Happy Independance Day!

[rayvyn2k]

To all the Americans on my f-list. To the Brits--erm, God Save the Queen? Ahem. Sorry about that whole Revolution thing. Really, it probably would have been better for everyone if we'd just stayed part of the Empire. But you can't have everything.

Anyway-- droxy posting "Stars and Stripes Forever" led me to YouTube to try to find other patriotic music and this was the best of the lot:

Comments

[droxy.livejournal.com]

Happy 4th. Frankly, now, there is very little difference I can see between the UK and the USA, except they have better beer and lemon sherberts and we have better dentists.

- I love the penguin! =)

[rayvyn2k.livejournal.com]

Well, there's the whole National Health Service they have, which may have it's faults but at least everyone is covered.

And you're right, our dentists do seem a bit better, I adore mine. ;)

Looking forward to listening to the Boston Pops' version of that song, which is my very favorite. I only wish it was still on PBS with no commercials like it used to be...

[droxy.livejournal.com]

You might find boston pops on u tube or netflix..

I love my dentist!

The HC law is up held by the court as a tax. It's there, in all it's shitty, no-reform glory, the only difference is it will be insurance provided by the govt. ( I read the law..I know what is in it and what is not) So we are now like Europe with all the costs but none of the benefits. I'd really like to see how the hell it's all going to get paid for, and it's not going to be cheaper than buying insurance if you've learned the cost/pricing of this. The HC law's goal is to --reduce spending-- on HC, there is no language in the law on **reducing costs**. That means wait times and denial of service with no recourse. So those who are denied service by the govt insurance will have to pony up extra money to get care outside the system. Your life offically has as an actuarial monetary value based on your education and job type. So if your life isn't worth the "HC investment", you get told to go to hospice. =)

Plus the law has something like 237 too be determineds (TBDs) and 61 back door open loop accesses to allow unvoted changes. But that's just me nit picking poorly constructed/ ambiguous/or even possibly deceptive legislation.

I can hardly wait for the effieciency party to begin!

[rayvyn2k.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm one of those on the side of "it's better than nothing", even with all of its flaws. I think America should have something modeled on the UK or Canada's health care, but there's too much insurance company lobbyist money involved in Washington and I don't know how "we the people" can ever overcome those deep pockets.

I am very fortunate to have health insurance through my job, even though even those rates have gone up so much we have a 1k deductible. But, better that than the alternative. Especially with my recent health issues.

[droxy.livejournal.com]

I have a HC account, then nice thing is I can put away money before taxes and it rolls over. This is automatic 20% discount on care. I am throwing as much money as possible into that, because when the law kicks in I will be 55, which is a cut off in the actuarial tables. I wish it was a case of something is better than nothing, but it's really not. It heavily penalizes people with existing insurance and also those who don't opt in (can't or wont pay for insurance), and makes it unlawful to self insure. The HC law may put charity hospitals out of business do to "community group governence" requirements, which seems oxymoronic because these folks provide services to the poor! (sounds like a power and liberty grab by the nanny state to me, but that's opinion) I know reading the law is an effing chore. But it is important to really understand what it is.

Part of the high cost is consumers don't research HC like they would to buy a car. I read in consumer's reports that there are ways to get 20K surgeries for 1,500 (e.g outpatient). The costs of cat scans varies, a lot.

I agree, if you are going to social HC, they should have just went whole hog on it. Frankly, I'd liek to see the whole health insurance industry just go away and we go back to cash on this, services were much cheaper when insurance did not exist.

We the people can, if we the people all paid one dollar into a citizen lobby group for one cause and one cause only. Because money talks and bullshit walks and it doesnt matter what party it is.

FWIW this wont get repealed. Govt likes to grow.

[rayvyn2k.livejournal.com]

Ain't that the truth?