Posted on 12/08/2001 8:52:29 AM PST by Bad~Rodeo
You tied them together from the start. I was just trying to keep you from looking any more ignornant that you, um, are. Guess i failed.
No you actually get ripped off by Uncle Sam. You paid the government through a contract via wage deduction for a service to be rendered by the same. To whom you pay for a service you expect to be able to hold accountable. You can no longer do that. Congress gave away your premiums to their friends. Here is a portion of a mail I sent earlier today on this very matter. It has been edited somewhat.
Blue Cross Blue Shield was the major player and proponent of Tenn Care or Universal Health Care in my state. They threw a major advertising campaign and scare smear campaign to encourage Hillary Care's beginnings. They told doctors either sign on or you will not see another patient we cover in the private sector. Several other major companies joined in on this as well. They now control our state government through fear tactics. When Medicare/ Medicaid started it was the sole purpose to provide care to retired workers, disabled workers, dependent children of such and widows. What killed it is what's being done now the vast expansion of this program as a national health care system.
The doctors could afford taking some patients at reduced payments now a vast majority of patients are government subsidized. HMO's have a nasty habit of payment denials and at best slow payments to providers. This drives cost up. As well this isn't the 1960's in terms of diagnostic equipment which cost a bundle. The hospitals ran best when ran by the church. Even they in many cases couldn't afford to keep the doors open any longer under present conditions. Much of it was due to the HMO system created by congress. That is when the cost of heath care went out of site. HMO's cost doctors money that either private patients or private insured are going to make up the difference.
HMO's operate under fraudulant conditions, are poorly managed, do not deversify their funds to cover loss as money goes directly to share holders, and if not brought to some accountability for their actions will lead us into socialized medicine as a result. The history on congress in this matter is pathetic. HMO elevated legal status needs to be eliminated and the HMO's forced to either meet their claims and market pressures or go out of business. BTW I do not support a Patients Bill of Rights either as our founders provided us all with one to live under.
The answer is giving substancial tax breaks to employers and self employed for private insurance. In my state {medicaid} Tenn Care is being used both as a private insurance high risk dumping ground and as a bogus employers health care plan. The employers have no incentive to offer the services and the private insurance companies enjoy dumping all their high risk customers off on the state. High risk can now mean a being diabetic or having high blood pressure with no heart disease. We're headed for socialized medicine and the HMO's are lobying heavy to be the overseer's of this. So far they have the total support on this matter from both the GOP and DEMs.
When you or if you ever go on Medicare see if you can keep track of how many HMO's control that money. You're in for a shock. I've counted at least 4 different ones for my wife at the same time. That means that the doctor has 4 different claims and has to justify services. I can't keep up with it nor could I say if payments were being made to the doctor or what for. This encourage fraud. HMO's now control Medicare as well again with the blessings of congress. The services are going to have to be paid. The government obligated itself through wage deductions to the worker for services. I see it a much cheaper option for government to pay out claims and manage Medicare itself directly rather than have those same funds given to a middle man. Whether or not government had any business creating Social Security/ medicare or Medicare is now moot as it has through taking money obligated itself to this service and should be made to do so in an accountable and responsible manner.
First things first. Medicare and Medicaid should be brought back to it's origional intent. That would substancially reduce the drain it now has on the funds. It should be operated and managed soley by the federal and state government where accountability can be seen and your state and federal lawmakers can act on grievances on your behalf. That oversight is now lost. Social Security needs to start being phased out. Allow for opt out programs. As well private retirement and disability coverage should be encouraged through tax cuts both to employer and employees. This is not the same thing as what is being done now. There is no accountability and that's the root of the problem.
There is no contract with the government. You have no choice in this matter. Unless you're a Hillary fan and believe any program the government offers is yours from cradle to grave. I'll be back later to refute the rest of this stuff.
There was wage deductions taken and as such government is obligated to cover those it took from. Now for your pleasure I will show you a true Hillary Care fan and it's not me. I fought against Hillary Care tooth and nail. Is Bush? Or does Bush praise it instead? Let's hear what he had to say shall we? This is an article I saved from www.goergwbush.com It matches the info I posted to you about Governor George and Governor Don. Please read the last paragraph of the article carefully.
August 17, 1999
Tennessee Governor Becomes 22nd To Endorse George W. Bush
AUSTIN – Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist today endorsed Governor George W. Bush for President.
"I am pleased to join Governor Bush’s campaign and will work hard in Tennessee to help him win the nomination and the Presidency," said Governor Sundquist at a Nashville news conference. "I have known Governor Bush and his family for many years, and I know how important public service is to them."
"As a colleague of Governor Bush’s, I have watched him become one of the strongest governors in the country. His record in Texas is outstanding, and many of his innovative programs have served as models for the nation. Governor Bush is a proven leader who has the unique ability to unite people and accomplish success. I look forward to working with him and his team, as we gain support from Memphis to Mountain City for this dynamic leader," added Governor Sundquist.
"Governor Sundquist is a valued colleague and a good, close friend, and I am honored to have his support" said Governor Bush. "Don is devoted to welfare reform and better education for the people of Tennessee. His help will be important to my campaign in the Volunteer State. I intend to wage a vigorous, winning effort in Tennessee, not only in the primary, but the general election as well."
Re-elected to a second term last year with a record 69 percent of the vote, Governor Sundquist has initiated unprecedented reforms in Tennessee in the areas of welfare, government and crime, while placing a special emphasis on Tennessee children. Under his watch, the growth of government spending has been cut by more than half; the number of employable adults on welfare has been reduced by 60 percent; and Tennessee became the first state in the nation to connect every public school and library to the Internet and to offer universal health care coverage to all children.
That was the biggest lie told in the 2000 campaign. The man has forced the state into a fianancial crisis because he will not surrender Hillary Care. The persons on Tenn Care increased dramatically as well.
How so soon people forget who and what the real enemy is when their man or party gets in office. What was wrong for the DEMs to do is suddenly good policy for the GOP and the nation.
Like I said before keep the party's. Place one third congressman and senators in office who will insist the Leglislative Branch abide by Constitutional principle and then you will see an substancial improvement in the quality of government. All the fools money can not buy that quality. If you pay congress $10M a year you will have $10M a year tyrants unless you demand change in those holding the office.
A better government solution is simple. It comes from the same sense of duty to nation that we saw when the nation has been called to war and doctors as well as ditch diggers answer the call to service. Choose your leaders wisely or they will be chosen for you as we now see if we take an honest and objective look at the current political parties hiarchy. We let them become the tyrants they are by not demanding principle and nation first. This is how they have rewarded us.
This burden was predicted long before Tenncare was ever enacted (I think prior to Sunquist). I don't disagree with you at all there. However, I don't think its Bush's job to save you from your own governor. Sunquist is a pathetic, tax raising, sneaky SOB who should never be allowed in elected office again. Bush that is not Bush's problem. Like Ronald Reagan used to say "They're endorsing my policies, I'm not endorsing theirs".
Now you show me where Bush is discouraging the very same policies on health care as Hillary Clinton. It's not in the www.hcfa.gov site as a matter of fact it's HMO's full speed ahead. I know it's not Bush's job to save me from the governor. But as I have pointed out two GOP US Senators have helped him as well. One being the writter and sponsor of the recent HMO's Bill of Unconstitutional Court Dominance or the Patients Bill of rights as it is called. And unlike Reagan Bush did endorse Don Sundquist policies. As a matter of fact most of the Bush Cabinet endorses Universal Health Care. You see it wasn't conservatives advise or council he sought again unlike Reagan. Bush look for every Moderate leaning to Liberal to Liberal Republican he could find placing them in his cabinet and treated the conservative portion of the GOP as trash. Yet a whimper of protest about it and conservatives were imediately called to silence. The same conservatives who BTW helped make Reagan. A few good ones like Keyes still speak truth over political corectness in the GOP. Such as those will get my vote. Those who push liberal lite type policies will not get my vote not for party sake not for even office of dogcatcher. Nah I don't buy your arguement there.
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