Obama speech to the kids.

[Ratickle]

we will find out soon enough that both the Dems AND the reps are compeltely full of shiznit.

I gave up defending either party log ago. Throw mud at me if you want but with all the analyzing I've been doing. . . we have some good economic times coming our way if the public options comes down. It costs me 17k/yr for health insurance and they still declined a $7500 procedure. if the government can give me medicare. then F-CK the private insurandce companies. They've F-cked me for too long.

I agree on the reps and dems, no argument here to defend either party. They are both equally at fault for the mess we're in.

However, on the insurance, did you know that the average proceedure on medicare pays 1/3 less than the hospital gets from private insurance? And that they make up the losses by charging the private insurance companies, and those who pay cash, more?

That more hospitals lost money last year than made a profit?

That many doctors are starting to turn away medicare patients because they cannot afford to stay in business if they continue to accept them?

That the projected costs, even with the screwing above, 1/2 trillion to insure the 41 million people on medicare/medicaid currently over the next ten years? But they're gonna add another 46 million people for less than what they pay now for 41 million people? And that because the coverage is so poor, all who can afford to carry additional private insurance that cost another $100 billion over the same ten year span?

So, explain the plan again, will you please??????

It is an absolute BS snow job to try and take over the health care system of the United States by a government who believes a socialistic world society is a good thing. Just so happens I don't.

[Ratickle]

By the way, I also heard from the district Superintendant


Dear Mr. Rose,

Thank you for your communication and concern. I just heard about the speech on Thursday afternoon. I am not sure what you are hearing about the President's speech, and I would like you to know how we plan on handling this. Being the first day of school for us does not allow teachers to communicate ahead of time what is happening. We like to keep our parents informed and give them choices on what their children participate in. We will not be showing this speech district wide. If a teacher would like to show it he/she will notify their parents in advance and parents can opt their child not to watch if they wish. We will record the speech but not show it live. For some reason it is on at noon when most of our children and staff are at lunch.

Dr. Patricia K***

Patricia Koeze, Ed.D., Superintendent

[LaughingCat]

I agree on the reps and dems, no argument here to defend either party. They are both equally at fault for the mess we're in.

However, on the insurance, did you know that the average proceedure on medicare pays 1/3 less than the hospital gets from private insurance? And that they make up the losses by charging the private insurance companies, and those who pay cash, more?

That more hospitals lost money last year than made a profit?

That many doctors are starting to turn away medicare patients because they cannot afford to stay in business if they continue to accept them?

That the projected costs, even with the screwing above, 1/2 trillion to insure the 41 million people on medicare/medicaid currently over the next ten years? But they're gonna add another 46 million people for less than what they pay now for 41 million people? And that because the coverage is so poor, all who can afford to carry additional private insurance that cost another $100 billion over the same ten year span?

So, explain the plan again, will you please??????

It is an absolute BS snow job to try and take over the health care system of the United States by a government who believes a socialistic world society is a good thing. Just so happens I don't.

<typing in the dark, so apologies for any type-o's, etc>

well, I've gone out and asked doctors, some extemely wealthy cardiologists. Keep getting the same answers. They have 'mercenaries', employees who earn 60-80k/yr simply for their ability to extract payment from private co's. After many rejections, they tend to get 10-20% of the billed amount. At the same time, they reliably get about 30% from Medicare. One doctor told me he hopes everyone ends up on Medicare, so he'll get a rasie and can fire some of the mercenaries.

Then youhave all these Medicare recipients who swear by it, but they dont want you and I to get it, becasue they might lose it. Kind of like the chicks all sitting in the life boats not letting us in becasue we might flip them, so we all die.

I do not proport to know all the facts. And most people would be hard pressed to clarify what is truth and what is propaganda. But when I am paying $17k/yr and getting jacked around when something comes up, the insurance co's can kiss my loyalty goodbye.

[Ratickle]

The Doctors will be better off, no doubt. It's the hospitals who will lose and who are getting less money for every proceedure now than they have to charge private insurance to make up the difference.

And as for the second, yes, medicare/medicaid should be scaled back and be required to pay for itself. Sorry, that's the way things work. That somewhere, someone decided the person who never saved a penny to purchase insurance should receive the same care as those who did is just plain wrong.

[Ratickle]

Who is your insurance company by the way, most have to compete with a non-profit Blue Cross/Blue Shield so their profits are minimal at best.

[Ratickle]

By the way, Newt is encouraging schools to show it live and parents to pay attention and discuss it with their children, now that it's been changed and released.

[Ratickle]

Here is just one little excerpt, from Kiplingers, on the Medicare insurance coverage people have to buy because the medicare insurance is so bad. If you note, in Texas in 2001, a GAO study found people were paying as much as $5658 per year to supplement their coverage with the best plans available. Plans that many of us enjoy currently.

So, once again, how can the Government eliminate this cost, and add 46 million people to the roles with coverage, and do it for approximately the exact same price we currently pay to insure 41 million Americans with poor coverage which needs to be supplemented by an additional 1/4 to 1/3 expense??????


By Kimberly Lankford, Kiplinger's

More than a decade ago, the federal government waded into the medigap marketing swamp to clean things up. The feds had spawned the marketplace by leaving holes in Medicare that were being plugged by private insurance carriers.

Congress ordered medigap policies standardized and made it a crime to sell duplicate policies. Now, medigap plans generally come in 10 variations: Plans A thorough J (although three states -- Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin -- have their own versions). Plan A offers the least coverage; Plan J provides the most, including prescription-drug coverage. Every Plan A is supposed to offer the same coverage, as is every Plan J.

For Plan F, the most popular, one company was asking $1,022 a year for a 65-year-old North Carolina woman; another wanted $2,504 -- 145% more. The price range among carriers offering Plan J protection was broad, too, from $2,090 up to $3,511.

Such price gaps are common across the country. A 2001 General Accounting Office study found, for example, that Illinois insurers were charging 65-year-olds from $467 to $1,202 for Plan A medigap policies. In the Empire State, New Yorkers were paying from $1,617 to $2,800 for Plan F. Texans were paying from $2,059 to $5,658 for Plan J.

[LaughingCat]

First, thank you very much for engaging a polite, informative discussion about this important topic. I, too, saw Newt on Today Show. He is right, if the message in non-partisan and will encourage today's youth to stay in school and be a productive part of society, then our POTUS should use his pulpit to inspire. Notice I said 'non-partisan'. If he was recruiting for future liberals or socialist, or capitalists or conservatives, it is not right.

That somewhere, someone decided the person who never saved a penny to purchase insurance should receive the same care as those who did is just plain wrong.

We already have the uninsured getting covered, by walking into the expensive ER, getting fixed and sticking the bill to the system. The hospital is by far the most expensive way to cover the uninsured.
It's possible that if everyone has access to doctors for regular visits, the use of hospitals will go down, hence, less drain on the Medicare type system.
I cannot give a good argument for or against the future profitability of hospitals under a national MEdicare system. However, I would expect a public option system to include good tort reform as well.

Who is your insurance company by the way, most have to compete with a non-profit Blue Cross/Blue Shield so their profits are minimal at best.

I use United HC. They are the only private group insurance company who will write coverage for a business with less that 8 actively participating employees. I would have everyone get indivudal policies, but because of UHC's BS, they list my wife as having a pre-existing condition, so I cannot get coverage on her. So we pay 1200/mo plus a $2300 deductible and when something big happens, they bill me for it. I paid $24,000 last year for premiums, deductible and uncovered expenses last year. I tell you what, i will abondon my sincerely loyalty to capitalism only to see HI comanies suffer for what they have done to our economy.

Here is just one little excerpt, from Kiplingers, on the Medicare insurance coverage people have to buy because the medicare insurance is so bad.

I'd equate the HI public option topublic school. You will have it if you don't choose anything else. Ask home owner, you pay in because of ppty taxes, as renter, you pay thru your rent to owner who pays ppty taxes. plus you'll have a small premium. like public school, if you want a superior education, you can go find a private school. You aren't getting a break on your ppty taxes for private school now, so you probably wont get a break on taxes for private insurance premium.
If you want to get a better-than-average coverage while on the public HI option, you can get a supplemental. Just as a public school student can pay a tutor to make them better.

There is no simple solution, but after watching my Republican leaders run the White House for the better part of the last 24 years, they've done nothing to get control over this nonsense. And I ask anyone on this board or OSO to tell me they've been pleased witht heir company after paying all those premium and then having something very expensive declined. Or even worse, let your HI coverage lapse, then get stuck with the bill for a big procedure. If you are still supportive of status quo, then maybe you need more than just healthcare, you need a lobotomy.

[Ratickle]

If you are still supportive of status quo, then maybe you need more than just healthcare, you need a lobotomy.

Status quo will break us as a country. It is already well on its way.

There are several things which can be done, not one of which I've seen in the Obama/Democrat plan.

Here is the current breakdown in shift of Medicare costs from Medicare (Government Paid), to private Medicare supplemental coverage.

[Ratickle]

Even though almost 50% of the "Medicare" expenses are paid through non-medicare funds, here is the current state of Medicare from the Trustees in charge.....


A SUMMARY OF THE 2009 ANNUAL REPORTS
Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees
________________________________________
A MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC:
Each year the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds report on the current and projected financial status of the two programs. This message summarizes our 2009 Annual Reports.


The financial condition of the Social Security and Medicare programs remains challenging. Projected long run program costs are not sustainable under current program parameters. Social Security's annual surpluses of tax income over expenditures are expected to fall sharply this year and to stay about constant in 2010 because of the economic recession, and to rise only briefly before declining and turning to cash flow deficits beginning in 2016 that grow as the baby boom generation retires. The deficits will be made up by redeeming trust fund assets until reserves are exhausted in 2037, at which point tax income would be sufficient to pay about three fourths of scheduled benefits through 2083.

Medicare's financial status is much worse.

As was true in 2008, Medicare's Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund is expected to pay out more in hospital benefits and other expenditures this year than it receives in taxes and other dedicated revenues. The difference will be made up by redeeming trust fund assets. Growing annual deficits are projected to exhaust HI reserves in 2017, after which the percentage of scheduled benefits payable from tax income would decline from 81 percent in 2017 to about 50 percent in 2035 and 30 percent in 2080.
In addition, the Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) Trust Fund that pays for physician services and the prescription drug benefit will continue to require general revenue financing and charges on beneficiaries that grow substantially faster than the economy and beneficiary incomes over time.

[Ratickle]

Here is what a Medicare covered person pays in premiums and deductibles....


Medicare 2009 Part B premiums

For the vast majority of seniors -- individuals with income of $85,000 or less and couples with income of $170,000 of less -- next year's monthly premium will remain $96.40, equal to this year's charge.
The Medicare Part B premium helps pay for doctors visits and other outpatient services, such as home health care and durable medical equipment.
Seniors in the highest income brackets will pay considerably more, however, since Medicare has started tying Part B premiums to income.
The steepest 2009 premiums will be paid by individuals with incomes of more than $213,000 and couples with income above $426,000 who file joint tax returns. Their monthly payments will be $211.90 and $308.30, respectively.
Another part of Medicare, known as Part A, pays for hospital care. Under this part of the program, the biggest expenses for members are the deductibles they pay when they're admitted to the hospital. A deductible is an out-of-pocket payment made before insurance benefits kick in.
For 2009, the Medicare hospital deductible will rise to $1,068. That covers 60 days of hospital care. For days 61 through 90 in a hospital, beneficiaries will have a co-payment of $267 $11 more than in 2008) per day. A co-payment is the member's share of the cost of a given service.
While these fees are large, seniors who purchase Medicare supplemental insurance will be largely protected. Medicare supplemental insurance covers co-payments and deductibles for the government health program and the cost of some services that Medicare doesn't reimburse.

[Ted]

Maybe you could try thinking for yourselves instead of acting like a bunch of parrots for rush and beck. geezus.

Here's a statement from the DNC that pretty much sums it up:

“What this absurd episode shows is that the GOP can in fact come up with new ideas. For example, it’s now clear that the new Republican education platform will argue against personal responsibility, hard work and staying in school.”

Damn, sorry to bring this back on the original topic, but Kos and the DNC are wrong, the Dems already had a field day with bush 41's speech, as we see here

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op...-57694347.html


Hearings and all, how bout dat? So you see, it apparently is correct to be concerned about a Presidential school primer, the Dems said so....

[Ratickle]

I certainly hope Congress has hearings on Obama's speech and it's detrimental effect on children and the future of our country.....

I want to see the GAO's findings.......

[OldSchool]

Damn, sorry to bring this back on the original topic, but Kos and the DNC are wrong, the Dems already had a field day with bush 41's speech, as we see here

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op...-57694347.html


Hearings and all, how bout dat? So you see, it apparently is correct to be concerned about a Presidential school primer, the Dems said so....

Ooooopsie, Double standard anyone????????????????????

[LaughingCat]

Damn, sorry to bring this back on the original topic,

Good call. I heard that when he walked out and waved to the audience, it was really the new, double secret, covert, liberal-style wave for Heil Hitler. i fear for our kids' future.

[Ted]

Oh, and BTW.


Beck 1 Radical Communist Racists 0


Next!

[Big Time]

I read what the president has intended to say and I don't have much of a problem with the content.

Here's is what I think is going to happen....President will give his ra-ra speech about staying in school, having completely steared clear of any mention of policy. Dems will come back afterwards and say something to the effect about how such a big deal was made out of nothing, that they intentions of the president were good and all that BS, which will then make the reps look stupid because they made a big deal out of nothing. Somehow they will try to use this down the road as an example.

[LaughingCat]

It's all posturing. Fortunately, we citizens can have our debates and try to figure out the truth. Both sides posture and spew propaganda. But we dont have to be ignorant sheep. We should questions all sides and figure out our best possible solutions.

[Ratickle]

It's all posturing. Fortunately, we citizens can have our debates and try to figure out the truth. Both sides posture and spew propaganda. But we dont have to be ignorant sheep. We should questions all sides and figure out our best possible solutions.

Speaking of which, I'm tempted to start a new thread about health care after the speech this week by Obama. Some of the stuff I've put in here really should be discussed and sent on to our representatives.

There are several ways to fix health care expenses, not one of which have I heard in the bills being discussed.

[JupiterSunsation]

My granddaughter is only 7, but we were not comfortable with this indoctrination speech from Chairman Obama that was planned for Tuesday. You got to love Texas. Our school district just announced that they were not going to interrupt the children's school day by broadcasting the speech. Problem solved.

Just to put it in perspective, I have an 8 and 5 year old. School starts at 8am, they are up at 7 and BORACK was speaking at 1pm an hour before school ends. The kids are beat tired and almost getting out of school for the day. I strongly suspect they didn't comprehend 5% of whatever he said. For the slower kids they didn't get 1% of the speech......