government has stepped in and given away taxpayer money to businesses that may or may not deserve to survive, then they've taken back their share in kickbacks disguised as donations to causes. Naturally, at the moment the donations aren't too large, but the way's been paved and future paybacks are certain to grow.
And where does the taxpayer, you and me, stand while all this goes quietly on? On the sidelines as usual, watching our dollars go back and forth over or under the net, because we're not in the actual game at all. Beyond that, not only don't the players want us in their events, they don't even want us to watch what goes on.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
BloggeRhythms 8/6/2010
After reading back yesterday's entry,I thought that perhaps there ought to be some kind of agency or group focused on controlling unnecessary practices and costs in the medical care business. I then decided that I might try organizing a group myself, and even came up with a name -Association Nationally Trying Initiatives Relieving Incessant Procurement Of Folks Funds "ANTI-RIPOFF"
By massing together, people might perhaps put some pressure on the administration and Congress to start eliminating the costs that are really killing health care -ambulance-chasing lawyers, outrageous malpractice court awards, and incompetent medical practitioners. Lopping all that fat and theft out of the system will by itself save billions.
Then, as I was typing, I glanced at the news. Buried among the stories I saw this stuff. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said today that "the Obama health care law has dramatically improved Medicare's finances. Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is now expected to remain solvent until 2029, 12 years longer than was projected last year."
Then he conceded that it's easier said than done. "As we know the future is uncertain, these are very long range projections. And those reforms require that we achieve very substantial improvements in efficiency and productivity."
Conversely, the Medicare trustees report expressed some skepticism, saying there's "great uncertainty" about the assumptions on Medicare cuts. While the health care law assumes some $200 billion in savings from productivity gains alone, the trustees called that "far from certain."
Though John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis says extending the life of Medicare would be good news, he also says the problem is it's all a fantasy, based on assumptions so unrealistic Medicare's own actuaries put out a separate report today, which he's never seen happen before.
The report from the office of the actuary of Medicare, a nonpolitical watchdog, questioned many of the assumptions used to justify $575 billion in cuts to Medicare, including an analysis saying cuts to providers "could jeopardize Medicare beneficiaries access to mainstream medical care." They say cuts could also force 25% of hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health care agencies into the red over the next two decades, and many "would have to withdraw from providing services to Medicare beneficiaries. The actuaries also said several prominent health economists, "all believed that the payment reductions were unsustainable."
John Goodman went on to say, "Half the funding for health reform is paid for by cutting spending on the elderly, and the way they're going to cut spending is by squeezing the doctors and squeezing the hospitals."
Top administration officials want to fix fees for doctors. Those treating Medicare patients are scheduled to have their fees cut 32% in the next three years. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called that "untenable", saying "If you want to destroy the Medicare program, the fastest way to do it would be to drive providers out of the program, and I think that kind of cut would do it."
Fixing doctors' fees was originally in the health care bill but the administration took it out to make the changes seem less expensive. Now they say the fees have to be fixed or the new law won't work. But officials are not talking about restoring any other cuts, because the savings, at least on paper, are needed to pay for the subsidies and expanded benefits in the new health care law.
So, what you have here is typical political double talk. They've set the mirrors up in the corners, turned the lights down low, and are trying to focus your attention on the hat while they pull your rabbit out of your refrigerator and have it for dinner. But, in the meantime, the election clock's still ticking and now the elderly, one of the administration's strongest allies are going to take it in the shorts healthcare-wise. Thus, it might just turn out that its the administration that even overpriced life-support won't be able to keep alive.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
By massing together, people might perhaps put some pressure on the administration and Congress to start eliminating the costs that are really killing health care -ambulance-chasing lawyers, outrageous malpractice court awards, and incompetent medical practitioners. Lopping all that fat and theft out of the system will by itself save billions.
Then, as I was typing, I glanced at the news. Buried among the stories I saw this stuff. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said today that "the Obama health care law has dramatically improved Medicare's finances. Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is now expected to remain solvent until 2029, 12 years longer than was projected last year."
Then he conceded that it's easier said than done. "As we know the future is uncertain, these are very long range projections. And those reforms require that we achieve very substantial improvements in efficiency and productivity."
Conversely, the Medicare trustees report expressed some skepticism, saying there's "great uncertainty" about the assumptions on Medicare cuts. While the health care law assumes some $200 billion in savings from productivity gains alone, the trustees called that "far from certain."
Though John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis says extending the life of Medicare would be good news, he also says the problem is it's all a fantasy, based on assumptions so unrealistic Medicare's own actuaries put out a separate report today, which he's never seen happen before.
The report from the office of the actuary of Medicare, a nonpolitical watchdog, questioned many of the assumptions used to justify $575 billion in cuts to Medicare, including an analysis saying cuts to providers "could jeopardize Medicare beneficiaries access to mainstream medical care." They say cuts could also force 25% of hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health care agencies into the red over the next two decades, and many "would have to withdraw from providing services to Medicare beneficiaries. The actuaries also said several prominent health economists, "all believed that the payment reductions were unsustainable."
John Goodman went on to say, "Half the funding for health reform is paid for by cutting spending on the elderly, and the way they're going to cut spending is by squeezing the doctors and squeezing the hospitals."
Top administration officials want to fix fees for doctors. Those treating Medicare patients are scheduled to have their fees cut 32% in the next three years. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called that "untenable", saying "If you want to destroy the Medicare program, the fastest way to do it would be to drive providers out of the program, and I think that kind of cut would do it."
Fixing doctors' fees was originally in the health care bill but the administration took it out to make the changes seem less expensive. Now they say the fees have to be fixed or the new law won't work. But officials are not talking about restoring any other cuts, because the savings, at least on paper, are needed to pay for the subsidies and expanded benefits in the new health care law.
So, what you have here is typical political double talk. They've set the mirrors up in the corners, turned the lights down low, and are trying to focus your attention on the hat while they pull your rabbit out of your refrigerator and have it for dinner. But, in the meantime, the election clock's still ticking and now the elderly, one of the administration's strongest allies are going to take it in the shorts healthcare-wise. Thus, it might just turn out that its the administration that even overpriced life-support won't be able to keep alive.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
Thursday, August 5, 2010
BloggeRhythms 8/5/2010
After reading yesterday's entry my wife told me she'd never read another word of mine if I didn't stop beating the Soros issue to death. She said she was tired of the tirades, bored with the text and suggested I either move on (no pun intended) or give up blogging.
I replied that I was only trying to mention issues in the news that seemed noteworthy, and that my feedback from many folks indicated that a lot of them were unaware of information I'd found, thus, I was only trying to inform them. But, regardless of why I input all that stuff, if I bored you all, I apologize.
Meanwhile, I think something I wrote yesterday is worth a few more words. Because, I guess I came down pretty hard on medical folks. I did that, however, because they, like many others in service businesses today seem to have gone along with the current trend of providing poor to mediocre service and conditioning the customer to accept their miserable to non-existent performance nonetheless.
I know extremely well from my own experience that there are significant numbers, perhaps the majority, of medico's whom do their jobs as if they're doing the patient a favor. I also sense, from many folks that I talked to, or watched in medical offices and hospitals that many, many blindly accept these medico's seeming disregard and keep coming back for more, because they apparently feel that these medico's are "special" people.
But, I keep coming back to the same question. What are these medico's really? They're service people and technicians whom happen to work on people instead of products or inanimate structures. And, just like products, bodies consistently function in specific ways unless or until there's a glitch. Then, when glitches occur, service people are the ones expected to make repairs.
Well, if that's the case, and I'm pretty sure it is, why should anyone be shocked or surprised if the repairs come out right? That's what repair professionals are supposed to do to begin with, fix things that are broken or in disrepair.
Consequently, when I was talking to the guy the other day who thought I should be more respectful or appreciative of people simply because they properly did what they're far more than adequately compensated for, I fail to see why. In fact, I think it should be the other way around. While you can't return a customer that one of these turkeys croaked through mis-diagnosis or botched handiwork, or get reimbursed for lost hours of folks time frittered away in waiting rooms while these clowns overbook their calendars, there should be compensation back to whoever bears the loss.
And I certainly don't mean that ambulance-chasing, lounge-lizard lawyers are justified in their class-action or malpractice cases. What I think is needed is a simple refund schedule. If an operation is botched, the customer should get every nickel back, plus a penalty of "X". Conversely, a mis-diagnosed hangnail gets the customer back a pre-set amount and so on for every procedure. Every other business works that way. If a product or service is fouled up -the customer gets rebated a certain amount. Therefore, croaked patient refunds should be huge.
I think a system like that would solve lot's of problems for medical customers. If nothing else it'll get a whole bunch of these turkey medico's to shape up. Because, above all -even above the hypocritical oath- these guys want the bucks. So, maybe they'll pay more attention to their customers and actually start caring about the case outcomes, because right now the medico's have no downside.
Aside from all that, we won't have to worry about the clowns on the bottom of the medical ladder, because they'll all go broke and blow out in less time than it took to compose this entry. And, as for me, I have to stop typing now, because I want to send this idea on to the White House, Congress and the AMA.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
I replied that I was only trying to mention issues in the news that seemed noteworthy, and that my feedback from many folks indicated that a lot of them were unaware of information I'd found, thus, I was only trying to inform them. But, regardless of why I input all that stuff, if I bored you all, I apologize.
Meanwhile, I think something I wrote yesterday is worth a few more words. Because, I guess I came down pretty hard on medical folks. I did that, however, because they, like many others in service businesses today seem to have gone along with the current trend of providing poor to mediocre service and conditioning the customer to accept their miserable to non-existent performance nonetheless.
I know extremely well from my own experience that there are significant numbers, perhaps the majority, of medico's whom do their jobs as if they're doing the patient a favor. I also sense, from many folks that I talked to, or watched in medical offices and hospitals that many, many blindly accept these medico's seeming disregard and keep coming back for more, because they apparently feel that these medico's are "special" people.
But, I keep coming back to the same question. What are these medico's really? They're service people and technicians whom happen to work on people instead of products or inanimate structures. And, just like products, bodies consistently function in specific ways unless or until there's a glitch. Then, when glitches occur, service people are the ones expected to make repairs.
Well, if that's the case, and I'm pretty sure it is, why should anyone be shocked or surprised if the repairs come out right? That's what repair professionals are supposed to do to begin with, fix things that are broken or in disrepair.
Consequently, when I was talking to the guy the other day who thought I should be more respectful or appreciative of people simply because they properly did what they're far more than adequately compensated for, I fail to see why. In fact, I think it should be the other way around. While you can't return a customer that one of these turkeys croaked through mis-diagnosis or botched handiwork, or get reimbursed for lost hours of folks time frittered away in waiting rooms while these clowns overbook their calendars, there should be compensation back to whoever bears the loss.
And I certainly don't mean that ambulance-chasing, lounge-lizard lawyers are justified in their class-action or malpractice cases. What I think is needed is a simple refund schedule. If an operation is botched, the customer should get every nickel back, plus a penalty of "X". Conversely, a mis-diagnosed hangnail gets the customer back a pre-set amount and so on for every procedure. Every other business works that way. If a product or service is fouled up -the customer gets rebated a certain amount. Therefore, croaked patient refunds should be huge.
I think a system like that would solve lot's of problems for medical customers. If nothing else it'll get a whole bunch of these turkey medico's to shape up. Because, above all -even above the hypocritical oath- these guys want the bucks. So, maybe they'll pay more attention to their customers and actually start caring about the case outcomes, because right now the medico's have no downside.
Aside from all that, we won't have to worry about the clowns on the bottom of the medical ladder, because they'll all go broke and blow out in less time than it took to compose this entry. And, as for me, I have to stop typing now, because I want to send this idea on to the White House, Congress and the AMA.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
BloggeRhythms 8/4/2010
Maybe the wheels are really beginning to fall off the administration's bus. Because a day after a federal judge ruled that Virginia has legal authority to sue the federal government over the health care law, Missouri voters sent a symbolic message to the White House and Congress, overwhelmingly rejecting a key provision slapping a penalty on any American not having health insurance.
Add this revolt to the court cases over border control and maybe the grassroots majority will do something the Republicans in Congress can't seem to: blow Soros and his stooges out of the political water. Because, although I have no idea how Soros is profiting from health care reform, you can bet that if this administration fought for passage, he told them to get it done. And when the "boss" says jump, all this administration ever asks is "How high?" Because all Soros ever cares about is the money.
More than likely he's planning to build a network of rehabilitation centers across the U.S. populated with specialists who can repair all the patients that socialized medicine will almost kill, after the new health care reform bill puts all the good doc's out of business. And then those who don't like his clinics can fly to Guatemala, Haiti or Sierra Leone where the health care will likely be better. Maybe even Cuba will look good healthwise by then.
Going back to my own case that I touched on yesterday, I can't stress enough how scary it will be for those who are seriously ill in the future. Because, as I stated, if I was in one of the supposedly best hospitals in the United States, I can't imagine how awful it must be in a lesser institution. I met with and was examined by many people who are too dumb to tie their own shoes, yet they graduated medical school and landed jobs in a top-line place. A lot of that of course goes back to the fact that our educational system is valueless, but that's a whole 'nother story.
Anyway, having survived two so-called life-threatening infirmities and two long, involved, surgeries I think I got a pretty good insight into how and who does what and where in a hospital or medical practice. Furthermore, both cases involved months of hospitalization, so I saw and dealt with a lot more on the inside than most.
The conclusion I drew from my experience is that there are two critical things needed to survive in any aspect of medical situations, no matter. What you really need most are good genes and dumb luck. And, without either, you're likely cooked. Because, if you have to withstand what's done to you by most medico's, they'll ice you in almost no time.
I was explaining my medical viewpoint to someone just the other night, and he said, "Hold on a minute, Mike. You yourself went through two of the most life-threatening medical situations there are and survived. Don't you think these people are special and should be revered?" I replied that, "Yes, I agree, they are special in exactly the same way that my auto mechanic is, and I don't particularly revere him either."
The guy went on to ask why I had such a cold, non-caring feeling toward folks who'd "saved my life." I told him it was because, in my opinion these folks were simply doing their jobs and what they'd been trained to do. And, just like with a car, people go to them when something isn't working right and they're supposed to fix it. So, what's the alternative, should I be surprised that people who trained and worked at something every day for thirty years got it right and revere them for it? I don't think so. I went to these guys in the first place because their references said they were good at their trade. And, yes the two surgeons lived up to and surpassed their billings.
Yet, despite my opinions about my general expectations and performance among doc's, there's still the underlying, fundamental question. As perfunctory and rote as medical treatment is today, what's going to happen when the system socializes and future medico's don't even bother to open the manual up?
That's it for today folks.
Adios
Add this revolt to the court cases over border control and maybe the grassroots majority will do something the Republicans in Congress can't seem to: blow Soros and his stooges out of the political water. Because, although I have no idea how Soros is profiting from health care reform, you can bet that if this administration fought for passage, he told them to get it done. And when the "boss" says jump, all this administration ever asks is "How high?" Because all Soros ever cares about is the money.
More than likely he's planning to build a network of rehabilitation centers across the U.S. populated with specialists who can repair all the patients that socialized medicine will almost kill, after the new health care reform bill puts all the good doc's out of business. And then those who don't like his clinics can fly to Guatemala, Haiti or Sierra Leone where the health care will likely be better. Maybe even Cuba will look good healthwise by then.
Going back to my own case that I touched on yesterday, I can't stress enough how scary it will be for those who are seriously ill in the future. Because, as I stated, if I was in one of the supposedly best hospitals in the United States, I can't imagine how awful it must be in a lesser institution. I met with and was examined by many people who are too dumb to tie their own shoes, yet they graduated medical school and landed jobs in a top-line place. A lot of that of course goes back to the fact that our educational system is valueless, but that's a whole 'nother story.
Anyway, having survived two so-called life-threatening infirmities and two long, involved, surgeries I think I got a pretty good insight into how and who does what and where in a hospital or medical practice. Furthermore, both cases involved months of hospitalization, so I saw and dealt with a lot more on the inside than most.
The conclusion I drew from my experience is that there are two critical things needed to survive in any aspect of medical situations, no matter. What you really need most are good genes and dumb luck. And, without either, you're likely cooked. Because, if you have to withstand what's done to you by most medico's, they'll ice you in almost no time.
I was explaining my medical viewpoint to someone just the other night, and he said, "Hold on a minute, Mike. You yourself went through two of the most life-threatening medical situations there are and survived. Don't you think these people are special and should be revered?" I replied that, "Yes, I agree, they are special in exactly the same way that my auto mechanic is, and I don't particularly revere him either."
The guy went on to ask why I had such a cold, non-caring feeling toward folks who'd "saved my life." I told him it was because, in my opinion these folks were simply doing their jobs and what they'd been trained to do. And, just like with a car, people go to them when something isn't working right and they're supposed to fix it. So, what's the alternative, should I be surprised that people who trained and worked at something every day for thirty years got it right and revere them for it? I don't think so. I went to these guys in the first place because their references said they were good at their trade. And, yes the two surgeons lived up to and surpassed their billings.
Yet, despite my opinions about my general expectations and performance among doc's, there's still the underlying, fundamental question. As perfunctory and rote as medical treatment is today, what's going to happen when the system socializes and future medico's don't even bother to open the manual up?
That's it for today folks.
Adios
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
BloggeRhythms 8/3/2010
U.S. District Court federal judge Henry Hudson's allowing the state of Virginia to continue a lawsuit to stop the new health care law from taking effect. He said "No court has ever ruled on whether it's constitutional to require Americans to purchase a product."
In a 32 page decision, he went on to write, "While this case raises a host of complex constitutional issues, all seem to distill to the single question of whether or not Congress has the power to regulate -and tax- a citizen's decision not to participate in interstate commerce. Given the presence of some authority arguably supporting the theory underlying each side's position, this court cannot conclude at this stage that the complaint fails to state a cause of action,"
The bill was rejected by all congressional Republicans but signed into law by President Obama earlier this year.
I'm bringing this up today because it's another example of government plowing ahead into areas where it hasn't a clue and ramming through legislation for the sake of fulfilling a ridiculous campaign promise regardless of the damage it will ultimately cause. If we're lucky, Virgina will win this case and other states will follow their lead, one by one putting our health care system back together.
I've addressed this issue many times in prior entries, so I won't go back step by step and reiterate what's been written, but, toward the end of the original debate prior to health care's passage several Republicans stated that the health care issue is far too large and involved to be treated in one fell swoop. And that's certainly true.
An approach that made the most sense to me, was that the first steps should have been to address the major issues affecting and disrupting everything else, then try to fix them properly, one at a time. But, the way things stand now a bunch of politicos who haven't a clue about health care management or program design have run over the best health system on the planet with a bulldozer.
From the git-go, for example, the issue to be addressed immediately should have been malpractice insurance. Because, if that one gets remedied a lot more subordinate problems will fall into place. But, since congress is packed with lawyers, the ambulance-chasers were critical to protect. However, if you blow those dirtballs out of the equation, health care costs would probably drop by half.
In my own case, over the past four years I've had some very serious health issues and major work performed on me. Thus, I've seen and gone through many, many scenarios myself. What's more, I was in supposedly one of the finest medical facilities on Earth.
So, let's begin with my basic check-ups. Good doc's know what they're looking for right from the start by the symptoms. They can quickly prove their suspicions by running the appropriate tests. But, today they can't simply do that because what if they missed something else? And what if what they missed resulted in further consequences and the patient developed complications or maybe croaked altogether? The answer to that one is, a line of slick, fast-talking mouthpieces show up bearing a carload of lawsuits, hoping to score a homer every time they get to the plate.
Well then, what do the doc's have to do? They have to buy malpractice protection. And the more cases there are the more premiums rise until you get what we have today. Many doctors have to work nine months a year before they see a quarter for themselves because the insurers scam so much of their earnings.
And what happens to the patients while the doc's are covering their legal tails? We're put through tests, many extremely costly, having no real purpose at all except to become part of some doc's files so he can later say he took every diagnostic step known to man if he's sued.
Beyond that, from the patient's side of the issue, we wind up getting examined, probed, pinched, shot up with serums and drugs and kicked from doc to doc like soccer balls. Then each of these clowns does their thing, sends you a bill, and moves you on to the next one in line. And, one of the worst things about that is when you're a patient and feeling ill, you go through this malpractice avoidance routine because you're to weak to just dump these doc's on their tails and go home.
Having had two major surgeries performed on me in the last four years I think I'm somewhat qualified to offer an opinion about the way many of these doc's rate as medico's. And, frankly I think they're pretty much like all professionals in any other endeavor. The two, three or four percent at the top are real "pro's" and excellent at what they do, and the rest are basically shlubs. It's like a question a good friend always asks. What do they call the guy who graduated number one in his class? The answer is: You call him doctor. And what do you call the bozo who graduated last in his class? The answer is: You call him doctor.
So, since the chances of having a really good doctor work on you at all are pretty slim, what happens to patients as they're forced to go though this series of examinations and tests by a parade of schlemiels who're all simply covering their collective malpractice tails? My answer to that one is, you're lucky if they don't kill you in the process.
So, how do you really reduce medical costs, streamline the system and continue to provide Americans with the best health care in the world? It's simple. Kill all the lawyers.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
In a 32 page decision, he went on to write, "While this case raises a host of complex constitutional issues, all seem to distill to the single question of whether or not Congress has the power to regulate -and tax- a citizen's decision not to participate in interstate commerce. Given the presence of some authority arguably supporting the theory underlying each side's position, this court cannot conclude at this stage that the complaint fails to state a cause of action,"
The bill was rejected by all congressional Republicans but signed into law by President Obama earlier this year.
I'm bringing this up today because it's another example of government plowing ahead into areas where it hasn't a clue and ramming through legislation for the sake of fulfilling a ridiculous campaign promise regardless of the damage it will ultimately cause. If we're lucky, Virgina will win this case and other states will follow their lead, one by one putting our health care system back together.
I've addressed this issue many times in prior entries, so I won't go back step by step and reiterate what's been written, but, toward the end of the original debate prior to health care's passage several Republicans stated that the health care issue is far too large and involved to be treated in one fell swoop. And that's certainly true.
An approach that made the most sense to me, was that the first steps should have been to address the major issues affecting and disrupting everything else, then try to fix them properly, one at a time. But, the way things stand now a bunch of politicos who haven't a clue about health care management or program design have run over the best health system on the planet with a bulldozer.
From the git-go, for example, the issue to be addressed immediately should have been malpractice insurance. Because, if that one gets remedied a lot more subordinate problems will fall into place. But, since congress is packed with lawyers, the ambulance-chasers were critical to protect. However, if you blow those dirtballs out of the equation, health care costs would probably drop by half.
In my own case, over the past four years I've had some very serious health issues and major work performed on me. Thus, I've seen and gone through many, many scenarios myself. What's more, I was in supposedly one of the finest medical facilities on Earth.
So, let's begin with my basic check-ups. Good doc's know what they're looking for right from the start by the symptoms. They can quickly prove their suspicions by running the appropriate tests. But, today they can't simply do that because what if they missed something else? And what if what they missed resulted in further consequences and the patient developed complications or maybe croaked altogether? The answer to that one is, a line of slick, fast-talking mouthpieces show up bearing a carload of lawsuits, hoping to score a homer every time they get to the plate.
Well then, what do the doc's have to do? They have to buy malpractice protection. And the more cases there are the more premiums rise until you get what we have today. Many doctors have to work nine months a year before they see a quarter for themselves because the insurers scam so much of their earnings.
And what happens to the patients while the doc's are covering their legal tails? We're put through tests, many extremely costly, having no real purpose at all except to become part of some doc's files so he can later say he took every diagnostic step known to man if he's sued.
Beyond that, from the patient's side of the issue, we wind up getting examined, probed, pinched, shot up with serums and drugs and kicked from doc to doc like soccer balls. Then each of these clowns does their thing, sends you a bill, and moves you on to the next one in line. And, one of the worst things about that is when you're a patient and feeling ill, you go through this malpractice avoidance routine because you're to weak to just dump these doc's on their tails and go home.
Having had two major surgeries performed on me in the last four years I think I'm somewhat qualified to offer an opinion about the way many of these doc's rate as medico's. And, frankly I think they're pretty much like all professionals in any other endeavor. The two, three or four percent at the top are real "pro's" and excellent at what they do, and the rest are basically shlubs. It's like a question a good friend always asks. What do they call the guy who graduated number one in his class? The answer is: You call him doctor. And what do you call the bozo who graduated last in his class? The answer is: You call him doctor.
So, since the chances of having a really good doctor work on you at all are pretty slim, what happens to patients as they're forced to go though this series of examinations and tests by a parade of schlemiels who're all simply covering their collective malpractice tails? My answer to that one is, you're lucky if they don't kill you in the process.
So, how do you really reduce medical costs, streamline the system and continue to provide Americans with the best health care in the world? It's simple. Kill all the lawyers.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
Monday, August 2, 2010
BloggeRhythms 8/2/2010
Going back to the presidential campaign two years ago in discussions with friends, I kept mentioning how obvious it was in regard to what Soros was doing that he wanted to insure his puppet's election by providing billions of campaign dollars, but I didn't know the specific reasons why he wanted to own the White House.
After the election, many of Soros' goals became clearer, such as having the administration try to insure that all drilling for oil cease in the Gulf of Mexico, which somehow conveniently followed his receiving a two billion dollar loan U.S. government guarantee for his developing his wells in Brazil. Then there was the disastrous socialization of health care, the governmental subsidizing of major businesses through bailouts leading to the Feds owning the largest auto maker in the world, the largest insurer, and most of the banks and investment banking firms, among others.
But, there was a fly in that ointment because so much was stolen so fast that even the American people woke up and started asking pointed questions about what was going on. When they received nothing but the usual double-speak gobbledygook from their "leader," they pushed harder, going so far as to threaten the reelection of every incumbent in office. And that means that the Dem's in particular are in danger because they'll likely lose their congressional majority edge.
So what do they do if they'll need every vote they can get next November? Well naturally they'll use Chicago's old Mayor Daley's trick and recycle the dead one more time, moveon.org and Obama have been using that one for years. But today there's one more avenue for votes I've mentioned before but I'll let a blurb found on the Fox website give you the current score.
"Sen. David Vitter, R-La., on Sunday said he and his colleagues are still looking for answers on whether the administration has seriously considered mass legalization for illegal immigrants, after an administration memo surfaced outlining ways to grant legalization without going through Congress.
The draft memo, first obtained by Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley's office from the U.S. Customs & Immigration Services, outlines ways the administration was exploring to legalize swaths of illegal immigrants 'in the absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform.' The memo describes how to, 'reduce the threat of removal for certain individuals present in the United States without authorization.'
Several Republican senators wrote a letter to President Obama regarding the memo, and they are waiting for a response. Vitter expressed frustration Sunday.
'The first letters were in June. We had heard rumors about this sort of activity; no answer. We followed up in July; no answer,' he told Fox News. 'Then this 11-page memo has gotten out, and it's not alleged anymore. It's right there in black and white. So, again, we're reiterating our strong concerns, and still no answer.'
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.., also said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he was 'very disturbed" to see the memo discussing "non-legislative ways to achieve amnesty.'
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs addressed the issue Friday to Fox and Friends, 'The White House doesn't support amnesty and I think people that support comprehensive immigration reform don't support amnesty either. What we need to do again is try to figure out how we're going to secure borders, deal with those that are here, but do it in a comprehensive way and do it at a federal level, because as frustrated as Arizonans are, and we understand that we can't have a patchwork of immigration laws throughout each of the 50 states.'
The memo isn't dated, but appears to be from earlier this year. A Homeland Security official told Fox News the memo was never signed."
So, what do we have here? A "Catch-22" conceived by the administration to do nothing about illegals, because they'll likely vote Democrat, topped off by a prevention of the states having huge immigration problems by trumping their attempts to seal the borders themselves. As the old saying goes, "Only in America."
The pity of it all is that in recent years, people have become so used to being ripped off, lied to and hosed by governement that they no longer pay attention to much that goes on. And if a star jock or starlet isn't involved they likely don't look at the news at all. So, unfortunately this time around, their lack of knowledge and understanding is going to cost them whatever they've still got left.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
After the election, many of Soros' goals became clearer, such as having the administration try to insure that all drilling for oil cease in the Gulf of Mexico, which somehow conveniently followed his receiving a two billion dollar loan U.S. government guarantee for his developing his wells in Brazil. Then there was the disastrous socialization of health care, the governmental subsidizing of major businesses through bailouts leading to the Feds owning the largest auto maker in the world, the largest insurer, and most of the banks and investment banking firms, among others.
But, there was a fly in that ointment because so much was stolen so fast that even the American people woke up and started asking pointed questions about what was going on. When they received nothing but the usual double-speak gobbledygook from their "leader," they pushed harder, going so far as to threaten the reelection of every incumbent in office. And that means that the Dem's in particular are in danger because they'll likely lose their congressional majority edge.
So what do they do if they'll need every vote they can get next November? Well naturally they'll use Chicago's old Mayor Daley's trick and recycle the dead one more time, moveon.org and Obama have been using that one for years. But today there's one more avenue for votes I've mentioned before but I'll let a blurb found on the Fox website give you the current score.
"Sen. David Vitter, R-La., on Sunday said he and his colleagues are still looking for answers on whether the administration has seriously considered mass legalization for illegal immigrants, after an administration memo surfaced outlining ways to grant legalization without going through Congress.
The draft memo, first obtained by Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley's office from the U.S. Customs & Immigration Services, outlines ways the administration was exploring to legalize swaths of illegal immigrants 'in the absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform.' The memo describes how to, 'reduce the threat of removal for certain individuals present in the United States without authorization.'
Several Republican senators wrote a letter to President Obama regarding the memo, and they are waiting for a response. Vitter expressed frustration Sunday.
'The first letters were in June. We had heard rumors about this sort of activity; no answer. We followed up in July; no answer,' he told Fox News. 'Then this 11-page memo has gotten out, and it's not alleged anymore. It's right there in black and white. So, again, we're reiterating our strong concerns, and still no answer.'
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.., also said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he was 'very disturbed" to see the memo discussing "non-legislative ways to achieve amnesty.'
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs addressed the issue Friday to Fox and Friends, 'The White House doesn't support amnesty and I think people that support comprehensive immigration reform don't support amnesty either. What we need to do again is try to figure out how we're going to secure borders, deal with those that are here, but do it in a comprehensive way and do it at a federal level, because as frustrated as Arizonans are, and we understand that we can't have a patchwork of immigration laws throughout each of the 50 states.'
The memo isn't dated, but appears to be from earlier this year. A Homeland Security official told Fox News the memo was never signed."
So, what do we have here? A "Catch-22" conceived by the administration to do nothing about illegals, because they'll likely vote Democrat, topped off by a prevention of the states having huge immigration problems by trumping their attempts to seal the borders themselves. As the old saying goes, "Only in America."
The pity of it all is that in recent years, people have become so used to being ripped off, lied to and hosed by governement that they no longer pay attention to much that goes on. And if a star jock or starlet isn't involved they likely don't look at the news at all. So, unfortunately this time around, their lack of knowledge and understanding is going to cost them whatever they've still got left.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
Sunday, August 1, 2010
BloggeRhythms 8/1/2010
Sometimes it just doesn't get any better. And this is one of those mornings. Because yesterday I was so frosted about the Rangel scandal that I did a whole tirade on corrupted, worthless politicians. Then, lo and behold, along comes a story that not only proves my point, but casts it in stone.
Just this morning I was at my desk and my wife says something about the Clinton wedding yesterday, so I went and looked it up. And what do I find out? The guy their kid married is the son of a former State Representative and here's a blurb that was listed about the daddy: "Edward "Ed" Mezvinsky, born January 17, 1937 is a former congressman and a convicted fraudster. A Democrat, he represented Iowa's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for two terms, from 1973 to 1977. In 2001, he was convicted of several dozen charges of fraud. He was released from federal prison in 2008. However, he remains on federal probation and still owes almost $9.4 million in restitution to his victims."
It seems all these political folks are like moths drawn to a flame. If there's anything out there worth stealing they're going to reach out to grab it with both hands. And nobody on earth is better at that than both Clintons. And apparently they did well in teaching their daughter, because she obviously learned well from both role models and then sought someone likely to have the same characteristics as them. Perhaps there's an on-line search engine like "Crooks Are Us" where you can find a mate-match that fits by selected criteria, such as fraud, theft, larceny, perjury, lying under oath, misrepresentation,or whatever else you like.
Of course not all politicians are simply crooked. There are some far better than that. Like that one who flunked out of Harvard then went out, drowned his date, fled the scene and swam home. He may have tried to apologize but was so drunk for the rest of his life that nobody understood a word he said.
These days I spend my time writing fiction about bodyguards, cops and crooks. And, above all, I try to make my stories believable because as a reader myself I don't like stories that seem far-fetched. But, if I sat here and typed for a thousand years I couldn't outdo what these politicos do in the real world. They're truly beyond belief.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
Just this morning I was at my desk and my wife says something about the Clinton wedding yesterday, so I went and looked it up. And what do I find out? The guy their kid married is the son of a former State Representative and here's a blurb that was listed about the daddy: "Edward "Ed" Mezvinsky, born January 17, 1937 is a former congressman and a convicted fraudster. A Democrat, he represented Iowa's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for two terms, from 1973 to 1977. In 2001, he was convicted of several dozen charges of fraud. He was released from federal prison in 2008. However, he remains on federal probation and still owes almost $9.4 million in restitution to his victims."
It seems all these political folks are like moths drawn to a flame. If there's anything out there worth stealing they're going to reach out to grab it with both hands. And nobody on earth is better at that than both Clintons. And apparently they did well in teaching their daughter, because she obviously learned well from both role models and then sought someone likely to have the same characteristics as them. Perhaps there's an on-line search engine like "Crooks Are Us" where you can find a mate-match that fits by selected criteria, such as fraud, theft, larceny, perjury, lying under oath, misrepresentation,or whatever else you like.
Of course not all politicians are simply crooked. There are some far better than that. Like that one who flunked out of Harvard then went out, drowned his date, fled the scene and swam home. He may have tried to apologize but was so drunk for the rest of his life that nobody understood a word he said.
These days I spend my time writing fiction about bodyguards, cops and crooks. And, above all, I try to make my stories believable because as a reader myself I don't like stories that seem far-fetched. But, if I sat here and typed for a thousand years I couldn't outdo what these politicos do in the real world. They're truly beyond belief.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
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