Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Conservative Paradigm Shift
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Road to Facsism
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Sting
Monday, November 9, 2009
What's Really in the Pelosi Bill?
By BETSY MCCAUGHEY
The health bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is bringing to a vote (H.R. 3962) is 1,990 pages. Here are some of the details you need to know.
What the government will require you to do:
• Sec. 202 (p. 91-92) of the bill requires you to enroll in a "qualified plan." If you get your insurance at work, your employer will have a "grace period" to switch you to a "qualified plan," meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If you buy your own insurance, there's no grace period. You'll have to enroll in a qualified plan as soon as any term in your contract changes, such as the co-pay, deductible or benefit.
• Sec. 224 (p. 118) provides that 18 months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will decide what a "qualified plan" covers and how much you'll be legally required to pay for it. That's like a banker telling you to sign the loan agreement now, then filling in the interest rate and repayment terms 18 months later.
Protestors wave signs in front of the Capitol on Thursday.
On Nov. 2, the Congressional Budget Office estimated what the plans will likely cost. An individual earning $44,000 before taxes who purchases his own insurance will have to pay a $5,300 premium and an estimated $2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, for a total of $7,300 a year, which is 17% of his pre-tax income. A family earning $102,100 a year before taxes will have to pay a $15,000 premium plus an estimated $5,300 out-of-pocket, for a $20,300 total, or 20% of its pre-tax income. Individuals and families earning less than these amounts will be eligible for subsidies paid directly to their insurer.
• Sec. 303 (pp. 167-168) makes it clear that, although the "qualified plan" is not yet designed, it will be of the "one size fits all" variety. The bill claims to offer choice—basic, enhanced and premium levels—but the benefits are the same. Only the co-pays and deductibles differ. You will have to enroll in the same plan, whether the government is paying for it or you and your employer are footing the bill.
• Sec. 59b (pp. 297-299) says that when you file your taxes, you must include proof that you are in a qualified plan. If not, you will be fined thousands of dollars. Illegal immigrants are exempt from this requirement.
• Sec. 412 (p. 272) says that employers must provide a "qualified plan" for their employees and pay 72.5% of the cost, and a smaller share of family coverage, or incur an 8% payroll tax. Small businesses, with payrolls from $500,000 to $750,000, are fined less.
Eviscerating Medicare:
In addition to reducing future Medicare funding by an estimated $500 billion, the bill fundamentally changes how Medicare pays doctors and hospitals, permitting the government to dictate treatment decisions.
• Sec. 1302 (pp. 672-692) moves Medicare from a fee-for-service payment system, in which patients choose which doctors to see and doctors are paid for each service they provide, toward what's called a "medical home."
The medical home is this decade's version of HMO-restrictions on care. A primary-care provider manages access to costly specialists and diagnostic tests for a flat monthly fee. The bill specifies that patients may have to settle for a nurse practitioner rather than a physician as the primary-care provider. Medical homes begin with demonstration projects, but the HHS secretary is authorized to "disseminate this approach rapidly on a national basis."
A December 2008 Congressional Budget Office report noted that "medical homes" were likely to resemble the unpopular gatekeepers of 20 years ago if cost control was a priority.
• Sec. 1114 (pp. 391-393) replaces physicians with physician assistants in overseeing care for hospice patients.
• Secs. 1158-1160 (pp. 499-520) initiates programs to reduce payments for patient care to what it costs in the lowest cost regions of the country. This will reduce payments for care (and by implication the standard of care) for hospital patients in higher cost areas such as New York and Florida.
• Sec. 1161 (pp. 520-545) cuts payments to Medicare Advantage plans (used by 20% of seniors). Advantage plans have warned this will result in reductions in optional benefits such as vision and dental care.
• Sec. 1402 (p. 756) says that the results of comparative effectiveness research conducted by the government will be delivered to doctors electronically to guide their use of "medical items and services."
Questionable Priorities:
While the bill will slash Medicare funding, it will also direct billions of dollars to numerous inner-city social work and diversity programs with vague standards of accountability.
• Sec. 399V (p. 1422) provides for grants to community "entities" with no required qualifications except having "documented community activity and experience with community healthcare workers" to "educate, guide, and provide experiential learning opportunities" aimed at drug abuse, poor nutrition, smoking and obesity. "Each community health worker program receiving funds under the grant will provide services in the cultural context most appropriate for the individual served by the program."
These programs will "enhance the capacity of individuals to utilize health services and health related social services under Federal, State and local programs by assisting individuals in establishing eligibility . . . and in receiving services and other benefits" including transportation and translation services.
• Sec. 222 (p. 617) provides reimbursement for culturally and linguistically appropriate services. This program will train health-care workers to inform Medicare beneficiaries of their "right" to have an interpreter at all times and with no co-pays for language services.
• Secs. 2521 and 2533 (pp. 1379 and 1437) establishes racial and ethnic preferences in awarding grants for training nurses and creating secondary-school health science programs. For example, grants for nursing schools should "give preference to programs that provide for improving the diversity of new nurse graduates to reflect changes in the demographics of the patient population." And secondary-school grants should go to schools "graduating students from disadvantaged backgrounds including racial and ethnic minorities."
• Sec. 305 (p. 189) Provides for automatic Medicaid enrollment of newborns who do not otherwise have insurance.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The Healthcare Debacle
Woman: "No, I won't, but I'll be waiting for a phone call."
Reporter: "Where's the money coming from?"
Woman: "I believe it's coming from the city of Detroit or the state."
Reporter: "Where did they get it?"
Woman: "Some funds that was forgiven by Obama."
Reporter: "Where did Obama get the funds?"
Woman: "Obama gettin' the funds from... ummm.... I have no idea to tell you the truth. He's the president.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sacrificing Intelligence for Diversity
I'm spending good time writing to my Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. Won't do much good writing to Barbara Boxer but a daily diatribe makes me feel better. Our liberals continue the march to dumbing down America.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tea Party's
Well, it did my heart good as we are on our was to takiing our counrty back. We're FED UP with you leftists!
Friday, April 10, 2009
A Failing President
“We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”
Any child who has paid attention in Social Studies class understands that the “values and ideals” set forth in the Charters of Freedom by our Founders and Framers were directly derived from Judeo-Christian ethics and Natural Law.
But perhaps the most insulting, the most unnecessary and the most infuriating moment came when Ole B. O. refused – refused – to pay his respects to the fallen US soldiers of World War II at Normandy, France, doing so under the pathetic guise of not wanting to “offend” Britain and Germany.
Well, this is beyond funny. This is our President.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Attacks Begin....
Monday, January 26, 2009
Girly Men
Fast forward to today. Another recession. And... who is at the helm? Ole B.O. Take a look at the spending proposals. Most are for welfare programs resembling the old WPA under the Roosevelt Administration. It didn't work then either. If it was not for WW ll, we'd still be in it! Make work jobs lowered the unemployment rate from the low twenty's to the middle teens by 1937 but was heading back up because employment was temporary.
So, here we are again at the precipice and what does Ole' B.O. do? Big government all over again. And you want to know the scariest part? The lemmings in the country want it! No conservative leadership! Feminine Republicans! My party is the party of girly men!
We, conservatives, hunger for someone to take charge and dump the liberals, lemmings & girly men. I'm so sick of the wimps in this country. Stand up and act like conservatives!!