Saturday, February 27, 2010

Azaleas still glorious and Health Care Plan reform still questionable with workers to suffer if it fails!

Doc's Valentines Day gift continues to give me much pleasure. I took the photo above to show him how it still blooms, since he does not get up to my apartment but seldom. I read a detailed account of what is happening with the Health Care Bill in Congress this morning in the Arizona Republic.
Before I report on that I want to reiterate that I would like to see everyone in the US get health care. I have received health care since I was disabled at the age of 54, and with my income low, I qualified for medicaid to cover what medicare eventually did not. It does not make sense to me for the working poor to be forced to live without health care while the disabled and seniors are now I think adequately covered by medicaid and medicare. We can't help but reap the consequences, all of us, for not being more concerned about the needs of the workers.
No wonder there is so much motivation to get disability benefits when years of neglect because of lack of insurance may deteriorate health. We should be treating our workers as valuable people, because if we don't, our workforce may diminish to the point that we haven't enough healthy people to pay for all these benefits. It's fast getting that way with obesity on the rise as well as other addictions that may rob people of years of work life.
I think all addictions are fed by frustration and lack of enough motive to stay well. WE ARE NOT CONCERNED ENOUGH WITH THE WORKERS!!! I don't know how I can reiterate that enough. We must do more in this country to better their lives. I thought that when I was working and I still think it after close to 18 years on disability, SSI, Social Security, Medicare, including pay now for drug costs, and State Aid for what medicare does not cover as well as living in subsidized housing.
Congress thought to listen to those who believed seniors should get a better deal, but who is really keeping in mind all the time any country's need for a strong, healthy, vital working force?
Now it is heart breaking to read of so many out of work, struggling, some among the older workers fearful they will never be able to find jobs again in this bad economy. What is to become of them? Will we see hundreds of discouraged long unemployed people standing in line to soup kitchens, sleeping God knows where, as we did during the darkest days of the depression in the thirties?
I was reading that more teenagers have lost their part time jobs than the numbers who lost their jobs in the depression. That is not a good sign. These teenagers I know are going to run up big school debts if they just opt to stay in school and have to keep borrowing money to finish their course of study in colleges. I know young people out of college who are experiencing real hardship paying their school debts with the jobs they have been able to find in hard times.
So there is much to be concerned about as well as health care. I have not had to worry about details of my health care plan for years as those with private insurance plans have to. These are the people we need to listen to as the democrats and President Obama try to hammer out a health care plan that will best serve the people that has a chance of passing.
I do not want to see government abortion funding. That's a given. The government cannot get into the business of abortion, it simply can't. This is an issue that too many people find too troubling. President Obama and other democrats have offered a compromise in the Senate version which the influential Counsel of Catholic Bishops still do not approve, so I believe that they are concerned about abortion funding getting into the law with a supposed stipulation requiring a check for the procedure to be sent to the insurer by the woman seeking an abortion. Why not just ban abortion funding instead of allowing it in the plan which would seem like an endorsement of the procedure.
I do not think Republicans are doing enough for the workers if they stick with no change. They have been instrumental in getting drugs paid for by medicare. They have taken care of the seniors. Now how about giving the workers a break?

2 comments:

Cheryl said...

It's time to move from only receiving coverage if you have the right job. Work decisions should not be made based on insurance needs and that is what is happening regularly now. It's also appalling to see what the self employed have to deal with in getting insurance. Just in my immediate family, one has to settle for insurance with an $8,000 deductible just to afford insurance and another saw a yearly increase from $9,000 to $22,000 so went for 2 years without insurance. That just can't be the norm. After watching the health care summit, I still haven't heard one republican idea. It's time to do something. I home the dems are able to get it done now.

Jeanie said...

Hello Gerry

Thanks for calling by my journal. It is strange that your computer desn't show the Header photograph but that Doc's does.
The lake water in it is so blue because of the clear blue winter skies in it.
I have changed it again this morning as I felt it has been up there too long now.
Reading your debate on health care, not that I know too much about American health care you understand, it makes sense to me that what you propose would benefit the workers.
Here in Britain we have our Nation Health Service where contributions are taken directly from your wages.
Dental care is not free for us but National Health Dentists do not charge the full rate if you are lucky to find one! Most dentists have gone private now.
I am always amzed at your prolific writing! I need to get my skates on to catch up with you after being away so long!
Take care
Love
Jeanie xxxx


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