The Health (S)care System

Think about it.

If you have health insurance the cost of your medications can be up to 70% less if you have health care insurance than if you don't. In other words people without health care insurance pay a whole lot more. And most people who don't have health care insurance CANNOT AFFORD IT.
Same is true for a hospital stay - typically twice as much for the uninsured.

Since the majority of people have health care, though the numbers without are growing rapidly, who cares? After all the insured don't pay the lower cost anyway, or do they. Well, if they have a large deductible and co-pays, and other out of pocket expenses, you do pay it, don't you?

Actually if you are privately insured the cost of your premiums, plus co-pays, plus deductible, plus out of pocket expenses can make it nigh impossible to receive any payments from the health insurance companies at all.

Also, if you go to get individual health care insurance you will be faced with a long list of "pre-existing conditions" which either precludes you from getting ANY insurance or creates a premium, co-pay, and deductible scenario that you can't afford it.

And through it all, I hear Americans raising up their voices about how the USA has the best health care system in the world. Huh?

It's a bad situation folks and getting worse. But like most things, people won't wake up until they are faced with just how much of a Health (S)care System we have on a personal level.

Universal Health Care is the ONLY way to go to ensure the health of Americans is being addressed by people and companies that put the CARE back in what they are about. If you think that means becoming socialistic, give me a break. Why don't we just focus on getting health care for everyone and not play games with words? And besides, do you notice that those who whine and warn about Universal Health Care have no health care insurance issues? They are the same ones who believe the minimum wage is too high (because if it were lower they would be better off).

Wake up people. Please.

Bits and Pieces

Charlie Christ...what has he accomplished? Significantly lowered property taxes? Nope. Significantly lowered insurance? Nope? Come up with something innovative to bolster Florida's lousy real estate and job markets? Nope. Maybe he should run for Senator.

TV Bank Ads... Get bailed out. Lay off employees. Make it impossible to get credit and then run TV ads about how awesome you are.

CitiCorp...Citicorp's stock price today is 10 percent of what it was a year ago. They had to bailed out by the government but still had the audacity to issue $4 billion in bonuses in a year where they lost billions more. Tells you something about Corporate America and should make you think twice about "letting the market place rule the economy."

Health Care... My wife knows a woman who had cervical cancer 2 or 3 years ago. She had health care then and they caught the cancer just in time, but the doctors insisted she get checked up on every 3 months for a while, then every six months. This woman lost health care a year or so ago and can no longer afford to go to the doctor, so no check ups. She could be dying right now and not know it. She works full time by the way and her husband works on and off. They have a kid who has health care through Florida Healthy Kids, which is good. Not quite so good if her mother dies from cervical cancer though in the richest, best country in the world.

Obama... Not sure about his stimulus package. More bandaids that really don't impact most of us. Did I miss stimulus ideas for small business (I mean under 20 employees)? Help for new home buyers? Huh? What about those losing their homes? I know he can't do it alone but geez. I do like capping the salaries of the CEOs of the companies we are bailing out (note WE are bailing out!). It sends the right messsage, but bottom line, not much help here.

Cheating... I know a couple that filed their income taxes claiming to be separated. They may want to be separated, but they are not. Did it to get a bigger tax return. And then there are the parent who claim to be separated to get Florida Health Kids insurance. They both work but can't afford health care for their kids. If things continue to go upsidedown (meaning very few people have most the money), what do you think is going to happen? More cheating to survive. More crime (by people who never ever committed one before)...and think about it. If the majority of people are just scraping by, eventually the economy will tank.

Craigslist... Lots of women seem to be looking for sugar daddies. That's what happens in an economy like this. People do what they have to do to survive. Unfortunately, the women do and the men with money take.

More about banks... Did you know that nearly all banks process your debits first before your credits? That's so they can generate fees from being you being overdrawn. Not only that, most hold your check deposit for a few days, but process your debits lickety split. They have a choice on how they process. I imagine they can find a way to spin it as something good they are doing for you.

State Farm... says good bye to its Florida home owners. Let me get this straight. We get insurance to protect us from calamity. Insurance companies bet that there won't be calamities which is how they make money. Everyone gambles, so to speak, but when you use your insurance, they cry about it - and then leave. AND send out letters to customers and do radio ads that make it sound like wonderful news. You will pay more now with other companies (likely Citizens will take on most of the policy holders) BUT we (State Farm) will continue to provide the great service they always have for auto insurance policy holders. Happy day.

Barking Dog Barks Again!

January 25, 2009

It's been a while - too long for me - since I was active on this blog. Since I last posted, I lost a job, Bush gave away millions in the stimulus package (which I didn't get), hundreds of billions of dollars have been sent to mega-corps to bail them out, Obama has become president, and the economy everywhere, in particular here in Florida, has tanked.

The bailouts of the banks and the auto industry are alarming. Billions sent to shore up institutions that led the greed attacks on public sensibility (and to preserve the payrolls of the leader who led the way). So the banks have more money now and what do they do? They lay off the taxpayers that gave them that bailout money and make it nigh impossible for anyone to get credit

We are small business owners and like most businesses are doing our best to weather the economy. A while back we borrowed money to renovate and paid it back over a year from a percentage of our credit card transactions - If I recall we paid 5 or 6% of those transactions. Today we would have to pay 22% and pay the loan back in 6 months which basically means we can't afford to borrow the money. That is how the government and the banks are helping small business - one small example which huge impact on us and our employees.

The result is we cut hours, don't give raises, cut advertising, which impacts sales, and the list goes on. Everyone we know seems to have two jobs just to survive. Who is bailing them out? what programs are being developed to help the single mom or dad or the hundreds of thousands of people, whom for the first time in their lives, can't pay their mortgage? Who benefits from such tragedy - those who have the money to take advantage of those who don't. Same old story, isn't it?

I am not blaming anyone for the loss of my job. The economy was a factor no doubt, but me too. If there is blame to find, there is blame to share, and that is not what this is about. But the truth is that in this market where everyone is afraid and hurting, it will be a while - who knows how long- before I have a chance at a job like I had. So in the meantime, I try to freelance, answer craigslist ads, and in several days will go back to driving a taxi - something I did when I was 19 years old (way too many moons ago).

I am like you. I will do what it takes to survive and support my family. I take my knocks for financial decisions I made (we made), but what about the big corps. Have we all become idiots now to shirk away from the that free enterprise system that we shout about in good times? I have some stock (not much) in Ford and I have lost 75% of what I invested. Even so, if they can't make it, why treat them any better than the person they fire who can't do their job? Yes, I know, if Ford and the others close down, people lose their jobs. I know it's more complex than this posting can cover, but here's the thing. The backbone of this country is still small business and no one is helping them, helping us. How come?

Well, who makes the decisions? The powerful. And what is one characteristic of the powerful: they are wealthy. And in general will wealthy people risk their own wealth to help others. You know the answer. Yes they may give to charity, but porportionately far less than the common man or woman in terms of a percentage of income.

Back when gas was up over $4 per gallon, I heard of a millionaire who informed a charity he had to cut back on his donation because of the price of fuel for his yacht. Poor guy. Actually poor charity and the people they help. That gas crisis is over for now, but I wonder if he raised his donation. What do you think?

Here in Florida, house prices are such that too many of us (me included) are up side down in our mortgages. Property taxes, skyrocketing insurance costs (where were those savings, Charlie Christ?) and now for too many of us the threat of losing our homes because we can't pay our mortgages, can't refinance.

And the banks in their infinite wisdom would rather lose tons of money and foreclose, sell a home to a vulture and just accept the hit - knowing that if they lose enough, government will bail them out, meaning us, the ones they foreclosed on. Wouldn't it be a win-win if they found a way to work with the home owners? That might be too entrepneurial for the banking industry!

And then there is health care. The industry is killing the average family and a growing number of families will forego it now and risk further financial disaster. But the health care companies will still make their profits and put out their advertisements about caring about us, forgetting to mention that they give bonuses to their people when they hit a quota of denying claims.

And what amazes me is that most Americans somehow believe that universal health care will turn us all into cigar smoking Castros or soft spoken socialistic Canadians. They believe the hype from Limbaugh and Beck and others that universal health care will ruin our health. Ask a Canadian if they have been ruined. No one goes bankrupt there because they can't pay their hospital bills.

Will Obama change things? I hope so and I think so, but I hope he pays attention the average American and doesn't just focus on the big corps. In fact imagine the entrepreneurial motivation that would be there is the big auto industry went bust. Maybe the free enterprise system is just the ticket to this country thriving again - not government bailouts of the wealthy. Who wants that kind of socialism?

Rants

Rant One: In the recent issue of Men's Journal, there is an ad of a handsome, rugged guy fly fishing in the river. He looks fit and comfortable fishing in the wilds. The ad is for Copehagen. Geesh. Suck on tobacco, drink it down, rot your mouth, smell like crap -- be a man.

Rant Two: Social activists rant about pay day loans and check cashing services. I have done that too! They suggest that those who use such services would be better off not using them - as if they use them for fun. Better off if they got a bank account. Well banks won't cash your check and give you the money right away. And here is how they transact your business. They do your debits first and in fact they do your largest debits first, then the rest. At the end they do your credits. Why? Because doing it that way creates overdrafts which they charge you for at $35 a pop. Better to pay a check cashing service, get free money orders (they cost you at the bank) and even get a pay day loan than to rack up hundreds of dollars of fees for small overdrafts. There should be a law, don't you think?

Rant Three: In Florida now you can transport your gun to work. You have to leave it in the car though. I heard one radio pundit argue that if you bring your gun to work, you will be able to shoot the crazy lunatic who comes into your work place with a gun to kill everyone. Let me see how that would work. Man comes in with a gun. You say to the man, "Just a sec" then take the elevator to the parking lot, get your gun, run back and shoot him. Yep that will work.

Rant Four: I'm a liberal. Apparently I am miserable, according to Rush Limbaugh. I am miserable because I don't hate single parents apparently, don't think I should put my faith solely in the market place, and believe that no one makes it on their own. Apparently I am duped by the evil liberal political leaders but somehow should feel warm and fuzzy about Bush and Cheney. Truth is I am cynical about most political leaders. But am I miserable? Nah. I love to chuckle as radio buffoons like Rush pontificate about how wrong everyone else is. He is funny you know, in a miserable sort of way.

Rant Five: I heard on the radio a while ago that some movie star - Matthew what's his name - and his wife are getting $3 million from one of those supermarket rags for pictures of their baby. Whew. Sure is nice to understand what the marketplace values.

Rant Six: Seen those car ads that tell you if you buy their cars you won't have to gas up for 450 miles? Less time at the pump, more time on the road. Hmmm. What about good gas mileage? I would prefer that to a bigger gas tank.

Employment, Homosexuality, God, Talk Radio, and Other Rants (Part Two)

Read Part One HERE to get the full gist!

Oh yeh, the job at the Candy Factory. Back then I never thought much about unions. In fact most of what I knew was about union crooks and the corruption I heard about in the local media. Working at the factory was my introduction to why unions have a place in the world.

It was filthy for one thing. The production line consisted of old women who would weigh out candies and then pour them in plastic bag and then seal a label over the top by inserting the bag and label into a heat press. It stunk, but not only of glue. It stunk of flesh because often the women would burn their fingers. No big deal. It was just the way it was. The women knew if they complained they would be out of a job.

My job was to keep the line full of candy. I dropped a crate of malted milk balls once and they scattered all over the gooey floor. The foreman, a burly man with a permanent snarl, swore at me and told me to sweep it all up and get it back on the line. That same day a rat crawled out of the bin of valentine hearts I was bringing to the line. Everyone saw that and laughed when I screamed. Minutes later, those valentine hearts were being bagged by burnt fingers and boxed for shipment. After all, who would know? Besides throwing away the malted milk balls would have affected the profit margin. And rat hairs and dung in valentine hearts - everyone knew that was just part of things.

I went home wondering how many kids were finding rat hairs in their bags of candy. I almost quit that job, but I needed the money. That was a sad realization. Not just because of my own situation. It hit me then how many people suffer through such abuse for the sake of a wealthy man's continued wealth.

It amazes me how many people believe that the marketplace should be trusted, that by promoting corporate largesse, the rest of us will wallow in the trickle down effect of big business. It's not that I am against big business or don't understand the importance of a healthy economy. I just think that a healthy economy is more than corporate profits and trickle down platitudes.

But maybe I am just crazy or living in some altruistic dream world. To challenge myself, I listen to the talk radio "entertainers." After all to be a person of opinion and balance, I believe in listening to diverse perspectives. I am not saying it is easy to listen to Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity. I might appreciate Glenn Beck's humor (he can be quite entertaining), but often my laughter quickly dissipates when I hear the arrogance of his disdain for perspectives other than his own.

What's most disconcerting, however, is not the pernicious diatribes of talk radio heads, it is the wave of callers who treat them like icons. People making 8 bucks an hour at Wal-mart call up to praise America, kiss George Bush's ring, and laud their country for being the best in the world about just about anything. They don't have health care but believe in our health care system. They will be impoverished when they retire, but prefer to rant about how the Democrats will ruin their lives.

They will listen to Limbaugh snort about how the rich deserve to be rich and the poor deserve to be poor and nod their heads like some bobble head on the car dash. They won't think about how poverty is institutionalized in our country; they won't worry about how corporations structure work hours to avoid paying benefits. Why? Because Limbaugh tells them, in his eloquent, manipulative way, not to worry about those things.

Just subscribe to true conservatism and all will be fine for everyone. Rush is not stupid. He knows that capitalism requires the failure of others so that the wealthy will achieve and sustain their wealth. The American Dream is not for everyone, only the deserving, and the deserving are defined always by those in power and those in power are, with very few exceptions, wealthy.

When is the last time you heard someone making minimum wage advocating that the minimum wage should not be raised, or that it should actually be decreased? It is consistently the wealthy who speak out against that, as if an increase in the minimum wage will ruin them. Point in fact, such institutional adjustments may slow the rapid rate of profit they believe they deserve. Gee, must be hard to take.

I am sure, however, that Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck could find a way to turn my Candy Factory experience into some wonderful expression of capitalism at its best. After all, the Candy Boss employs people, albeit old women with burnt fingers. And he provides products that people want, right? Besides, if those old woman had not been so lazy working 10 hour shifts for minimum wage, they could have become entrepreneurs themselves and enjoyed the benefits of exploiting others for personal gain.

Being a fair person, I don't want my good friend, Sean Hannity, to feel slighted. He's the one who greets his callers with "Hello, you are a fine American." I always wonder how he knows that. Is one a fine American for just calling into his show? Does he have some special gift for spotting true Americans? Maybe Sean just assumes the best in everyone. Well, at least until he discovers they have a few opinions that Sean disagrees with. Then, the list of fine Americans gets a little shorter.

I'd like to say that all of them - Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity - are liars, but that's too facile. They are, in effect, brilliant men who use their minds to lead others to dark places. I am sure they tell the truth as well as paint it with camouflage colors at times. What's worse for me is that they believe their own bullshit.

Give me a liar any day. But a person who believes their own bullshit, and can do so with skill and ardor. That's truly frightening.

Other Related Barking Dog Postings
Reclaiming America
I'm Confused (Well, Not Really)
Tired of We're the Best Spin
Patriotism and the Mythology It Creates