Don’t give up the public option without the following:

I’ve read that the Democrats are ready to compromise on the public option portion of the health care reform act. I think it’s a mistake. And  I hope the Democrats use all of their power  to lock the insurance companies in for hundreds of years.

• Specifically there should be no loop holes that will later allow insurance companies to deny people coverage because of pre-existing coverage.
• There should be no wiggle room for insurance personnel to later delete risky patients from the roles.
• There should be caps on how frequently and by how much they can raise premiums.
• There should be clear time frames for reimbursing patients.
• There should be some preliminary legal proceeding to handle the bullshit insurance companies use to delay payment.
• You should be freely entitled to the coverage you are promised without needing unnecessary insurance bureaucrats  deciding your health care.
• If your doctor says you need it, that should be good enough.
• There should be a provision to re-evaluate the public option within a few years.
• Most importantly, there must be a government chief to oversee insurance companies.

On second thought-screw your opponents-fight for the public option and get the job done! Ok, before you decide not to view the video because its Ralph Nader-ask yourself- is there any truth in what he is saying? And if so, why isn’t anyone else saying it?

Should I let me kid ride the “Zipper” at the Carnival?

My family spent the day at a town carnival. Let me state up front, I hate those things. The rides freak me out. And I don’t know how they do it, but they always seem to find guys with missing or damaged teeth and tattoos to run the rides.

Fortunately, my sons are way into going on rides together. Even still, I came prepared with some malox tablets in case I got called into action. My boys are pretty daring, but today I learned there are limits.

Let’s put it this way, as I heard my sons get locked into the “zipper”-a cage like object that  flips and flops upwards, I had some doubts. But this is why God gave us “denial.” And then I heard the shouts from the sky, “get me out of here!!!!” Yes , those were my sons.

The carny reassured me he was bringing them down.(pause-who you may rightly ask-seeks parental “reassurance” from a carny.) He said, “the little one was a bit under height regs, but I planned to keep an eye on him.” And then he pointed out, “this rides been around for a long time, so long. In fact, I remember it from when I was kid…..I just never realized I’d be operating one of these things. “

As our kids came running into our arms, I knew what they were thinking…”WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU_HOW COULD YOU LET US GO UP IN THAT CAGE!!!” And that is when I knew, unlike many teachable moments, this was a therapy moment. One I imagine we’ll be hearing about for many years to come.

The Beginning of Our Family Road Trip

The bags are packed. The DVDs and Cd’s have been collected . We will be leaving for summer vacation.  We will drive 19-20 hours with our 7 and  5year old boys. It will begin with tremendous optimism about the journey. The car will be spotless and have that fresh new car smell. We will  fill our stomachs with healthy snacks,bottled water, and  fruit.

But sooner than we expect, we’ll stop at a  highway Mc Donald’s. At first, we’ll stick to salads, fajita sandwiches, and happy meals. We’ll continue to be hopeful as we arrive at the U shaped halls of the Comfort Inn. We’ll adapt to the musty curtains, heavy floral print sheets, covers, and erratic air conditioning  because its our first night on the road. And as the the kids jump from bed to bed, I will complain about the room. My wife will then remind me  that we’ get a free breakfast in the morning. And then all is good.

No doubt, we’ll be shocked to see how many people will be sharing our carbo loaded  ”free” breakfast with us. The kids will be excited about the unhealthy cereal choices and doughnuts. And my wife and I will remark on this amazing product called, “waffle off.” While we’ve never seen it anywhere else in the world, we always find it at the Comfort Inn’.

What you may ask is “Waffle Off?” It is a spray used to clean off the waffle makers in between uses at the “Cont Breakfast,” (continental breakfast.) However  I’m still unclear as to which continent started this breakfast tradition.

After filling up our tummy’s and the tank, we’ll continue our journey until one of the boys shouts, ”why we aren’t at Grandma’s house yet?”

90 day Writing Challenge, day 90: Charles Nelson Reilly and the End of the Ascot?

On my way to work, I noticed a man who looked depressed wearing a tie that was splattered up with color. I wonder why men must still subject themselves to wearing the noose other than for a very formal occasion. And then a more important question came to me, why didn’t the ascot ever make it?

Think about it- an ascot would be more comfortable than a tie. I’m sure there is more that one could do with them than wear them like Mr. Howell on Gilligan’s Island. Why didn’t it catch on or at least come back in a new form?  I think it’s time. We are living in changing times. Someone needs to send President Obama an ascot-change we can believe in.

And just when I was about to push for real reform-tie reform- I remembered Charles Nelson Reilly. Once he donned an ascot, forget it for the rest of us.

90 day challenge, day 77: Isn’t ironic that Illinois is the home of Honest Abe?

It’s finally happened. I’m tired of cynically accepting Illinois politics as usual. It’s an embarrassment!  The political incest in this state is over the top. It’s time to simply clean house.

How many more Daley’s, Strogers, or Madigan’s do we need in public office? And where else do you hear people suggest that one ethnic group is entitled to a Senate seat or County office? As for Governor, given our corrupt history with both parties, let’s go for a three peat and get another corrupt governor.

I hope some obscure candidates run for the Senate seat and for Governor. In fact, I hope an openly recovering alcoholic or drug addict who ran a prostitution ring, did time in jail, got his or her GED, and finished college and law school in jail, runs for office. I’d rather have a candidate run with all their scars and wounds showing at the start of the race. At least, I’d know what I’m getting from the start.

90 day Challenge, day 55: Democratic Senators Should Push For Single Payer Health, Not Worry About Private Insurance Companies!

The facts are in. According to a NY TImes/CBS poll, Amerians overwhelmingly want a government run insurance plan. More specifically, 72% endorse a plan similar to Medicare for people under 65. Moreover Americans are willing to pay the bill so everyone has health coverage. In fact 6 in 10 said they would do so, while 4 in 10 would be willing to pay as much as $500.00 a year. So the question as raised, by Paul Krugman, is why are a handful of Democratic senators determined to kill the public option?

Why are they wasting their time talking about health cooperatives and state public health  plans? Americans have indicated they are more concerned about the  rising cost than they are about the quality of healthcare. As Krugman points out,these alternative plans don’t “ have the financial stability and bargaining power needed to bring down health care costs.”  Why are these senators so concerned with responding to the needs of the insurance companies more than us?

It is time for the President and Democrats to take charge and push for true reform- single payer health plan. If you don’t believe me, check out what the facts from the American Journal of Public Health.

Key Features of Single-Payer

• Universal, Comprehensive Coverage
  Only such coverage ensures access, avoids a two-class system, and minimizes expense
• No out-of-pocket payments
  Co-payments and deductibles are barriers to access, administratively unwieldy, and unnecessary for cost containment
• A single insurance plan in each region, administered by a public or quasi-public agency
  A fragmentary payment system that entrusts private firms with administration ensures the waste of billions of dollars on useless paper pushing and profits. Private insurance duplicating public coverage fosters two-class care and drives up costs; such duplication should be prohibited
• Global operating budgets for hospitals, nursing homes, allowed group and staff model HMOs and other providers with separate allocation of capital funds
  Billing on a per-patient basis creates unnecessary administrative complexity and expense. A budget separate from operating expenses will be allowed for capital improvements
• Free Choice of Providers
  Patients should be free to seek care from any licensed health care provider, without financial incentives or penalties
• Public Accountability, Not Corporate Dictates
  The public has an absolute right to democratically set overall health policies and priorities, but medical decisions must be made by patients and providers rather than dictated from afar. Market mechanisms principally empower employers and insurance bureaucrats pursuing narrow financial interests
• Ban on For-Profit Health Care Providers
  Profit seeking inevitably distorts care and diverts resources from patients to investors
• Protection of the rights of health care and insurance workers
  A single-payer national health program would eliminate the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people who currently perform billing, advertising, eligibility determination, and other superfluous tasks. These workers must be guaranteed retraining and placement in meaningful jobs.

from the American Journal of Public Health January 2003, Vol 93, No.1

90 day writing challenge, day 54: Do married couples still go on walks?

My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary by going on a very long walk and simply talking. Its something we used to do without consideration when we were dating. But today, it requires scheduling the time and getting a sitter. From the time we leave till we return, it feels like we fill each other in on the details of our lives. I love it.

90 day Writing Challange, day 46: Poll-Does the U.S. need a government health insurance plan for everyone?