ljusluvit,

Thank you for a very thoughtful post.
Man do I agree that we could be alot smarter and in touch with peoples needs than we are now.
I think our relatives are rolling in their graves not because of lazy poor people but because us spoiled folks expect more and more on someone else's money, our relatives called that welfare and had to much pride for that.
I love that you say we can do better, again I agree we are Americans. And I would love to have more and better healthcare.
Your point about the billions we spend on the stupidest things is so true. Like my earlier post said, I wish we would back he tankers up to Iraq and suck oil till the bill for the war was paid in full. I also would support a moratorium for ALL foreign aid for a couple of years they don't like us? I'll bet that would change their mind. Also it would give us many billions of dollars to pay down the debt and maybe have enough leftover to fund other programs including healthcare.
But no matter what there is a limit, so where does it stop?? Benj

Hey, do any of you know anybody who wants or needs to retire but is hanging onto a job for health insurance coverage because once they retire, all they will have is COBRA, and they don't call it COBRA for nuthin'?

Do any of you know anybody who owns a small business or a practice of some sort, you know, The American Dream, but who finds that once they decide to sell it and retire, they will have no access to a plan where they can BUY decent coverage at a reasonable cost?

Do any of you know anybody who has worked for a government entity within a state or local where retiree health plans used to cover spouses at a reasonable cost? But now ready to live the dream, said potential retiree finds that the job must continue because the cost of spousal coverage has become prohibitive. So the only real choice is to just keep on working and slouching toward Medicare?

Does anybody know anybody with a pre-existing condition that makes it darned near impossible to find any decent private plan that will cover them when they retire if their employer, like so many, drops retiree coverage? No matter what the retiree thought was supposed to happen.

Does anybody know anybody who retired, good health, found a plan, got sick, and found rates raised to crush them?

Does anybody know anybody who one day found that their health insurance company, through their employer, was going public? An IPO. Offering the covered cash or stock. Those who took the stock were pretty happy. The CEO was happier. Rolling around in more and more millions while claims were too often turned down and premiums skyrocketed. All those stockholders owning a piece of every body insured by the company. (And yes I meant to put that space between every and body.) Stockholders must be kept happy you know.

Probably everybody knows somebody who is trying to sell a house so they can move to their retirement dream but find that it's not happening, (Yet another lift of Congress' hindleg on the American people. I digress.) But I think more of you than realize it know somebody who cannot move to their retirement dream because even though they could come right in, slap down cash for a house, and still have a few bucks left, because they did it all right, they find that they cannot access a decent affordable healthcare plan for early retirees.

Does anybody know anybody who is the spouse of a retiree from a big company who is now covered but who lies awake nights wondering what will happen to that coverage if something happens to the spouse? COBRA. Yep, it's a COBRA all right. Better than nothing. Really expensive. And it runs out.

Does anybody know anybody who remembers having to pay for prescriptions up front, saving the receipts in a shoebox, and then mailing them in for reimbursement? And did that person find that once the drug card and co-pay concept hit, it was just soooo much easier?

And does anybody know anybody at all who figured out long ago that drug cards were just like that old Trojan Horse? Roll that baby right in here. Hey, this is great. Let's celebrate. We do not have to worry about those pesky mail ins anymore. And inside that drug card, there hid the enemy. Big Pharma could raise prices and raise prices without anybody even noticing. Too busy celebrating the convenience of the drug card. (And yeah, I get pipelines.)

Does anybody know anybody with a young doctor in the family? In practice for only a couple of years. Already wondering why.

There is so much to this issue that I could type all night. Even though I swore I would chew my fingers to bloody stumps before trying to even get into this again.

I tend to focus on what happens to people in our age group. The people who thought they had it all planned. All figured out. Who did it right. According to the American Dream.

And you might also be surprised to know that for now, we have it covered. But I also know that this is not just about me. It is about a huge economic picture.

But before I am dismissed or worse, accused of being some commie pinko old broad, let me tell you that I am not talking about socialized medicine. And I have never voted for a Democrat candidate in my whole long voting life. (yet) And that I hate taxes. But what I hate worse is the ignoring of this huge problem that will go on to hamstring our economy if not addressed.

And before I leave, I really do have an offering of what seems to be a relatively easy to figure out solution for the early retirees at least. An early Medicare BUY IN. Did you see that? I said BUY IN. At the beginning of this thread SteveZ brings up pools and catastrophic coverage. Big, big pools and catastophic coverage is what those who did it the old Amercan Way really need. Not to be shut out at the point of no return.

And that old "No Socialized Medicine!" is nothing more than a battle cry guaranteed to whip up a knee-jerk block vote while offering no solutions. Off the hook. And on to power. (I know I said that somewhere else on the board, but I wanted to say it here, too.)

I have a favorite quote that I have used on this board before when I ranted about the bad lending practices that are hurting so many. I do not know who said this, but I wish I had. "Unrestrained greed is not only bad morals, it's bad economics."

Boomer

Whew! Well, I don't know if anybody read it, but I do know I feel much better.

Boomer love your posts.
Sadly I have been at least two of your scenarios. Buy in's and pools are good ideas, many more are needed. But maybe you will answer me. Is there a point where we cant afford to spend more?? Is there a percentage or dollar amount?? Is there a burden to high??where does it stop??
I hope to live to 95 and die in bed...with my lover, but sadly that may not happen. At what point do I stop being responsible for myself and become the responsibility of others??
I dont begrudge anyone healthcare or the best life has to offer, but when do other people become my caretakers?? Please I dont mean this an any way to be against anyone else or their best interests or mean spirited but God or the US govt doesn't guarantee us free healthcare. Benj

Hi Benj,

I just wrote a really nice answer back to your last response. It took me a little while. I tend to cover ground I guess.

But when I hit "send" a quite hateful red note appeared and said that I was not allowed to post on this board without registering.

And I said, "Helloooooo, my name is Boomer. And I never shut up. So I think I am registered."

So then I logged in again. And it let me. But then a hateful red note said, "Naa-naa-naa-naa-naa, your post box is empty."

So I guess they are not trying to throw me out. Well, I don't think so anyway. But I have no idea where my well thought out post to you went. And although I did not keep my promise to myself to chew my fingers to bloody stumps before posting anything political again, I really have to keep the promise I made to myself to never type again after midnight. I just am not a stay up late kind of girl.

And besides, now I am afraid the system is going a little haywire. And I could type it all and lose it once again.

Although, John McCain's picture keeps doing the Google crawl across the bottom of my screen. Maybe he is trying to get in here to say, "Boomer, Boomer, please come back."

Oh see what I mean. I should never type after midnight. I just sound crazy. (crazier)

So anyway.

Goodnight.

And it really was a nice answer.

Boomer

In most developed countries and many developing countries health care is provided to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. The National Health Service, established in 1948 by Clement Atlee's Labour government in the United Kingdom, were the world's first universal health care system provided by government and paid for from general taxation. Alternatively, compulsory government funded health insurance with nominal fees can be provided, as in Italy. Other examples are Medicare in Australia, established in the 1970s by the Labor government, and by the same name Medicare was established in Canada between 1966 and 1984. Universal health care contrasts to the systems like health care in the United States or South Africa, though South Africa is one of the many countries attempting health care reform. The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care.

Maybe it would help to study or listen to another developed country?

Great insight into other countries actions.
What we have working against any progress...even studying others hat are at least DOING something....is our non representative representatives.
All they have to do is provide for all the coverage THEY already have....then trash all the rest.
But that ain't gonna happen. They may...the next administration...MAY...get something started....MAY!!!
And if they do it will take years of study...some more years of partisan bickering...then there will be a new election....the next administration....ditto....ditto....ditto.
It just is not going to happen. I don't care who wins the election.
Wanna bet?

BTK

...from Boomer,"And before I leave, I really do have an offering of what seems to be a relatively easy to figure out solution for the early retirees at least. An early Medicare BUY IN. Did you see that? I said BUY IN. "



I am not looking for something for nothing. I pay my expensive HMO premiums monthly. I also have pre-existing conditions that keep me tied in to my NY health insurance for the next three years. An early Medicare BUY-IN would free me up for TV.

Thanks Boomer,

Shirleevee

This has bee interesting.

Just to add one more thing into the mix, an old boos of mine used to have a sign behind his desk which read, "There is no such thing as a fully funded problem."

All programs come with a price tag, and the question is always, does every taxpayer subsidize it, or is it funded only by the users of the program?