Comments on: Now There’s A Thought. Or Two…

By: Balls

Balls — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:29:23 +0000

> so Safeway does not like to hire overweight people and people who smoke; great lets ban or discourage smoking, I am sure the Republican’s tobacco buddies would approve; and where does it stop. will they not hire people with glasses next.

> what about the 50 mm uninsured; 25 mm under insured and those facing higher and higher costs from premiums every year; doing just what safeway does will not get one single additional person insured;

> preventive care is great and should be encouraged, but it will not solve the healthcare problems of the U.S.

> Safeway strike in California; was about the company eliminating healthcare benefits in the future. I think the real agenda here at Safeway is to eliminate the healthcare benefits of their employees, as they slowly take them away under the guise of supposively making people healther

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-04-2003/0002069727&EDATE=

By: Talk2ThePaw

Talk2ThePaw — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:29:22 +0000

Video: Oregon says no to chemotherapy, offers assisted suicide instead

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/03/video-oregon-says-no-to-chemotherapy-offers-assisted-suicide-instead/

And what is to say that care will also not be given to premies and other infants born with the need of million dollar NICU care. Rahm’s Emmanuel’s brother who is involved in the healthcare plan published remarks within the last 2 years that care would be on a Life Scale and those at the beginning and end (end beginning at 50) should not be given first preference in care dollars.

By: Ellen D

Ellen D — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:10:32 +0000

Sounds good. Why doesn’t the whole United States self-insure? I think it’s called Universal Healthcare.

By: Ellen D

Ellen D — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:00:02 +0000

Thank you both for your input.
Self insurance isn’t an option for the small businesses I run and I keep having visions of mandated employee aerobic classes like the morning training clips I have seen from companies in China and Japan.
Somehow I don’t think that would work in the U.S. We can’t even keep P.E. classes in the schools.

By: Nellie

Nellie — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:20:22 +0000

I worked at a private University that “Self Insured”. It meant they bought a large group policy, paid the deductibles for College staff, and then paid out of college funds for any pr5ocedures not covered, or those that cost over and above what the insurance allowed. The person who did the negotiating for a policy annually, and supervised payment of claims was located in the College Personnel Department.

By: DCMediagirl

DCMediagirl — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:00:44 +0000

Re: Safeway. He makes no mention of how high the premiums are, how many plans the employees have to choose from, how high the deductibles are and what services the plans offer. So while rewarding good behavior sounds great we have no idea of whether Safeway employees are satisfied with their coverage or not.

By: Diana

Diana — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:35:45 +0000

Here you go Amy, I tried sending you some things on your site. I don’t think they’re going through. I keep getting a refresh webpage/blank webpage when I click on submit after entering my info. If you scroll to the center of his page and enter just your name and email you’ll be added.

House Resolution 615
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Members who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, Federal Government run health insurance option are urged to forgo their right to participate
in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and agree to enroll under that public option.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 8, 2009
Mr. FLEMING (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. LINDER, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. SCALISE, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. BONNER, Mr. LAMBORN,
Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. AKIN, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Ms. FALLIN, Mr. COLE, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. PENCE, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. PITTS, Mr. POSEY, Mr. MARCHANT, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. POE of Texas, and Mr. BOUSTANY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Members who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, Federal Government run health insurance option are urged to forgo their right to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and agree to enroll under that public option.
1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2
resentatives that Members who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, Federal Government run health insurance option are urged to forgo their right to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program FEHBP) and agree to enroll under that public option.

http://fleming.house.gov/index.html

By: required reading

required reading — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:53:40 +0000

The “everyone in, no one out: period” model was the basis of the entire health care system in the Soviet Union — you’re going to need a few more criteria than “everyone in, no one out” if you want to avoid having your lawmakers create havoc, or worse.

By: elise

elise — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:28:01 +0000

Tricia, according to the last survey from Trust for Americas Health, Mississippi is the most Obese state followed closely by Alabama and West Virginia. Mississippi also has the distention of being the poorest state followed closely by Alabama.

I was raised in Mississippi, but now live in Colorado, the leanest state. The poverty in MS is appalling by any standards. Those who live below or at poverty level can’t afford to buy lean meat, fish or fresh fruits and vegetables. The food is MS is usually delicious. Like parts of Louisiana, they have learned to use spices in creative ways, but it is not health food.

Until the poverty can be eradicated and income parity established, it sounds a little smug and self-satisfied to advocate a system which would take away their meager salaries.

By: jbjd

jbjd — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:30:23 +0000

Anyone can write anything on a blog. These anecdotal health care personal disaster stories sound surprisingly similar. Government paid health insurance is not socialized medicine. Its single payer. Mix and match the best of the systems already operational (Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, UK, Germany). Fashion your optimal model and share it with your elected representatives. At this point, it would appear, we know as much about what could work as they do.

Here is my bottom line requirement for a health care plan I will support: everyone in; no one out. Period.

By: politicalidentitycrisis

politicalidentitycrisis — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:07:19 +0000

Hahahaha. Republicans used to turn my stomach! Now I find them very creative! Gotta love sending the angry calls to the DNC! Crap like that can win my vote and even a donation! These days, though, I’d be willing to vote for the people who actually read the bill and can show page numbers, etc. of the bad parts!

By: Tuppence411

Tuppence411 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:04:12 +0000

Dear Rev.- last night Greta did a story on Cleveland Clinic- a huge health care system that “self insures” their employees. Unbelieveable what they are accomplishing!! Free wellness programs, cash incentives for healthy behaviors, healthy food CHEAP! And the reforms within the hospitals- WOW. Cost saving measures that actually improve patient’s quality of care and make the hospitals run more efficently. What a change huh? Usually patients bear the brunt of any cost saving measures.

By: Tuppence411

Tuppence411 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:51:31 +0000

I take it Safeway “self-insures”. Meaning they hire an insurance company to administer their policy, but they assume all the risks. They pay-out claims and the administrative costs from the premiums collected. If they run into the red- oh well that’s Safeway’s problem, not the insurance companies. If they run a profit, it can go back to Safeway and the employees in reduced premiums and incentives. Most large health care systems, and some goverment entities, unions etc… run “self- insured” programs.

I am not worried about privacy. HIPPA and such cover that. The administering insurance company is still bound to those laws. What I would worry about with “self-insured” programs is their “nest egg”. Their ability to pay out a large number of unforeseen huge claims over a short peroid of time. Health insurance is regulated state by state. State “M” may require a self-insured to have a large sum of dedicated money set aside. State “A” may not. What happens State A if the company turns into an Enron or AIG????

By: Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:40:59 +0000

Thanks, HARP – that’s huge. Evidently they didn’t buy his claim that he was innocent…What is surprising is that it took them 5 days of deliberation!

So the RNC gave the DNC a taste of its own medicine? Serves them right for trying to squash dissent!

By: tzada

tzada — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:40:37 +0000

Sometimes I am embarassed to post so much. Wish there was a link to drop news items in for the writers of this blog to write about them. Researching is time consuming, I know I used to do it. That said I enjoyed it too.

Plus I am passionate about freedom and disgusted with Washington. Actually I am past disgust, fury is more apt.

Some people say, Americans cannot stick together. I say go ahead and underestimate our resolve.