The Road to Facsism

My good friends, I urge you to join me in volunteering to join the Carly Fioina for Senator campaign. Comrade Boxer comes up for re election next November and, after todays Obamacare vote, ignored the will of the people and has helped us Californians get one step closer to paying four years of increased taxes while the program doesn't start till 2014. If you sit on your hands we get closer to a Fascist Government that will be determining who lives and who dies. I've joined Carly's campaign. Please come with me. Folks, this is real stuff! We're on the road to serfdom! Neville Chamberlin ignored the warnings of Winston Churchill and plowed europe into the second world war.

The Sting

The U. S. Senate gets a chance, tomorrow at 8:00 pm eastern, to save my life. They will, with the passage of this debacle, be sentencing me to death if it passes. Given the Bamster's chief medical advisor Dr. Death Ezekiel Emanuels', who covets the use to medical funds for younger people, position on health care for the elderly, we older folks are staring at a future of government bureaucrats determining our medical needs. I suspect, with good cause, funds will be provided in the very beginning of this liberal smorgasbord of congressional spending orgasm, but will soon be rationed as the shortage of doctors and nurses increases, the inclusion of everyone in the United States, and the increase of our Federal deficit by trillions of dollars thereby laying at the steps of our great grandchildren, a sum which will forever encumber them. All of this done in the name of compassion to give 12 million people, a 5% portion of the non participants in a medical plan, cradle to grave medical insurance. Notice I did not say coverage, I said Insurance. Bring to me a person who has been refused treatment and I'll give to you a complete change in my position. Since the prospect is dim, to say the least, I remain adamantly opposed to any such take over. I must, without reservation, implore you to contact your senator today. This vote tomorrow will not affect the youngest of our citizenry immediately but will, in a short amount of time, wrap the medical noose around our necks while promulgating freedom from medical treatment worry.

What's Really in the Pelosi Bill?

I infrequently post a column. This one by Betsy McCaughey examines the debacle and does it extremely well:

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.

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Associated Press

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.

The Healthcare Debacle

I'm shaking my head about the lunacy displayed to the House of Representatives yesterday. As I watched the debate Saturday afternoon and passing of the bill in the evening, I was struck by the utter lack of intelligence liberals have concerning the effect to our medical system and our economy.

Lets take a look at the Canadian Healthcare System. After 10 years with MANDATORY coverage, Canadian Doctors are leaving their practices in droves. Many young people are going into other fields so much so that Canada now ranks 26th out of 28th in its ratio of doctors to population. Canada once ranked high among it's number of physicians. The scary part is that unions, that's right, unions, control the Canadian Healthcare system. In Manitoba, there is an 8 month wait for colonoscopies because union's do not allow evening or weekend procedures. These unions are doing the same thing to Canada as our teachers unions are doing to American Education. Look at the recent rash of "Obama Songs" coming from our public school system long dominated by the liberal intelligentsia. Creativity in Canada has disappeared the same as creativity has disappeared from our public school system. Then again, examine the education coming out of Americas private schools. They're clearly more educated, go to better colleges, have a profound respect for God and Christian beliefs. The point is compare our private schools and private healthecare to our public schools and Canadian Healthcare. HUGE differences in quality.

Here is how it will affect our economy. Taxpayers get their money from jobs. Business owners get their money by selling products to consumers and pay their employees. Taxes will be raised to cover the cost of Obamacare. Consumers and business owners have less money purchase products. If we buy less products the business owner's income goes down. When the business owner's income goes down they lay off workers. The laid laid off workers suck from the government tit. Government has to raise taxes to fund unemployment transfer payments in addition to funding Obamacare. . The business owner has less money to pay their employees so they have to layoff additional employees. Liberal Idiots have trouble understanding there comes a point when business owners and taxpayers run out of money. They think tax money comes from the "Tooth Fairy" I heard a recent exchange with a Detroit radio station and a low income person standing in line to apply for up to $3000 (per person) in stimulus money. This people really thought the money was coming from Obama.

Here is the transcript:

Reporter: "Did you get an application to fill out yet?"

Woman: "I sure did, and I filled it out, and I am waiting to see what the results are going to be."

Reporter: "Will you know today how much money you're going to get?"

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.

This woman obviously is the product of the Detroit Public School system. This is typical of the average liberal.

Here is how this mess leaves us as taxpayers. This is a total economic collapse. I often hear we should "Tax the rich" . How much money do you think the rich have in total, a trillion dollars? If we take all of their money away it would have paid for our government for this past year. They would be out of money and could not replace it because they can invest their money that creates business's. Where do we get the rest of the money to fund the government? The fact is we can't. One last example of total government control. Up until 1959 Cuba had a thriving economy. Castro overthrew the government and institutes a communist regime. Cuba is back to peasant status. We are heading into that situation with the vote in the house yesterday. Hopefully the Senate can derail this Fascist Express. .