[JoInTV]

I so agree with ewissenbach! Just reading through this thread has brought on such sadness for me. What has become of us all?? Such venom! Such hatefulness! And, Boomer, I have always enjoyed your posts and hope that one day, if and when we are both able to move to TV, that we will meet. You are indeed someone whom I would like to call Friend.

I fear that those of us in the middle, trying desperately to come to some fair, middle ground will be beaten to death by the asylum inmates at both ends of the debate with their ‘take-no-prisoners” attitude.

Right now, my husband and I are covered under my husband’s employer’s healthcare plan. Is it great? No, I don’t think so, considering that his employer is a Fortune 500 global company. I’ve worked at smaller companies with better coverage and premiums. But, I am truly thankful that we have insurance. If we retire before being able to sign up for Medicare (which we would certainly like to do, and as many of you have done), we can avail ourselves of my husband’s plan, but at a very high cost - almost $18,000 per year, plus prescriptions (which will add another $2,500 annually). That’s in today’s dollars, with no future premium increases, no more prescriptions for either my husband or me, and no additional health complications. (And the present cost for prescriptions includes 3 generics. The other 2 are not yet in generic form. So, yes, we are looking for the most cost effective prescriptions possible at this time.) But we are quite fortunate that, if push came to shove, we could cover it. We would just have to economize in other ways. I know that there are many Americans that simply can’t. No way; no how; no amount of economizing would help.

Did I hope that the provision to extend Medicare to those as young as 55 was left in the health bill? You bet your sweet life I did! But, as with most negotiations, some things have to be left on the table. Does that make me want to go for the negotiators’ throats?? NO! I’m hoping that there are enough good things still intact to outweigh the not-so-good or at least the provisions that don’t directly affect me in a positive way. It’s not all about me. It’s not all about any one of you out there, either. Is this new program perfect? Hell, no! But, it is a start. I believe that it is a case of “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” We have much to do, but I fear that we won’t be up to the task because too many people are so blinded by their own biases and agendas (on both sides of the aisle). I picture them like a bunch of little kids with their hands over their ears, loudly singing la,la,la,la, so they can’t (and won’t) hear what the other is saying.

Well, I’m sure that my little soapbox oration won’t make a dent in the debate, but it was something that I just had to get off my chest.