Originally Posted by GatbTester

BARRY GOLDWATER, 1964


LET ME REMIND YOU THAT EXTREMISM
IN THE DEFENSE OF LIBERTY IS NO VICE.

LET ME REMIND YOU ALSO THAT
MODERATION IN THE PURSUIT OF
JUSTICE IS NO VIRTUE.

If you feel that just sitting around and waiting to be shown what is and what is not, I feel sorry for you. We are educated people, not sheep. Look at our founding fathers and ask yourselves what action they took in the midst of possible catastrophe, was it controversial, did they take a stand, or were they led to slaughter? If we do not stand up for ourselves then we are doomed. And you can put this in any of the forums for discussion.

Huh?

I will not mention any party or any political statement, only the impact of this bill regardless of who votes for or against it. So this belongs in medical, not political.

gn asked, OK what should we do? I would suggest you start by reading the bill as it currently stands, and if you do not agree with it, e-mail or call your congressman and senator and let them know you will not support them if they support this bill. Read both house and senate versions as the final will be some compromise of both. Both bills have horrible consequences for seniors. They make the assumption that Medicare can be cut because of fraud and waste. It probably does have fraud and waste. But when has any government run program not been loaded with fraud and waste. Why should we believe they will fix that? They will make the cuts, not fix any of the problems and your benefits will decline. That will happen

Someone else suggested we wait until the bill is past as the current version will change. Yes it will change, but there is so much bad with it, that a lot will end up in the final version. It also will be way to late at that point. Do something now. Even if you support it, that is fine. Let your elected officials know how you feel about it.

Someone else said they are not impacted as they have great coverage now. They have not read these bills. You will be forced to buy certain coverage you may not have today. If you don't, you will be forced to pay anyway. You will be taxed more to pay for this. And at some point you will be forced to take the public option. Please read the current versions as you will be significantly impacted.

I have read it, I do not support it, and I e-mail my senators and congressman every day and tell them that.

Get involved, do something, or your part of the problem, not the solution. Regardless of party, they are our elected representatives and they deserve to know weather you support this or not.

Get involved. Email your Representatives and Senators with your feelings regarding them compromise bill that has to come before the President. If you feel the bill has no merit for us Seniors then voice that opinion. Get involved with local action groups working for 1. Replacement of current politicians whose only goal is to look for reelection. 2. Push as hard as you can for term limitations. Our only hope is to become involved with our government, inaction has caused just what we are experiencing now, and within not too long a period this country faces the global positioning of most third world nations. Remember this: until Borders, Language, and Culture issues are addressed our future looks quite dim.

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

I will not mention any party or any political statement, only the impact of this bill regardless of who votes for or against it. So this belongs in medical, not political.

gn asked, OK what should we do? I would suggest you start by reading the bill as it currently stands, and if you do not agree with it, e-mail or call your congressman and senator and let them know you will not support them if they support this bill. Read both house and senate versions as the final will be some compromise of both. Both bills have horrible consequences for seniors. They make the assumption that Medicare can be cut because of fraud and waste. It probably does have fraud and waste. But when has any government run program not been loaded with fraud and waste. Why should we believe they will fix that? They will make the cuts, not fix any of the problems and your benefits will decline. That will happen

Someone else suggested we wait until the bill is past as the current version will change. Yes it will change, but there is so much bad with it, that a lot will end up in the final version. It also will be way to late at that point. Do something now. Even if you support it, that is fine. Let your elected officials know how you feel about it.

Someone else said they are not impacted as they have great coverage now. They have not read these bills. You will be forced to buy certain coverage you may not have today. If you don't, you will be forced to pay anyway. You will be taxed more to pay for this. And at some point you will be forced to take the public option. Please read the current versions as you will be significantly impacted.

I have read it, I do not support it, and I e-mail my senators and congressman every day and tell them that.

Get involved, do something, or your part of the problem, not the solution. Regardless of party, they are our elected representatives and they deserve to know weather you support this or not.

I think I'll support Healthcare Reform for the millions that don't have coverage and so that my children and my grandchildren will have just a few of the advantages that we did. It is a much different world that they will face. I have and will continue to write, not only my representatives, but my old representatives as well and those who oppose Healthcare Reform. You have truly motivated me to get more involved. If I have to pay more then that's the least I can do. Thank you, thank you very much..

Originally Posted by Xavier

I think I'll support Healthcare Reform for the millions that don't have coverage and so that my children and my grandchildren will have just a few of the advantages that we did. It is a much different world that they will face. I have and will continue to write, not only my representatives, but my old representatives as well and those who oppose Healthcare Reform. You have truly motivated me to get more involved. If I have to pay more then that's the least I can do. Thank you, thank you very much..

We all support health reform. Only a complete idiot would not.

The Obama care is not health reform. It takes away money and/or healthcare from one group and gives it to another. It is a Tax and control bill.

Reform would allow insurance companies to compete across State lines And provide tort reform. It would leave the kind of care given as a decision made by the patient and the Doctor.

Please see this bill for what it is. If you think it is not a tax bill how can you explain the enormous involvement of the IRS.

Originally Posted by cashman

We all support health reform. Only a complete idiot would not.

The Obama care is not health reform. It takes away money and/or healthcare from one group and gives it to another. It is a Tax and control bill.

Reform would allow insurance companies to compete across State lines And provide tort reform. It would leave the kind of care given as a decision made by the patient and the Doctor.

Please see this bill for what it is. If you think it is not a tax bill how can you explain the enormous involvement of the IRS.

Can I assume you didn't like my answer? Your response sounds just a little political to me

Xavier

Thanks Xavier. And I encourage you to get involved. However please read the pending bills so you write with knowledge, not media hype from either side. I also support health care reform. Better coverage, low cost alternatives, insurance reform, more competition, tort reform, free clinics, and many other ways to bring better care to more people. The bill pending before our elected Representatives does none of the above.

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Thanks Xavier. And I encourage you to get involved. However please read the pending bills so you write with knowledge, not media hype from either side. I also support health care reform. Better coverage, low cost alternatives, insurance reform, more competition, tort reform, free clinics, and many other ways to bring better care to more people. The bill pending before our elected Representatives does none of the above.

Long life, if nothing else, has shown us that if you are looking for "perfect" it won't be coming out of Washington DC. What is in both bills that are being considered is definitely not perfect, but you've got to start somewhere. We can't wait another 40 years. The time is now or it may never happen. If both sides, and I AM blaming both sides, could have been at least been civil to each other they might have come up with a far better base from which to start.

Xavier , I support your view. Following breast cancer, we lost our insurance. That should not happen in this country. We are fine now thanks to Medicare. Bill may not be perfect, but it will be an improvement. I HAVE been in contact with those in the House and Senate.

12ridehd..I could not agree more with you. There are so many ways to bring better health care to the public but it takes being an informed and where appropriate becoming involved in the process. Unfortunately there are those who speak without knowledge or want to use it as a political issue rather than what it is..a medical concern regardless of political party or leaning.
I remember an old story that essentially said "let George do it" as everybody asserted they were too busy so the "factious George" could do it. Of course because so many acted this way "George was too busy" and it did not get done. Keep up the good advice..

Originally Posted by Avista

Xavier , I support your view. Following breast cancer, we lost our insurance. That should not happen in this country. We are fine now thanks to Medicare. Bill may not be perfect, but it will be an improvement. I HAVE been in contact with those in the House and Senate.

Thanks. Love your Boston too! Great dogs.

Originally Posted by Xavier

Long life, if nothing else, has shown us that if you are looking for "perfect" it won't be coming out of Washington DC. What is in both bills that are being considered is definitely not perfect, but you've got to start somewhere. We can't wait another 40 years. The time is now or it may never happen. If both sides, and I AM blaming both sides, could have been at least been civil to each other they might have come up with a far better base from which to start.

If we pass this bill we will never again have an opportunity to reform health care.

Again what I meant to enforce is that Cardiology has been hit the hardest of all specialty groups. Medicare has cut reimbursement across the board 40%. I reviewed this today with our head Cardiologist.

The problem is that there is no fat to cut in Cardiology. We don't order tests that are not needed or do procedures that are not needed. Cardiolgists are not Cardiovascular surgeons and so they do not get paid the big bucks of a surgeon. They do Cardiac Catheterizations and stents and some peripheral cardiovascular and or renal stents. All of which are only done if needed.

What my group has done is join a large umbrella goup that is a part of our local hospital. This umbrella group then takes up the slack from other groups to keep them floating. The end result was that no one lost jobs or had to cut services.

This has nothing to do with the upcoming changes in Health Reform. It is in effect today- started Jan 1.

My point is to shed light on the original post regarding the letter they received from their Cardiologist.

Hope this has cleared up some of the misunderstanding. This is why I don't see this as political.

Thanks

Originally Posted by ssmith

Again what I meant to enforce is that Cardiology has been hit the hardest of all specialty groups. Medicare has cut reimbursement across the board 40%. I reviewed this today with our head Cardiologist.

The problem is that there is no fat to cut in Cardiology. We don't order tests that are not needed or do procedures that are not needed. Cardiolgists are not Cardiovascular surgeons and so they do not get paid the big bucks of a surgeon. They do Cardiac Catheterizations and stents and some peripheral cardiovascular and or renal stents. All of which are only done if needed.

What my group has done is join a large umbrella goup that is a part of our local hospital. This umbrella group then takes up the slack from other groups to keep them floating. The end result was that no one lost jobs or had to cut services.

This has nothing to do with the upcoming changes in Health Reform. It is in effect today- started Jan 1.

My point is to shed light on the original post regarding the letter they received from their Cardiologist.

Hope this has cleared up some of the misunderstanding. This is why I don't see this as political.

Thanks

Thank you for sharing this clarification. Your group has been very creative in dealing with the changes in Medicare. Their initiative is commendable.

Thank you for clarifying.