I spent most of my day today...

[Okla-homey]

and much of yesterday trying to get my brain around a horribly complicated, inartfully drafted, confusing federal Medicare/Medicaid statute that frankly, an above-average seventh grader could have done a better job writing.

In fact, the subject statute, about forty pages in length, is so jacked-up there are literally scores of boutique law firms around the Fruited Plain that make a fine living just interpreting it and advocating on behalf of clients (docs, patients, insurance companies) who must navigate its nooks, crannies, swamps, traps and dead-ends to avoid fines, or worse.

Now, I know I've made my position clear on Obama-care, and some of you may perceive this post as more anti-Obama stuff. But here's the thing. This statute was last amended on W's watch, and came out of 'Pub Congress.

The fact is, when gubmint commences to farkle with your health care and making rules regarding same, that is a recipe for disaster in terms of ordinary folks' ability to understand to what they're entitled and more importantly, how to stay out of the hoosegow for doing something wrong they honestly didn't understand was wrong when they did it.

Thanks for listening. I feel better. Sort of.:O

[OUHOMER]

Well, I am glad you clear that all up ;

[olevetonahill]

Why use 10 words, when 10,000 will do ?

[StoopTroup]

Vasectomies can be tricky.

Never let Congress diddle the scrote.

[tidalmouse]

My Head Hurts. :confused:

[SunnySooner]

Try helping your parents figure out which Medicare supplement is best for them...oh, the horror. I'm still having nightmares.

[btk108]

homey...^5...we needta drink a beer

[Fraggle145]

The fact is, when gubmint commences to farkle with your health care and making rules regarding same, that is a recipe for disaster in terms of ordinary folks' ability to understand to what they're entitled and more importantly, how to stay out of the hoosegow for doing something wrong they honestly didn't understand was wrong when they did it.

Here is what I dont get... So because it is already ****ed up we should let it stay all ****ed up and not try to improve it?

I mean there has to be some way to make it better...

[Okla-homey]

Here is what I dont get... So because it is already ****ed up we should let it stay all ****ed up and not try to improve it?

I mean there has to be some way to make it better...

I'm all for improvement.

But look, HTF can we expect 4000 pages cobbled together in four weeks, mostly by lobbyists of course because people elected to Congress do not write the bills, to be an improvement over the status quo? Not bloody likely. It'll just be a mish-mash of stuff about which we'll be years discovering the catastrophic unintended consequences.

And why the flippin' rush? Simply because the longer it takes to get Obama-care into law, the less likely it will get done.

[Fraggle145]

I'm all for improvement.

But look, HTF can we expect 4000 pages cobbled together in four weeks, mostly by lobbyists of course because people elected to Congress do not write the bills, to be an improvement over the status quo? Not bloody likely. It'll just be a mish-mash of stuff about which we'll be years discovering the catastrophic unintended consequences.

And why the flippin' rush? Simply because the longer it takes to get Obama-care into law, the less likely it will get done.

So then how long should we expect to wait to ever get anything changed/finished/fixed etc...? When is it ever okay then to move away from the status quo in any situation?

[JohnnyMack]

And why the flippin' rush?

The 2010 elections?

[JohnnyMack]

So then how long should we expect to wait to ever get anything changed/finished/fixed etc...? When is it ever okay then to move away from the status quo in any situation?

At what point is the right answer, "encourage personal responsibility" or "reduce waste" or (I know this is heretical) "reduce spending"? Nothing that has come out of this plan has been about reducing costs or encouraging people to take care of themselves, it's a giant entitlement program.

[Fraggle145]

At what point is the right answer, "encourage personal responsibility" or "reduce waste" or (I know this is heretical) "reduce spending"? Nothing that has come out of this plan has been about reducing costs or encouraging people to take care of themselves, it's a giant entitlement program.

I'm not talking about this program specifically...
I'm just saying in general. How the **** to we get anything done if all we are trying to do is avoid having the government to anything because they usually **** it up?

I mean is there no point to trying to actually fix something that is already ****ed up?

[btk108]

he just skipped over my free beer offer, didn't he?

[Okla-homey]

I'm not talking about this program specifically...
I'm just saying in general. How the **** to we get anything done if all we are trying to do is avoid having the government to anything because they usually **** it up?

I mean is there no point to trying to actually fix something that is already ****ed up?

See, at the risk of oversimplification, there are two kinds of people in this country. The fundamental difference between the two camps are one group thinks government can and should solve social problems and the other group thinks governement should stay out of things because when it wades in to "fix" something, it tends to make things worse.

[StoopTroup]

Here is what I dont get... So because it is already ****ed up we should let it stay all ****ed up and not try to improve it?

I mean there has to be some way to make it better...

Stop requiring Doctors to carry massive amounts of insurance? Reduce Law Suit Awards that won't result in the plaintiff getting better? Stop Doctors who are negligent from ever practicing Medicine again? Require Doctors, Nurses, Dentists and Chiropractors to submit to DOH National Drug Screening much the same as the DOT does for Pilots and related?

Hey maybe those won't work either....we should just go back to slugging whiskey and Laudanum and just manning up.

[My Opinion Matters]

See, at the risk of oversimplification, there are two kinds of people in this country. The fundamental difference between the two camps are one group thinks government can and should solve social problems and the other group thinks governement should stay out of things because when it wades in to "fix" something, it tends to make things worse.

lol.

[TUSooner]

***
And why the flippin' rush? Simply because the longer it takes to get Obama-care into law, the less likely it will get done.

Kazactally. Whenever someone says, "You have to take it NOW or leave it!" I leave it.


And I feel your pain re: reading statutes, though I'm sure the stuff I read -- even immigration law -- is a model of clarity compared to what you've got to deal with.

[1890MilesToNorman]

I would like to add an amendment to the bill mister speaker!

"This amendment renders the previous 10,000 pages in this bill null and void"

[Frozen Sooner]

There are two types of people in the world. Those who massively oversimplify things and those who don't.

:D

[Fraggle145]

See, at the risk of oversimplification, there are two kinds of people in this country. The fundamental difference between the two camps are one group thinks government can and should solve social problems and the other group thinks governement should stay out of things because when it wades in to "fix" something, it tends to make things worse.

So then we agree: The government ****ed it up.

So now the question still remains...

How do we fix it?

Can we fix it without the government once the government has already ****ed it up?, Does the government now have to fix it?, Or do we remain satisfied with something that is ****ed up and act happy about it?

[NormanPride]

So then we agree: The government ****ed it up.

So now the question still remains...

How do we fix it?

Can we fix it without the government once the government has already ****ed it up?, Does the government now have to fix it?, Or do we remain satisfied with something that is ****ed up and act happy about it?

The problem lies with the fact that the Government can't seem to go backwards - just forwards. There is no way they come back later and say "sorry, we screwed that up, let's just stop doing it. Go back to the way you were before!"

The government only knows how to slap more paint on the atrocious lawn art it calls social programs. Removing it is out of the question.

[JohnnyMack]

So then we agree: The government ****ed it up.

So now the question still remains...

How do we fix it?

Can we fix it without the government once the government has already ****ed it up?, Does the government now have to fix it?, Or do we remain satisfied with something that is ****ed up and act happy about it?

Go to any hospital in this country and spend 30 minutes in the ER waiting room. Look around at the people who are sitting there waiting for care. More often than not you'll see people who don't have insurance waiting to be treated for their random ailment. They know they don't have any money to pay for the services, the hospital knows they don't have any money for services but they're required to treat them and move them out. So the hospital has to cover its expenses, in doing so it shifts the cost over to people who do have money or do have insurance. Now though if you do have insurance the hospital is going to charge you X amount for your services along with a % of Y, Y being the money they're owed by those people who never paid their bill. That's the reason people are screeching about costs being out of control. To me, simply giving those people in the waiting room of the ER insurance (that is paid for by taxes off of income earned by people who already have insurance) is not going to reduce the cost of health care. It's simply going to shift the burden from the private sector (Hospitals & Insurance Companies) to the Government. The whole "uninsured Americans" and "Insurance Companies make too much money!" lines are nothing but red herrings that are distracting us from the fact that there is a growing constituency out there that thinks, maybe even expects these sort of entitlements from Washington. Add on top of that that we as a culture are becoming increasingly sedentary and we're eating worse and worse and you have a recipe for an underfunded disaster if the American people are given "free" health care.

My suggestion is to make sure that every child under the age of 18 has access to health care. That every one below the poverty level has access to health care (medicaid). That every one aged 65 and higher has access to health care (medicare). The rest of them can go out and buy insurance from companies who are allowed to sell their policies on a nation wide level. I would also like to see a tax credit allowed for those policies that are bought by people earning under a certain amount. A simple line item added to the 1040 form that allows you to deduct a good portion of your out of pocket expense from what you paid in. Until people are encouraged to take some initiative into making their lives better, the line for people expecting something for nothing is only going to get longer.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Here's the thing. If it is so wordy, then there must be flaws. I don't see why they need all this government intervention. No place in any time frame, ever, has any government ever succeeded in producing something better than what a private business and a free economy could do. We see today, government employees now average over $70K and the number of employees over $100K have never ever been greater.

[jaux]

REVOLUTION!
kinda like the French one in about 2060

[StoopTroup]

It took me 30 minutes to fill out paperwork at a Urgent Care facility that I had been to 10 times before. They basically see you as a New Patient every time you go in.

Talk about a waste of money.

Insurance Companies arguing with Doctors over patient care in the discovery phase when they are trying to help their patient. More insanity.

[sooner ngintunr]

And why the flippin' rush?

State of the Union Address. If this doesn't get passed before then, he will have accomplished nothing in his first year.

[OklahomaTuba]

If this doesn't get passed before then, he will have accomplished nothing in his first year.

B+

[85Sooner]

When was it written?

[Okla-homey]

When was it written?

This particular statute, was signed into law by W in December 2007.