What is a dollar really worth?  In medical terms.  We talk of the

devaluation of the dollar on international terms.  But never in

“medical” terms.  How much is your health care worth?  Is it

worth the same as any other commodity on the market?  Would

you buy and sell your health care like an old car?  ....

.. ..

So, what is your medical dollar worth?  Well, from the bits and

pieces of the hearings I’ve watched, its current value is around

40 - 50 cents.  The amendment process has revealed that the

Senate Finance Committee wants to increase your medical dollar

value to, I think, 85 cents.  What this means is … currently for

every dollar spent on actual health care … not the lobbying against

your interests via your congressional representatives … nor the

CEO salaries … nor the share holders’ commitments … nor the

advertising … for every dollar spent on actual health care, about

40 cents goes toward your actual “care.”  They “hope” to increase

that value to 85 cents out of every dollar.....

.. ..

What a steal !?....

.. ..

So, with the American experimental health care system, your

medical dollar value would be decreased to 85 cents … oops …

“increased” … right from the get-go.....

.. ..

And Americans stand in the streets demanding that not only “don’t

you dare raise the value of my medical dollar above half its actual

value” … “if you dare raise its value on our behalf … it better NOT

be FULL value … and remember to put some tips in the hips of

your ’local’ CEOs … 60 billion is good.”....

.. ..

I’m confused.....

Well, I know doctors live well.  But I don’t think most travel by

private jet.  Most aren’t driven everywhere they go.  I doubt most

live in multi-million dollar mansions.  So if I get to share 40 cents

of my current medical dollar with my actual health care provider …

... where does the other 60 cents go?  Hmm.  I wonder if my

prescription drug costs come out of the 40 cents or the 60 cents.

I know insurance executives live better than most doctors.  I know

pharmaceutical executives live better than doctors.....

.. ..

I know that as soon as I walk through the door of a clinic, hospital

or doctor’s office …....

.. ..

… my dollar is only worth 40 cents or so.....

.. ..

Even more simply …....

… why can’t my medical dollar …....

… be the same value as my other dollars?....

.. ..

I know I pay a higher rate for any commodity … so the inventors,

the manufacturers, the shippers … can all get paid.  I know my

dollar is not really a dollar when it comes down to the “actual costs”

of any given item.  But I don’t “need” a Snuggie (no offense) … I do

need water.  I don’t “need” a Blackberry (no offense) … I do need

food.  I don’t “need” a conversation, when I’m having a heart attack

… I do need a doctor, sometimes.....

.. ..

I don’t care what anyone thinks of “capitalism” … it is the way of

nature. It is ... Darwinism.  What civilized societies are supposed

to produce is something … above nature.  What religion is

supposed to provide is comfort, “guidance” and support.  They

sound like they have the same agenda … to rise above …

... capitalism.  Both seem to try to rise above the animalistic

“nature” that is the whole of capitalism.....

.. ..

Both fail miserably.....

.. ..

Religion may occasionally do “good” on an individual scale but with

the technology their “god(s)” has/have “provided” them … and an

ability to have an effect on a global scale … they fight the non-

religious (secular) means to achieve that … and spend their time

fighting each other on who is actually correct about “god” … like

anyone knows … using this technology toward that end, which

ultimately leads to “them in power” … and the rest of us fending for

ourselves  … rather than toward the goal they stake their claim to

existence on … to make this world better.....

.. ..

Government … of the people … by the people … and FOR the

people.  We have achieved the first … to some degree.  There are

actual representatives in our government that are from … and “of

the people.”....

.. ..

“By the people” … not so much.  I mean technically … yes, if the reps

are “of” then the legislation “they” produce is “by” but since they have

lobbyists and lawyers doing the actual scripting for the legislation

(and the money donated to “our” representatives is the evidence …

... why else would they donate?) … then this one is questionable…

... at least.....

.. ..

But the last one … truly tells whether the “government of the people”

is "on track" …

… or not.....

.. ..

Is what our government “produces” truly … “FOR the people.”  No,

it is not.  It is now and has been for a long, long time … FOR the

corporations … since they have been “legally” designated as

“individuals” and given the same “rights.”  Well, if the insurance

companies get the first 30 cents (so I hear) of every one of “my”

dollars … then they have been given priority rights over me … as an

individual.....

.. ..

And “for the people” … is no longer the plan.....

.. ..

And people are “fighting” in the streets on their, the corporations,

behalf … claiming government is the “evil” in the sheeps’ pen … yet

they have not noticed the “sheep” dressed as a “wolf” in their midst …

who hides behind corporate privacy rights to prevent anyone from

knowing what they do … or where YOUR dollars go.....

.. ..

In other curiosities … if corporations are “legally” considered

“individuals” … and our new “health care legislation” is “forcing”

individuals to “get healthy or pay fines or higher taxes on those

commodities “we,” the government, deem a financial strain on our

health care system thus driving up costs.”  Then why not be as

concerned for the “health” of corporations?  The government raises

sales taxes on everyday purchases by poor people … and their

justification … it’s not healthy and it strains our health care system.

Example:  obesity is a strain on health care so raise taxes on sugary

drinks to force people to modify their diets.  Healthier people lead to

a healthier health care system.  OK.  And if you can force

me as an “individual” to modify my behavior by fines, higher taxes,

etc … then wouldn’t that also apply to the “obese” nature of say …

corporations who are actually labeled “too big” ,,, they have been

labeled "fat cats" … and have been quite the strain on our

"economical system" ... which is said to be effected by the "health

care system."  So make them go on a diet ... tax and charge them

fees ...into poverty ... as is done to the rest of us "individuals."

.. ..

Get them to pay for health care.....

Americans have built them …....

… and have earned it.....

.. ..

I want my dollar to be a … dollar.  I don’t want to pay a middle man

whose only concern is the stock market value of my policy.  I don’t

want any of “my” dollars to go to the current CEOs who have been

ripping people off for decades.  They should be in jail … or hell …

rather than being rewarded for “rationing” care to only the wealthy.

I’ve said before … I’m no math wizard … but I know what my eyes

and ears are witnessing.  I know people who provide no health care

whatsoever … live in giant mansions because of the money they

make off of health care.  I know I and many of my friends and family

do not have health care … yet they, those in the health care industry,

live well … as if they had provided good health care for the world.

I know I was raised on a government program through the VA.  I

hear about the “wait” for health care in “government run programs” …

... and can vouch that during my childhood, when I had to go to the

VA hospital … I had to wait … sometimes an hour.  I know when I

turned 21 I lost that health care and have been without ever since …

... so my current wait has gone from one hour to … a couple of

decades.  I hear about “rationing” of health care if we have a public

insurance policy available … such as Medicare.  I know I have

already been “rationed” out of the entire system … and have been

for a couple of decades.  So that is an empty threat to say the least.

.. ..

Finally, the worst part of all of this is the unrecognized … not

discussed topic of the cost to those who simply pay cash as they

go … because they have been blessed to be relatively healthy and

may be nearing the end of their lives and do not seek your

“assistance.”  I know the cost of say pulling a tooth was once in the

range of $30 to $60.  They used the same anesthetic then … as

they use now.  They reach in and pull the tooth then just as they do

now.  They shoved gauze in your mouth, wrote a prescription for pain

and sent you home … then … just as they do now.  Nothing has

changed … except the price.  Now, it runs in the range of $150 or

more.  What has changed?  More people have been added to the

“pay chain” to increase to final cost.  Insurance.  But for those who

have no insurance and only go to the doctor every few years … the

cost has risen for them as well.  How is this fair?  And now … to

them … you say “buy insurance or pay a fine of a couple thousand

dollars per year.” A Medicare system for all with an overhead of 3%

… as opposed to the health insurance industry’s 30% … is the only

“just” way to provide a “need” to Americans.  We don’t go to the

doctor because it’s entertaining.  We don’t go to the doctor because

it is educational.  We don’t go to the doctor because it is a hobby.

We go to the doctor … because it is a human need.  Not far removed

from water, food and shelter … yet, we, in our “American experiment”

… have decided it’s just another commodity ... equal to the importance

of my right to own a pair of roller skates. So much for "compassionate

conservatism."

C-Ya

Pam-I-Am
....