Yesterday a gunman assassinated the chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, as he arrived at a meeting of investors in New York City.
Let me say once again that health INSURANCE is not the same as health CARE, especially as it is practiced in this country, especially as it is embodied in the the phony Medicare Advantage system.
Putting profits over people has nothing to do with health care.
And we need to keep reminding people (I think I heard that another woman has died in Texas), abortion is just small part of health care.
Go to Mass-Care (https://masscare.org/muni-calc/) to have someone in your town's HR department determine how much your town could save in health insurance with a Medicare for All system. My town of fewer than 9,000 would have saved more than $2,000,000, and the employees would have saved about $2,000 had the proposed legislation passed last year. Since national single payer seems out of reach, we are working on it on the state level, as are people in other states. If we had a single payer system here, perhaps there would be one more rich health insurance mogul alive today.
And people would get the care they need. But Elon and chump will fix everything. No need for another election ever. Maybe we are a nation of suckers and losers… at least half anyway
I read book, many years ago, called “A Nation of Sheep”. I can’t remember the author, as I was a young woman and am now 79. However, it’s seems to me forty eight million people would fit the description. My heart breaks for my daughter and grandchildren.
kdsherpa, I noticed that you are a retired Psychiatrist. You have any insight into the idea that humans, by nature, by genetics, by culture are mostly followers? I get that we here, are paying attention to HCR and what she has to say. I tend to think that she is a leader and we are following her insightful lead, would you agree? Of course, those of us on the left want to think we know better, we're smarter, they are stupider. The thing is, that they (mostly followers) have been gathered into a tribe, a cult, a culture and they vote and they buy guns and ammunition. they've thrown progressivism overboard. We on the left have just discovered that reason, logic, critical thinking, equality, human rights...you know, all that smart insightfully kind stuff that we value has somehow become valueless to the followers. I think about human origins, how we are apes, social creatures, how a lot of the way we were in the primitive times remains in our biological makeup. I think how almost all human societies are inclined to manifest hierarchically and how does that work for a nation like ours built on laws and science? And hell, technology and social media platforms and Christianity that isn't Christlike. We smarties aren't good at being in charge and we don't know what to do about it Yeuchh. Glad your hubby was a former Buddhist monk. that's cool.
Terry, first the AMA stood in the way during the New Deal. Since then every attempt at this has been stymied by the powerful insurance industry. I had a cousin who worked in the insurance industry as a peon. First, they would not accommodate her needs at her work station. She finally ended up working with United Health Care as the companies where she worked were absorbed by them. She called them United Death Care.
The insurance industry could still exist and make good money in the event that we actually get single payer ( medicare for all). The government program would cover everyone, but not everything. For those who want special care ( specific ortho, critical care services late in life, or life extending treatment in the face of old age and poor prognosis, fancy new drugs,ect). Many would pay for these policies. The market would be competitive. Basic and effective healthcare for all would clearly need to be limited to treatment shown to be effective and affordable. We have plenty of good effective treatments that are affordable. At a fraction of what we pay now. This would protect the people from the industry. Yes, rich people would get better care. Just like they have better homes and cars. Nothing new there. But the industry would no longer be making a billions off of working taxpayers who also buy insurance to care for people who cannot afford to contribute. This structure would provide care for everyone, and protect the working people from excessive costs and bankruptcy.
Really not sure how these people sleep at night. Well, in a dark way, I do know now with this murdered executive. This era is not for those whose careers have collapsed and lost most of their money (e.g., me). 💔
Obviously, self-pity does not work; but I am acutely aware, these days, of the high level of low living among the unprincipled and the declining level of decent living within the middle and labouring classes. 😢
All that ambivalence on the table, however, does not excuse wanton murder. The assassin is no folk hero; worse than the man he shot dead. Anyone else wondering if the man-hunt under way parallels the ending of 'Fahrenheit 451'? 😱
I met Senator Bernie Sanders at a Oakland hills village coffee shop the day after Bernie announced his "Medicare for All" policy in San Francisco a couple of years back. I shook hand & we chatted briefly about medical treatment billing practices. Bernie was & is on the right track; we must take profit incentives out of healing humans.
Bernie Sanders was right! And Dems in power fought him tooth and nail, I believe, out of greed. He's still right, and has more integrity in his pinkie toe than most politicians. Look at how Big Insurance funds those on Capitol Hill. When they did that to Bernie, I left the Dems to register as Independent, and I know I'm not the only one. I would like to say I don't condone murder, by assassination, nor by denial of services or claims for profit's sake.
As Kamala's campaign revealed, Democrats are seeking the center, including moderate Republicans. In light of the madness on the far right, this seems reasonable. However, I wish it were possible to have a strong and competitive Progressive party rather than the Bernies and AOCs having to latch onto the Dems. They will always be side-lined in that case.
The Dems sidelined Bern to their demise in 2016. When will they figure out that voters want change! People voted for trump because they are not happy with the establishment. Twice now! As the Dems keep cramming corporate purple moderates down our throats. We don’t need to move to the middle. I have been a lifelong Democrat, i think i am ready to change party affiliation now. Bernie spoke truth and logic to power and people loved it. We need more of that…
Bernie was and is up against a long history of seeing that this did and does not come to fruition. Two operatives hired by the AMA scuttled the idea during the New Deal. These Truths by Jill Lapore has a segment on this. The two of them went on to aid and abet Rs for quite a while. Our neighbor's daughter is a cardiac nurse up in Portland and she says the system is broken. I would agree. We all wait for some insurance company to decide if we can have the MRI, etc. while suffering in pain. And this is not life threatening as are some of their decisions. My take is that they would rather see people die than pay.
Of course they would rather see people die than pay for the treatment. That's how they rake in the money. We couldn't have those poor CEOs go without their bonuses of $38 million, now could we?
Brian, using the calculator is the first step. Then we need to present the info to the people in charge--in my town, the Board of Selectman and the Finance Committee. Next, vote on it at Town Meeting. Finally, present the savings data to our legislators. And primary them if they don't vote for the bill. : ). It's a process, and it takes time and effort, but it's something concrete that we can do to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors..
People in the US pay more per patient for their healthcare than Canadians do with national Medicare for all. The Canadian system is stretched thin and has many flaws but it still is better than what most American citizens get - unless you are wealthy enough to just pay for it yourself in which case, they have excellent health care. It shouldn't be just for rich people. Every citizen deserves access to excellent health care. Most citizens want it but Republicans dominate through gerrymandering and voter restrictions. You are losing your democracy down there.
How can we get in on that deal?? Seriously, I'm willing to move to Canada when we retire, but there doesn't seem to be a "retirement immigration" option.
Agreed national single payer seems (for foreseeable future) out of reach.Physicians For A National Health Plan has links for most states. Mass-Care is included.
But instead, they banded together to put a pack of criminal grifters in charge of all branches of the federal government (and most state governments, too). Apparently, most voters prefer whining to solutions.
Just to be a little fair here, Democrats have had ample opportunities to pass a single payer plan and have refused to do it every time. In general the politics of single payer don't seem to look "good" in our current system. If both parties oppose this, it will be very difficult to achieve change in the foreseeable future.
With citizens united :( it's hard to get anything done - the billionaires just pay lobbyists to bribe congress and wala stagnation and the rich get richer...
Democrats passed the closest thing to M4all that it was possible to pass with the legislature the voters put in place. Clinton tried for “something better.” Obama learned that “something better” was impossible and put in place something that is a vast improvement over what we had before. I don’t know who allowed private companies like United Healthcare to grift Medicare, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that rethugs pushed it through.
Why does no one ever publicly say who is voting against these bills that would help so much. Let me guess. Is it a specific party? Why isn't this screamed out every day? On the front page of every newspaper. I want names.
The MA legislature is one of the least transparent in the country. Our new auditor is about to use the power that we just gave her in a ballot measure to audit the legislature. Groups like ActOnMass are trying to get people to demand answers from their legislators. When a legislator can proclaim support of a bill and even co-sign, there is no way to know how they voted on it in committee.
He’s been pretty quiet these past number of days…not much TV face time happening (it’s all been focused on his selections & Congress)….wonder if he’s hiding, or if his handlers are hiding him….hmmmm. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, about not seeing/hearing him…quite the opposite!
I'm old enough to wonder if my final years will be soiled by having him as prezident. He's already done a bad enough number over the past 10 years, throughout my 60's.
I am 85. I do not expect America to ever awaken. If it does "awaken", it will be to the horror of what it, being a major force on the planet, has created. It's VERY disturbing.
We have lived during enormous progress; I think during your and my life time, industrialized countries have used and used up the majoring of the earth's resources. The USA is the major producer and consumer of everything.
There was little thought of leaving enough for the future. When people say they want to insure their grandchildren's futures....I think: Good God!, how self centered! What about the future of those 10,000 years away???
kd, i am in my early 80s and do not appreciate what is happening to the elderly or ordinary people of any age. I was so depressed when death star won, that i told my LMT that only people who are happy are already dead.
People our age are only useful to ourselves. We have served our biological purpose and our societal duties. We have to face that and just count our blessings: one having lived in the USA when it was a pretty good deal. I had a lot of challenges but all in all I had a lot of freedom. Completing a B.A. ($12.50 a credit!) while raising kids (no health insurance and affordable doctors), a business, 5,6&7 months budget solo travel, living in Mexico.
In the past in Japan, old people would voluntarily be taken to a place to starve to death. The sustenance had to go to the productive members and the youth.
The fact that we have SS and Medicare is a huge blessing. In the past old people had to depend on family and often that was not very enjoyable. The ability to live independent of family ...well, if I ever get to the point of dependence, then there's a little stockpile of pharmaceuticals.....
I did the best I could to NOT pay attention to the election and even now when the TFFG is promising chaos. I spend my study on the world situation starting at the Oct 7th: Palestinians and Israel, now Russia, Iran, BRICS, and now Syria! It's a lot for a Lit. Major who never paid attention to current affairs or history. Big learning curve. 3-4 hours a day Almost all from YOUTUBE...one good source is "Judging Freedom" with Judge Andrew Napolitano and guests, usually 3 a day. Then there is Norman Finkelstein: the expert on Palestine. These then lead to others.
One thing I have learned is the USA is causing misery everywhere.
Trump is only the puppet/actor for their plan. It completely wore him out, and now he is back doing what pleases him the most - in front of his adoring fans at Mar a Lago, doing what he does best (gloating) while they kiss his ring.
Every one of Donald's picks is also a puppet, just like Donld himself.
Lord knows none of them are competent or have any genuine leadership ability. But lurking behind each one will be a number of staffers setting policy, doing the actual work, and implementing the Heritage Foundation's agenda.
I've noticed that, too. Verbal reports of his hard work but thats not like him. Very unusual for him not to be dominating the airwaves with pronouncements and off the cuff bragging. Have to wonder about his mental state. Regardless of what the background characters do, nobody rouses the masses like T in person. Nobody.
How’s that working out? There are a lot of guns out there. Musk bought us Trump and a lot of free disinformation. You get what you pay for. This is going to get really ugly.
I keep saying if Great Britain kicked Musk's sorry self out, for creating discord & being devisive there, why haven't we sent his butt back to S. Africa as well?? His citizenship can be revoked, as I understand. Or do we value $$ more here, than a greedy, narcissistic, wannabe overlord's divisive input, respect to our government's policies; albeit he's from another country? Disappointing...
Perhaps we should consider nationalizing both SpaceX and Starlink. After all, they are national security assets. Let the Space Nazi keep his worthless X platform, though.
I think we are well past the time that could have happened. Someday people who are now "worshiping" Biden will wake up and realize how absolutely middle of the road he was. Something like taking over the satellite industry would never have crossed his mind. We still live in a nation that worships capitalism and free market enterprise, at least for the wealthy. Nationalization of industry has never even been CLOSE to on the radar. I doubt it ever will in my lifetime.
The system is corrupt. Our employees get a better plan and we pay for it. A bot tells us we are denied, or is that someone that just graduated junior high? I've questioned the high cost of pharmacutical drugs. The answer is the same as the price of new cars and groceries.
Many Insta postings today in the vein of the 65,000 laugh emojis responding to United Healthcare on Facebook. My favorite: “I have a concept of condolences.” (from bguiles, whoever that is)
Dear Talia, some of us completely agree. Writing this for Frank L also. Two gigantic obstacles are the insurance companies who make billions, and specialist MD’s who also make big bucks. Sigh.
And don't forget the pharmaceutical industry, which is manipulating prices, supply, and shilling inexpensive compounds for tens of thousands per month. My mom has been through every biologic in the book, and they are nearly killing her each time. When she goes off one, they keep shipping $25,000 auto injectors to her house. She's keeping them in her fridge in place of food because she fears the government will come looking for them, wanting their money back. It is a boondoggle and a half.
The commercial carriers are contracted by the Fed to admin and process Champ/VA, Tricare, Original Medicare and Medicaid claims. No different than the fed contracts businesses for pens and tanks and hammers. So we wouldn't get rid of them but they would be controlled.
Not that this is the solution for everyone: I live in Mexico and have received excellent health care. If one is under 70 they are eligible for a very affordable private health care insurance. I moved here just as I turned 70, so I don't have it. I just go to doctors and pay.
There is public insurance which some carry in case they have a major issue like cancer so they can chose to use doctors in that system. I have used it and it was fine except for the inconveniences in a system that is basically underfunded.
I have also lived in Thailand with it's really lovely 1st class care.
There are many countries that offer affordable quality care. Countries whose leaders are not funding their citizen's tax dollars on personal wars. Countries that do not allow just anyone to own any kind of gun.
No kidding!!! It has been a very popular idea with MOST of the American populace; we'd LOVE a decent single payer system that the Republicans couldn't play patticakes with and flub it all to hell.
The only naysayers are people who bleat endlessly about communism and socialism (disregarding the fact that those systems are not one and the same and that those same bleaters couldn't define either system) and the insurance companies who have harvested massive profits from the health insurance business.
The problem comes in when insurance companies start thinking that their profits should not only come before the actual health CARE of patients but also begin putting AI, accountants and CFO's in charge of the DECISIONS--decisions that should be between the person being covered and their doctor ONLY--on healthcare coverage. Health insurance should NEVER, EVER be "for profit".
Really not sure how these people sleep at night. Well, in a dark way, I do know now with this murdered executive. This era is not for those whose careers have collapsed and lost most of their money (e.g., me). 💔
Obviously, self-pity does not work; but I am acutely aware, these days, of the high level of low living among the unprincipled and the declining level of decent living within the middle and labouring classes. 😢
All that ambivalence on the table, however, does not excuse wanton murder. The assassin is no folk hero; worse than the man he shot dead. Anyone else wondering if the man-hunt under way parallels the ending of 'Fahrenheit 451'? 😱
A big health insurer uses A.I. routinely to deny insurance claims, as if above human decency?
In an oligarchy, the richest are above the law.
The justices of the Clarence court (excepting the three more liberal ones) all understand that, at least since Citizens United (2010) the only law of the land is money. Masses of money. Dark money. Lobbyists’ money. Do-this-for-me money. Corporate thank you money.
There’s an emoluments clause in the Constitution. The convicted criminal has been hawking watches, guitars, crypto, sneakers, $60 Bibles, $100-dollar coins (of himself), trading cards (of himself), and most recently perfumes (also named for himself). Is he above the law? Did the Clarence court pay any attention to the Constitution where it bans insurrectionists from public office?
Do the American people care about his (lifelong) criminality?
Doesn’t elite impunity happen logically enough when the schools of a country throw out all their humanities, so all get numbed to human consequences?
Seriously… how much money is enough? And let’s not forget…. This is all while WE… those actually paying taxes are funding the healthcare and welfare of these super rich sociopathic morally bankrupt criminals. They are laughing as they pick our pockets and watch us make ourselves sick working to support their mansions and yachts. I’m honestly not surprised at all about the shooting… but my first inclination was to think it could have also been one of the hackers of the health exchange that went down in February. United Healthcare refused to pay ransom and took months to rebuild their system while they paid no claims, held onto their money and destroyed people’s lives. Mind you… this happened during a cash crunch after they purchased doctors and healthcare facilities to rig the system. Apparently sketchy is as sketchy does. Karma.
Karma. Yes. We are being held hostage by felons, abusers and crooks. If folks who voted for Trump ever, ever understand they have been lied to and bought hook, line , and sinker they are going to be pissed. Somehow we have to unmask these craven beings.
Most of his cabinet picks are billionaires. Apparently his voters are for the moment happy to say, “We won! We owned the Libs.” Maybe sooner or later they will feel some cognitive dissonance. Billionaires in charge, billionaires getting tax cuts, how’s that make my life better. . .?
They are also blatantly misogynistic and sexual abusers. Project 2025 is ready to charge straight ahead with abortion denial taken to its most absurd, possibly denying birth control and transgender care as well. Just look at the example of Musk...eleven children "to improve the human race," while their mothers are yesterday's toast.
Excellent questions Phil! My big blue advantage plan dumped me and a thousand other Medicare subscribers off their advantage plan without warning. I went with the only other advantage plan in the area because it seemed easier than going with original Medicare. I will certainly look into it next year, no matter how big they make the flex card amount. I had no idea that Medicare advantage was such a moneymaker for these companies. Duh!
It’s a shock to me that a company would use AI this way to deny claims. The word heartless comes to mind—another adjective to add to the alphabetical list I’ve been keeping for the convicted criminal. (And there’s another!)
Gigi, Two years ago I became Medicare eligible. Almost all of my retired cop cohort were extolling the virtues of the PERS* Advantage plan. Lots of "health related" benefits that people who retire at ages between 50-55 (as we do in law enforcement) were delighted to get. I went to an insurance agency recommended by several different friends, and spent about two hours with them, looking at various plans. Frankly, both the PERS and the Pacific Source (a local public employees insurance carrier) offered pretty good plans. The sticking points for me were that they were local (PNW to Oregon only), plus I really had a distrust of a plan that GW Bush thought was a good one.
I settled on regular Medicare with both a prescription plan and a "Plan G" supplemental plan. When we came back and returned our signed documents, one of the agents said that for the "healthy times" between the ages of 50-70, the Advantage plans were very effective. When the "unhealthy times" or 70+ arrive, they become a nightmare. So far (two years in) I am very pleased with my coverage.
It's imperative to keep as healthy as you can in later years: keep the weight off, stay away from junk food, read labels - if there are a lot oof chemicals in there don't eat it! Lots of fruit, veggies and limit meat but eat the best quality you can afford. Stay away from GMO and fake meat - full of chemicals. Go for walks everyday.
Good advice. The weight here is my biggest issue, and that stems from the deteriorating joints I so wildly abused playing and officiating softball as well as the 28 years of shift work that impacted diet, exercise, and healthy sleep. The only meat I buy is beef raised under organic conditions (the reason they cannot label it "organic" is because they will infrequently use antibiotics to treat eye or hoof infections and because they butcher on site with a non-organic certified but adhering to organic practices butcher so the cattle don't have the trauma of travel to an unfamiliar place prior to slaughter. I will infrequently buy pork (shoulder and ribs; hey, I'm a "smoker" of Traeger variety, and there's nothing like good ribs or pulled pork) from a local pig farm that is very close to organic standards and nitrate free.
My sister-in-law does the cooking in our house and loves her Traeger. My wife has been a vegetarian for over 30 years, and the Traeger smokes vegetables and fish really well.
The dog and I share a breakfast sandwich so we get our meat protein. Not as healthy as your beef though.
When we lived in Nebraska one of my co-workers raised and butchered 5-10 head every year. He finished them off on grass. What a treat!
Re: "FAKE MEAT" Not too long ago, I was a vegetarian and ate copious amounts of 'better burgers' until I read the ingredients of these so-called "healthy" alternatives!
I’m glad that you saw this today. I’m an acupuncturist with some training in nutrition from eastern and western perspective. I treat a lot of arthritis. Sugar is the worst thing for arthritis for our health and general. Read the labels keep it at a minimum. You’d be surprised the products that have a whole Lotta sugar in them like ketchup for one.
I got "Plan F" through the American Bar Association -- meaning powerful ABA bargaining power for good terms. Use your 🦾 through your retirement org: teachers, nurses whatever "group" bargaining power you can muster.
I added on a "Supplemental Policy" through Transamerica that even pays for the Medicare premium & the 20% Medicare does not cover that goes to the provider.
Me? Zero, nada. Yo necessario 💰dinero for my Granddaughters' future.
I also like the succinct easy-to-read Transamerica quarterly statements instead of a blizzard of paper in the mailbox. To your health at all times!
Brian A new insight into ‘pro bono.’ My only bar benefit is when I find a bar that makes a scrumptious planter’s punch. Otherwise, I am a barbarian. [apologies]
Ally Sounds like you are dancing on the yellow brick Medicare road well. At 91 I have had Medicare plus AARP (United Health Care) for a generation. I have enjoyed the full access to doctors without pre permission. I can’t remember when I have paid a copay.
I am bothered by how various doctors seem to be paid by Medicare. The person who takes wax out of my ear gets a higher reimbursement than the surgeon who performs my semiannual bladder cancer procedure. It makes no sense—I bring the bladder guy a bottle of wine.
Overall, my health care access and cost is more favorable since before I qualified for Medicare. However, I would appreciate a planters punch when I am obliged to wait for over an hour when I have a scheduled doctor’s appointment.
You chose wisely. On Medicare for twelve years; have paid nearly nothing while suffering broken elbow, rotator cuff repair, knee injury, congestive heart failure and afib. New cardiologist, a young Arab American, got me on the right meds four months ago, dropped fifty unneeded pounds and, at 77, feel healthier than I did twenty years ago. Yay Medicare. Go ahead, T****, try to take it away. I dare you.
No shock at all if you remember that all they are concerned with is profit at all costs. These days, it's best to use that idea when dealing with publicly traded businesses. Stock prices and the investors are all they care about.
Prior to going on Medicare, I'd done a good deal of reading & decided it was to our advantage to purchase Medicare & a supplement via AARP. SO far, so good. I chose a plan that had a $200 plus ( annual ded. Per person for doctors- increases a bit each year). But our " out of pocket" costs thus far have not been too bad. I'm a bit older than him & he rarely sees a doctor, other than a chiropractor; which is largely out of pocket, but reasonable for a neck issue hes had since his 20's. Otherwise he's still 150lbs, & walks miles daily..We've been relatively fortunate.
"Do the American people care about his (lifelong) criminality?" That is the question that depresses me. How could so many millions of US citizens vote for the scoundrel?
Marvelously written!! In Trump's world opposing policies is easier than making tough choices or legislating. And norms, like the emoluments clause, have now become ill-defined, making them vulnerable. What lies ahead - organized crime, coordinated by the government.
He, and his family and cronies, totally ignored the Emoluments Clause last time he was king and there was a bit of minor bluster from our lawmakers and that was it, no enforcement as usual. It will be no different this time except this time he will not relinquish the throne. The Constitution means nothing.
Nothing was done bc there’s no there there under the emoluments clause. And they knew it. It was a Democratic Party in congress meme for political consumption by the party hoi polloi. And as George Carlin said, “It’s a big club and you ain’t in it.” Though it’s a bit smaller now post November 5.
The emoluments clause has no application to President Trump. None from a legal perspective. Zero. But I’m wondering if Heather C-R has any fact history lesson on the George Washington’s sales from his estate farm during his Presidency?
Thanks for the recco. I’ve read some reviews and appears to be a good page turner on FF’s relationships and tribulations. I know at one point I’ve read a bit about Washington’s Mount Vernon that produced all manor of goods, crops, livestock and sundries for sale. I bet he must have had a few “Washington “ eye popping signs hither and yon to bring in the customers. Like an emolument’s violator. I’ll try the book out. Thanks again.
All good points. I’m spending much of December reading. The current issue of The Hedgehog Review: Critical Reflections on Contemporary Culture, published by IASC of the University of Virginia, is a great place to start.
Same here. Sorry for the guy's family. But it stops there. This will likely turn out to be a political assassination in a way. I'm 100% behind the sentiment. I was a doc before "managed care" started in the 90's. Health insurance made sense because it supported the medical imperative of "Do No Harm."
Once the insurance industry moved in, that imperative changed to a business model of "Make More Money." The change was profound and I saw it every day.
Human care should NEVER be delivered by people whose guiding principle is Make More Money."
How bout a secondary principle? I don’t know many (gosh, I think any) who has that as a guiding principle. Your point seems an easy lift. Physicians, heal thyselves!
But you approve of mass protests as South Koreans showed. And I would not take this NY incident lightly. It always begins with a seemingly an isolated happening. Trump has abused the American justice too long.
On the one hand, I can't celebrate murder, because that's a slippery slope that leads to the worst kind of depths. On the other, for how many deaths was Thompson responsible?
"Are these the first shots of resistance against the regressive lurking Trump dictatorship?"
If so, then they are deeply immoral and impractical.
Trump and the Republicans are itching to declare martial law and/or enforce the insurrection act. Such assassinations will give them the excuse they are looking for.
Thank You Lin. Also. I hate like heck to sound preachy but here goes. It is an awful idea to celebrate this man's death. We must, must not descend into being like them. Sermon over.
We desperately need Democratic Leaders right this second. We are without a strong voice. We are rudderless. This really is freaking me out to the point that after being a registered Democrat for 57 years I am considering registering as an Independent. Maybe change will come from a coalition of Independents.
I was yelled at by an understandably terrified woman who misunderstood what I was saying. We can't do that. We can't turn on each other.
Get it together everyone. Only cool heads and even cooler tempers will help us in this nightmare. Things are about to get seriously bad.
"We desperately need Democratic Leaders right this second. We are without a strong voice. We are rudderless. This really is freaking me out to the point that after being a registered Democrat for 57 years I am considering registering as an Independent. Maybe change will come from a coalition of Independents."
I suggest listening to CSpan.
We have Democratic leaders. We have strong Democratic voices. We are not rudderless.
We are not powerless. We have made progress. We almost won the presidency and legislature. And would have - had a few more voters per swing state polling precincts voted Democratic. This is the coalition we need. We can preserve democracy and reform the Democratic party. But it will take strategic rather than self centered voting. Shared goals rather than personal feelings.
And this is the coalition the right wing built and the voting strategy it employed - uniting behind Republicans for decades. Plutocrats funding populists remade the Party of Lincoln into the GOP of god, guns, and greed.
Then I will give CSpan a listen. Thanks for your wisdom Lin. It is unusual for me to be so reactive. The results of this election have really rocked my boat.
Thank you for your sanity, Barbara. I fear we are teetering on the edge of mass hysteria. It's up to the AntiMAGA-Americans to lead the resistance now.
The day of the election, I began gathering materials for dual citizenship I should have pursued ages ago. That is my last option emergency plan. The day after, went down to the town office and changed to independent. The timerity of Dems to continue pounding my inbox for money after this debacle is without parallel. They have enabled this and they still come begging. They had the 'biggest' war chest. Quite honestly, the only path I see forward right now is if we all jump ship and vote for reasonable candidates in the Republican primaries.
My first reaction (to a threat/pique promise or action) is why on earth would you? Or anybody? My second was a suggestion, try out your local R party. Check it out. Meet some of them. You may well find yourself registering as a R. Unless you can’t stand being around working class Americans most of whom don’t have college degrees. In which case, Well….bye.
If you really want change, consider the Republican Party. It isn’t your grandfathers party. The model of the new R party is the old FDR D party without the socialists/ Communists. Lower income, working class, blue collar to middle class America.
Just walk away from the privileged, credentialed, college educated, professional(ist) D party.
The only thing holding me back is that here in Kentucky you have to have a party affiliation to vote in the Primary. Mitch McConnell's Senate is up for grabs.
The assassination of Brian Thompson was immoral. Using the momentum of outrage generated by that assassination is not. No one here pulled the trigger and no one here will go looking for another opportunity. Murder is wrong. That doesn't mean the entire corrupt business of "health care" in this country should get a pass.
The horror stories of US healtcare are endless. Universal care is cheaper in the long run and has been proven so. Somebody probably could not take being ripped of anymore and lost it.....Where is the GOP...the call for thoughts and prayers????? The shooter needs therapy.......bla bla bla
Where is the outrage about the women bleeding to death in cars....waiting rooms.....allyways when they have a miscarrage!!!
The jetsrream of bullshit from Republicans will have final judgment the day the Book of Life is opened
I believe this televised murder does ask the question, "who is the real villain?, who has the most blood on his hands ?" This is not a story that the Insurance Industry wanted to see played out like this. I believe this is what the hitman wanted most...the spotlight on the whole Industry and their Deny, Defend and Depose culture. My wife worked for a BIG Insurance Co for awhile...and they denied ALL claims over 1 Million $$ automatically. We pay them good money out of good faith that we will get help when we need it most...and then we get abused and confused on purpose when we need the help.
"I believe this televised murder does ask the question, "who is the real villain?, who has the most blood on his hands ?"
It is not either/or. The industry which puts profits over people and the individual who assassinated a person to make a point are both villains. The difference is that the courts have legitimized industry to do harm for profit. And the solution is to change that dynamic through all the legitimate means available.
Part of the picture of villainy are all those who suppress legitimate means of taking power such as voting. Including those whose specious rhetoric falsely equate the two parties to split the vote or to justify not voting. And who reject the hard work to make gradual change. (It took the right wing decades to capture the courts and to elect a Trump.) We came very close to electing a Democratic Harris-Walz administration. Which would have expanded health care access and consumer protections. Building towards a Democratic victory in 2026 should be our focus.
Trump and his gang get more exposed to those who voted him back to power every day. I'm enjoying my conversations with folks who voted for him about how bad and poorly qualified these cabinet picks are. Winning the mid terms is a priority...but there's got to be a lot of protest to hinder Trumps plans along the way...and Dems need the right focus and cast of players in '26. This is going to be hard work....and I do believe the "victim" in this murder story is the bigger villain. He represents hundreds of Insurance CEO's and execs who have literally gotten away with murder and mayhem for years. This spotlight was needed. I'm sorry for the man's family that he died...but he chose to not protect himself, when there where threats. That's either arrogant or denial or just stupid. He put himself at risk. Not a good insurance man...
MW: No, they haven’t and the suggestion that denying a disputed claim by an insurer, even when a court of law may rule that the denial was a breach of contract, is not “literally” murder. As a nation, we’ve heard this before and quite recently. He’s “literally Hitler”, he’s “just like Mussolini”, he’s a “tyrant”, “dictator”, “totalitarian”, he’ll “end elections to keep himself in power.” We heard a constant stream of such calumnies from the national media and from the mouths of Dem politicos for months during the election cycle. And now we hear it about big business CEO’s and employees of companies that are conveniently populate targets. And in forums such as this where posters, perhaps yourself too, promoted and amplified that hate. This sort of utterly baseless, rhetoric of hate and came “literally” to borrow your phrase but use it accurately (unlike you) within an inch of Trump having his his head blown off on national television. The second Trump assassination attempt has been now shown to have expressly motivated by such rhetoric. The American people have as a result on November 5 rejected your kind. Rejected you. Rejected your way of thinking. And that’s a good thing. Perhaps I should say, keep it up. But I think the worm has turned. Thanks for the help, and, yeah, keep it up. It will be great for the R party in Congress and the state houses. And if more HC CEO’s get gunned down in the street because folks like you promote it, well, eventually, folks like you will need to keep an eye over your shoulder while walking in the streets lest you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bullet meant for a target of your hate finds your back instead.
"OverFlow" is a right on name for you to use...You've really exaggerated anything I've said. I'm not promoting or condoning murder, assassination or violence here. I don't want to see anyone gunned down. But I do understand how someone could be driven to that course of action. You obviously think Trump is ok. I don't. Hate is not my game. I'm trying to see the realities based on my experiences, what I learn from folks like HCR and real conversations. If there's any hate here it appears to be coming from you...You are the one advocating putting a target on someones back for expressing himself . I'm finished with this...so don't expect any more replies.
I’ll repeat a final time what you elide. The denial of a contractual medical claim, whether legally right or wrong, is not and can never be “understood” as murder. “Literally “ or colloquially. In something like this, if you’re not condemning explicitly, you’re condoning implicitly. If you “understand” a claim denial to be murder, then it seems you also “understand how someone could be driven” to viciously shoot a man in the back in revenge for it. That sounds a lot like empathy for the killer to me. BTW I don’t think HCR was teaching what you claim to have learned from her piece.
But for Musk’s intervention, Harris/Walz might have one. My daughter finally got me off X last night. I feel like I just shed at least 500 lbs. of ugly fat. We have to rid ourselves of this pestilence.
The courts have legitimized industry…and made corporations citizens. “Legitimate” has always depended on who is in power. Slavery legal, Holocaust legal, Jim Crow legal, etc.
From what I understand from those who try to collect from health insurance companies, United Health is the most culpable in denying claims. It infuriates me that AARP's health insurance plan is United Health. Doesn't seem right that an organization that purportedly supports seniors, works with such acdishonest company.
AARP is owned by United, perhaps literally. Always seemed fishy that AARP mainly pushes advertising for major corporate products while harnessing celebrity involvement and claiming that they represent mainstream seniors.
As a small optical business owner I cringe when reading articles in the AARP magazine or paper about the best places to buy eyeglasses. Always larger chains.
I was documenting an AARP lobbying event at the Capitol and they were very well organized with a lot of folks going to elected reps. I don't remember what the specific issue was...a LOT of us are members, lets press them on these issues...they have a huge office just across from the Capitol. I hate to imagine what the rent is. We need organized voices that cam get the ears and votes of our elected reps.
I have difficulty accepting at face value that the entirety of the insurance industry or even one very large carrier ‘never’ pays out initially or ‘always’ initially denies a $Million claim. Much depends what part of the industry you’re talking about, HC, CGL ( comprehensive general liability), D&O ( directors and officers coverages), PL (professional liability) etc on and on. I have seen in every one of those coverages, including HC ( though the format varies for it since billing for HC costs don’t miraculously start at $1M but are approved and paid over time as catastrophic injuries are cared for. And I’ve seen million dollar (multiples of millions even) paid out on the spot to settle claims. I’ve seen that even where a carrier may have plausible coverage language and limits of liability issue.
So what I’m saying is, yours was a categorical statement that I would ask many questions along those lines that get into some fact and legal weeds.
Overflow, thanks for your concern and perspective. I was not trying to imply that everyone denies "automatically" across the board. We talked about this last night and I may have over stated my understanding of the specific situation, but not by a lot. This goes back 30 years to a large company HQ'd in NY. Their division only dealt with million dollar claims and above...of a wide variety of loses. They very seriously vetted everything. VERY few got paid out without going to court. They litigated almost everything.So in fact they were defending and deposing most of the portfolio they had to work with. She was there for almost 2 years and reflected on the VERY male dominated, high testosterone environment of the time, where money was spent very freely on lavish meetings, gatherings and parties. The execs lived VERY well. She had come to them as a temp and became the assistant to a VP. My personal experience when I was doing legal videos and depositions is that very few of those making health claims were attempting to scam the system....and when "day in the life" videos became popular payouts went up, when juries and judges could see the struggles of the victims first hand. Personally we just received far less for an auto accident my wife was in than we feel it was worth based on our expenses buying a new car and her health needs and care. It took a year to settle and would have taken at least another year if we had turned down the negotiated settlement and gone to court. A good friend of mine was in an horrific accident with a truck 3 years ago. She almost died and has gone through 3 years of intense rehab...and will never be whole again. The truck driver was charged and was obviously at fault for an illegal U turn that caused the crash. Again, they went through a lot legally to get anything approaching a reasonable settlement. I understand the industry not just throwing money at every case...but I do believe they frequently "go to the mat" to hold on to every dollar they can....and that people do suffer and die along the way. On the other hand, right now I'm very happy with my Medicare coverage combined with a good Blue Cross plan. It is saving me thousands...if Trump and Musk attempt to mess up Medicare I'm going to be leading the protests. Peace
This is sanitized murder in the name of efficiency, profit, and everlasting economic growth for the few at the expense of everything and everybody on earth.🌍
I've not experienced denials but I have Original Medicare. I went on it in 1992 with SSDI. Had work in business end of healthcare and knew better than to fall for Advantage.
Neither can I JJ. The NYPD has his full face photo of the perp from his use of an Upper West Side hostel -- no less. The Perp left a trail of genetic data on his exit to Central Park along with his cell phone & evidence what he ate at a Starbucks right before his M1 murder.
The Perp has already been tracked on a Greyhound Bus from from Atlanta, GA on 11/24/24. Calls to NYPD's Crime Stoppers have helped solve over 1400 Murders.
I really like the historic context in connecting the past with current events. By this context we gain a deeper understanding of the cycle and patterns of history. Heather Cox Richardson is excellent at illustrating this for us.
'Zackly, Vicki. We are currently in a downward cycle. I hope we survive it and can rise from the ashes, stronger and wiser. Our enemies are circling like vultures.
This is a major issue with our elections being ethically based on the one person , one vote ideal our forefathers envisioned. The creation of the structure that allows one individual to financially participate and subvert the facts with deliberate lies and misinformation to manipulate an electorate is brought to you directly by our current, politically corrupt Trump/Republican supporters on our Supreme Court. PACs are fueling the destruction of our democracy over corporate and individual greed.
And they ALL have lobbyists who can actually communicate with the elected politicians. What chance do we have in influencing a politician compared to the dozens of lobbyists employed by the health insurance industry?
What I’m wondering about is what happens to the loud mouth’s who’ve been selling guns to the fearful and disgruntled if the tide turns against them? Ryan Busse wrote a book, Gunfight, that’s worth reading right now. He loves guns and worked for the gun industry for years until he couldn’t stomach it anymore.
[Edit: 11:45 PM CST on 9 Dec. Original post deleted, replaced with this.]
This post was about a novel way to think about America's gun problem. It's not the first time I've floated the concept. Essentially, I think it would be more effective for the Democrats, whenever we/they get around to being able to pass legislation in Congress again, to address social and economic fairness issues, along with voting rights and civil rights, and a woman's right to govern her own body -- instead of regulating gun ownership. I am in favor of gun regulation. But what is more impossible, regulating guns, or lifting people up out of poverty, and ensuring a greater measure of economic fairness for everyone? The desire to own a gun is a manifestation of the effects of various social issues, as I see it. If we don't address those social issues, regulating guns would be like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound -- inadequate.
Yes, it is true that originally it was white men who owned property to keep it to just the wealthy. But we worked hard through the years to correct that miscarriage of justice and denial of rights. The underlying principle of equality for all and one person one vote allowed that change to be more inclusive to happen.
They think not everyone deserves the same access to health care and that some are “undeserving.” In his book “Dying of Whiteness,” Jonathan Metzl interviewed a Tennessee man with kidney failure who didn’t mind the expense of his disease as long as someone he viewed as “undeserving.” It’s long past due that we dumped this stupid mindset. We are turning into a Hobbesian anarchy, and it is ugly to watch. We also cannot leave people out of the system as past generations were.
No, it was the usual Republican hysteria about socialism and communism etc. and because they really did not want to insure anyone at all. Look at their continued attacks on Social Security ! This time it was not racism - unless you want to blame the fact that Barack Obama was black. The Republicans would have opposed the plan if it had been proposed by Abraham Lincoln !
That's where my wife's has gotten to. My former employer paid my medical benefits until I turned 65; they stopped my wife's "tag along" plan but have permitted her to stay within the plan at a much higher cost. The last time we went in for my annual Medicare review, she asked about plans on the open market; by paying about $150 more a month than the next best plan (which sucked) she still gets the "Cadillac Coverage" the county still provides.
I do understand the need for people to all receive appropriate health care. However, I do believe that all of those directly providing the care should be paid properly. To be a Doctor costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and many years of work to be able to practice. Mental Health clinicians and Physical Therapists have similar expenses to name a few others in health care. All are required to carry insurance premiums to deal with huge insurance costs for law settlements win or loose. How do we look at that aspect of Profit?
All medical care is complex and expensive.
We need one universal healthcare program that provides a good living to those providing care and excellent care for each patient. That would be my ideal, for the future. How to do it all over from New York City to Bend Oregon, is beyond me.
And, yet perhaps AI could be useful for once and can figure it out.
Somehow that case has to be made. A fifty-year-old person in our country has grown up in a society that has been fed distrust of government from birth. The market and the private sector were supposed to solve it all efficiently. How’s that working out? Chickens are coming home to roost.
The description of Medicare Advantage and United Healthcare’s relationship and AI operations is a cogent argument for a single-payer national healthcare system.
Hopefully now more than 0.2% of people denied coverage will stand up against the appalling practices of our current system that benefits stockholders before policy holders.
This televised murder is putting a big spotlight on this Insurance denial & defend system...this is not what the Insurance companies want...but here it is. My guess is that's what this killer really wanted most, to expose this situation on a large scale...and the question becomes, "who is the real villain here ?" This hitman is not a pro, there's too many loose ends and evidence. This story is going to have a lot of legs.
He is. His ability clear his jam w/in 3 seconds, first shot to the leg to torture and debilitate and escaping in a non traceable way. Most likely it is a decoy who lead LE around by the nose by making sure he was captured in obvious places.
David Brooks said it best. Trumpism is a wrong answer to the right question.
Bernie Sanders is made a joke of, in the political media for suggesting the need for a single payer healthcare system, and the cartoonishly evil Musk can buy a presidency, because of the Citizens United decision.
Who asked Musk and Ramaswamy to make decisions that will adversely affect the lives of millions of Americans? People were feeling frustrated enough (and through Musk propagandized enough) to vote for Trump. What they don’t get, however, is that Trump does not ever plan to leave office, and our constitution is essentially a dead letter with the Supreme Court granting an unconstitutional amount of power to Trump.
Kathy, musk and ramaswamy are rich and proximate to Trump. Their wealth makes them superior decision makers and their proximity to the dumb Trump makes them influential. /s
Again, one masterful segue after another. HCR leaves us much the wiser for the historical context and current overlaps of all the big money maneuvers and malicious machinations animating Trump/MAGA/Project 25 playing out in front of our eyes. I remain super concerned about the power plays and quid quo pros that are hidden from public view and scrutiny.
Just as Fisk's murder 'provoked a popular condemnation of the ties between big business and government', the time will come when the same happens to Trump's gilded clown car. These things run in cycles. What these money-drunk lunatics have not bargained for is mass rebellion. You don't cut social security, veteran's pensions and life-saving medical benefits from a population whom you've enabled to purchase machine guns from Walmart. Maybe the last 40 years of trickle-down economics and corporate greed needs to play itself out. Pass the popcorn.
People will not be happy if you remove the systems that keep them alive. I think the GQP and Project 2025 will try to get rid of the ACA, Social Security and publicly funded Medicare, and then politicians will see a revolt on their hands. One thing I’ll note is that some people have the mistaken notion that Social Security was meant to be an investment vehicle. It was not. It was meant to be social insurance, and often people have immediate expenses that may prevent them from putting aside money into a 401k. The 401k itself was not originally designed as a default investment vehicle. It was originally designed as a method high income earners could shelter their incomes. Eventually, it became a default investment vehicle as companies abandoned the traditional pension system.
Propaganda skewed the news, as LBJ once reportedly said. You have to act on the information you have, and you never have all the information. Or words to that effect. Rupert made sure that the MAGAts never had anything but “alternative facts.”
I’ve been thinking along similar lines myself. Auden has a line in a poem about the revolution eating its children. That’s badly paraphrased, but it seems to fit.
We do need a national health care system. Healthcare, privately funded by profit and insurance doesn’t work. It makes us less healthy and more poor. Just what the richest people want.
Before my retirement, I worked as an RN case manager at a hospital. I learned a great deal about insurance, especially the Medicare Advantage plans. They promise a lot but ofter deliver little. When I read that they are using AI to determine patient care, I laughed. I learned that before AI, the reviewers looked for key phrases to determine coverage. I had several scripts I used to in attempt to get the proper medications and/or post-hospital care for the discharging patients. And I still got denials. And I am not talking about borderline cases. I am talking about patients who needed intensive physical rehab to regain their mobility and independence in the activities of daily life. I am talking about the patients being denied the proper medications. I have worked with the attending physicians on appeals (which are long and unwieldy) only to be denied. I often went home, frustrated, angry and with a raging headache.
So when I retired I stuck with Original Medicare. So I pay more for a supplement and dental and eye care. Yes I do. But it is worth it.
And as an aside, the past week I have a forboding feeling that the ordinary citizens of this country were reaching a tipping point on how much abuse they will endure by those in charge. I think we have reached that point.
As a social worker case manager, I have had the same experiences. So many patients are denied much needed rehab and other life quality measures for absolutely no reason. Our providers wasted so much time fighting for their patients. The providers and other medical staff at the hospital are the experts, not the insurance ‘medical staff’. I chose traditional Medicare too with supplements. We need Medicare for all!
What an enormous surprise this news must be to everybody!
/s
When The People cannot get politicians who care for them - or cannot ELECT politicians who will care - why would be astonished when they start taking matters into their own hands?
36,000 laughing emojis is a terrible way to react to the news of someone's death - but it is also a certain indicator of how America regards its broken "health care" system.
And views extraordinarily rich CEOs who seem not to care a bit that people die. The cost of doing business. (Like pregnant women dying from denied healthcare is just the cost of ideology.)
I think that paying medical professionals well, pretty much out of gratitude for devoting their careers to the easing of pain and suffering is a good thing. Incentivizing healthcare careers is not a bad thing. But, corporatizing care providers and insurers for profit is evil, if that term has any useful meaning. One partial solution would be to transform the nature of the corporate charter and governance.
Peter Drucker's 1946 book "The Concept of the Corporation" is nothing if not a warning about the potential for institutionalized unethical behavior by corporate leaders who are only beholding to a greed machine. I think that perspective remains valid even if that greed machine is dominated by institutional investment managers.
Corporations that are publicly traded should be required to have a charter issued by the federal government, and that charter should require all board members to be licensed professionals whose licenses demand adherence to a code of ethics. Then, if the healthcare industry is to remain a creature of corporate structures, then something akin to Hillary's 1994 plan should be imposed upon it. Otherwise yeah, seize the whole system and rebuild the national healthcare system that we had a good start on with the old U.S. Public Health Service that the AMA torpedoed.
Peter Drucker was brilliant. As a former director of several companies including companies that provided major medical insurance, I never witnessed the unethical behavior HCR describes in her newsletter.
When we held our first board meeting when we started our company, one of the board members asked whether our board was a "yes man" board or whether we actually wanted them to tell us what they really thought?
I have never been on a "yes man" board, but I imagine there are many out there even among the Fortune 500 companies.
We can’t even get our extreme court to adhere to a code of ethics or conduct!!! To suggest that for profit corporations (healthcare or otherwise) do so is laughable.
Thank you for mentioning Peter Drucker. His book “Adventurers of a Bystander” changed my thinking and enlightened me more than any other. I posted two pages of it on BSky yesterday. He was in Berlin as Nazis were gaining ground. He knew of what he wrote, and it was mind bending. I know of his later career, so glad he escaped when he did…
Dear America: You REALLY need a national healthcare system!
Let me say once again that health INSURANCE is not the same as health CARE, especially as it is practiced in this country, especially as it is embodied in the the phony Medicare Advantage system.
Putting profits over people has nothing to do with health care.
And we need to keep reminding people (I think I heard that another woman has died in Texas), abortion is just small part of health care.
Go to Mass-Care (https://masscare.org/muni-calc/) to have someone in your town's HR department determine how much your town could save in health insurance with a Medicare for All system. My town of fewer than 9,000 would have saved more than $2,000,000, and the employees would have saved about $2,000 had the proposed legislation passed last year. Since national single payer seems out of reach, we are working on it on the state level, as are people in other states. If we had a single payer system here, perhaps there would be one more rich health insurance mogul alive today.
There would not be any rich insurance moguls if we had a single payer system...
And people would get the care they need. But Elon and chump will fix everything. No need for another election ever. Maybe we are a nation of suckers and losers… at least half anyway
People will wake up, perhaps when they are sick and broke but they will!
Will they? There are an awful lot of geese in this country -- more than I ever guessed -- who will follow the leader, no matter where he takes them.
Intersting. I have been using the term - nation of lemmings - but your geese analogy fits - Make America Geeselike Again
I read book, many years ago, called “A Nation of Sheep”. I can’t remember the author, as I was a young woman and am now 79. However, it’s seems to me forty eight million people would fit the description. My heart breaks for my daughter and grandchildren.
kdsherpa, I noticed that you are a retired Psychiatrist. You have any insight into the idea that humans, by nature, by genetics, by culture are mostly followers? I get that we here, are paying attention to HCR and what she has to say. I tend to think that she is a leader and we are following her insightful lead, would you agree? Of course, those of us on the left want to think we know better, we're smarter, they are stupider. The thing is, that they (mostly followers) have been gathered into a tribe, a cult, a culture and they vote and they buy guns and ammunition. they've thrown progressivism overboard. We on the left have just discovered that reason, logic, critical thinking, equality, human rights...you know, all that smart insightfully kind stuff that we value has somehow become valueless to the followers. I think about human origins, how we are apes, social creatures, how a lot of the way we were in the primitive times remains in our biological makeup. I think how almost all human societies are inclined to manifest hierarchically and how does that work for a nation like ours built on laws and science? And hell, technology and social media platforms and Christianity that isn't Christlike. We smarties aren't good at being in charge and we don't know what to do about it Yeuchh. Glad your hubby was a former Buddhist monk. that's cool.
And the geese, at least the migrating ones dying at the lake near me, are all getting Bird Flu. Sort of like the maga-geese getting Covid?
When people are sick and broke, their energy is depleted as well. I know…
It makes it next to impossible to FIGHT with insurance companies!
I appreciate your optimism. Mine is limping but not dead.
Oh I have my moments for sure but then I realized that doesn't help me or anyone else.
Hmm?... I wonder what the Wealth Disparity in France was under Louis XVI? Look At How That Turned Out For The 'Haves & Have Mores'...
Suckers and losers - hummmm. You don't mean tRump voters do you?
As good as deplorables for them, even ones in my life. I am kind but respect took a big hit.
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Terry, first the AMA stood in the way during the New Deal. Since then every attempt at this has been stymied by the powerful insurance industry. I had a cousin who worked in the insurance industry as a peon. First, they would not accommodate her needs at her work station. She finally ended up working with United Health Care as the companies where she worked were absorbed by them. She called them United Death Care.
People are super ignorant of how the world works until it affects them or their loved ones. This recent election shows us that for sure.
We used to say CIGNA meant Call In, Get No Answer.
The insurance industry could still exist and make good money in the event that we actually get single payer ( medicare for all). The government program would cover everyone, but not everything. For those who want special care ( specific ortho, critical care services late in life, or life extending treatment in the face of old age and poor prognosis, fancy new drugs,ect). Many would pay for these policies. The market would be competitive. Basic and effective healthcare for all would clearly need to be limited to treatment shown to be effective and affordable. We have plenty of good effective treatments that are affordable. At a fraction of what we pay now. This would protect the people from the industry. Yes, rich people would get better care. Just like they have better homes and cars. Nothing new there. But the industry would no longer be making a billions off of working taxpayers who also buy insurance to care for people who cannot afford to contribute. This structure would provide care for everyone, and protect the working people from excessive costs and bankruptcy.
You know we can't have that. Americans worship the wealthy.
Yes, and have been trained to have an inferiority complex if they haven't managed to get rich themselves.
And no unnecessary deaths, either of patients or of CEOs.
And wouldn't that be an excellent outcome!??!!
Really not sure how these people sleep at night. Well, in a dark way, I do know now with this murdered executive. This era is not for those whose careers have collapsed and lost most of their money (e.g., me). 💔
Obviously, self-pity does not work; but I am acutely aware, these days, of the high level of low living among the unprincipled and the declining level of decent living within the middle and labouring classes. 😢
All that ambivalence on the table, however, does not excuse wanton murder. The assassin is no folk hero; worse than the man he shot dead. Anyone else wondering if the man-hunt under way parallels the ending of 'Fahrenheit 451'? 😱
Thank you for the data & the link Betsy. 🙏
I met Senator Bernie Sanders at a Oakland hills village coffee shop the day after Bernie announced his "Medicare for All" policy in San Francisco a couple of years back. I shook hand & we chatted briefly about medical treatment billing practices. Bernie was & is on the right track; we must take profit incentives out of healing humans.
Bernie Sanders was right! And Dems in power fought him tooth and nail, I believe, out of greed. He's still right, and has more integrity in his pinkie toe than most politicians. Look at how Big Insurance funds those on Capitol Hill. When they did that to Bernie, I left the Dems to register as Independent, and I know I'm not the only one. I would like to say I don't condone murder, by assassination, nor by denial of services or claims for profit's sake.
As Kamala's campaign revealed, Democrats are seeking the center, including moderate Republicans. In light of the madness on the far right, this seems reasonable. However, I wish it were possible to have a strong and competitive Progressive party rather than the Bernies and AOCs having to latch onto the Dems. They will always be side-lined in that case.
The Dems sidelined Bern to their demise in 2016. When will they figure out that voters want change! People voted for trump because they are not happy with the establishment. Twice now! As the Dems keep cramming corporate purple moderates down our throats. We don’t need to move to the middle. I have been a lifelong Democrat, i think i am ready to change party affiliation now. Bernie spoke truth and logic to power and people loved it. We need more of that…
Right on Mona. I left the Dems in the Wake of the Chicago Debacle in 1968.
I have never seen Bernie's toes but, I can tell you when he talks to you he looks directly into your eyes & listens.
It's the listening skill that we Dems have lost and need to re-learn.
Bernie was and is up against a long history of seeing that this did and does not come to fruition. Two operatives hired by the AMA scuttled the idea during the New Deal. These Truths by Jill Lapore has a segment on this. The two of them went on to aid and abet Rs for quite a while. Our neighbor's daughter is a cardiac nurse up in Portland and she says the system is broken. I would agree. We all wait for some insurance company to decide if we can have the MRI, etc. while suffering in pain. And this is not life threatening as are some of their decisions. My take is that they would rather see people die than pay.
Of course they would rather see people die than pay for the treatment. That's how they rake in the money. We couldn't have those poor CEOs go without their bonuses of $38 million, now could we?
Useful history Michele; HCR, Professor, please put this history on your
"To Post List".
Brian, using the calculator is the first step. Then we need to present the info to the people in charge--in my town, the Board of Selectman and the Finance Committee. Next, vote on it at Town Meeting. Finally, present the savings data to our legislators. And primary them if they don't vote for the bill. : ). It's a process, and it takes time and effort, but it's something concrete that we can do to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors..
People in the US pay more per patient for their healthcare than Canadians do with national Medicare for all. The Canadian system is stretched thin and has many flaws but it still is better than what most American citizens get - unless you are wealthy enough to just pay for it yourself in which case, they have excellent health care. It shouldn't be just for rich people. Every citizen deserves access to excellent health care. Most citizens want it but Republicans dominate through gerrymandering and voter restrictions. You are losing your democracy down there.
Hook-Up with a Canuck!
How can we get in on that deal?? Seriously, I'm willing to move to Canada when we retire, but there doesn't seem to be a "retirement immigration" option.
Agreed national single payer seems (for foreseeable future) out of reach.Physicians For A National Health Plan has links for most states. Mass-Care is included.
https://pnhp.org/
That it is "out of reach" is obscene.
Agree. And I would add unconscionable.
People need to band together and demand it. Power to the people must be seized not waited for from above. That will never happen.
But instead, they banded together to put a pack of criminal grifters in charge of all branches of the federal government (and most state governments, too). Apparently, most voters prefer whining to solutions.
😒
Just to be a little fair here, Democrats have had ample opportunities to pass a single payer plan and have refused to do it every time. In general the politics of single payer don't seem to look "good" in our current system. If both parties oppose this, it will be very difficult to achieve change in the foreseeable future.
With citizens united :( it's hard to get anything done - the billionaires just pay lobbyists to bribe congress and wala stagnation and the rich get richer...
Democrats passed the closest thing to M4all that it was possible to pass with the legislature the voters put in place. Clinton tried for “something better.” Obama learned that “something better” was impossible and put in place something that is a vast improvement over what we had before. I don’t know who allowed private companies like United Healthcare to grift Medicare, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that rethugs pushed it through.
Can you say George W. bush?
Why does no one ever publicly say who is voting against these bills that would help so much. Let me guess. Is it a specific party? Why isn't this screamed out every day? On the front page of every newspaper. I want names.
The MA legislature is one of the least transparent in the country. Our new auditor is about to use the power that we just gave her in a ballot measure to audit the legislature. Groups like ActOnMass are trying to get people to demand answers from their legislators. When a legislator can proclaim support of a bill and even co-sign, there is no way to know how they voted on it in committee.
Why do you imagine that rethug voters would listen?
Remember tRump has a concept of a plan….
He’s been pretty quiet these past number of days…not much TV face time happening (it’s all been focused on his selections & Congress)….wonder if he’s hiding, or if his handlers are hiding him….hmmmm. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, about not seeing/hearing him…quite the opposite!
Ik,r? It's awful enough to have to hear ABOUT him constantly! I dream of a trump-free life...
I'm old enough to wonder if my final years will be soiled by having him as prezident. He's already done a bad enough number over the past 10 years, throughout my 60's.
I'm 87. Will America reawaken before I'm gone? Oddly, that disturbs me.
I don't think it's odd at all. If you ever loved this country, realizing that it may be destroyed after we are gone is devastating.
Mr. Weekley,
I am 85. I do not expect America to ever awaken. If it does "awaken", it will be to the horror of what it, being a major force on the planet, has created. It's VERY disturbing.
We have lived during enormous progress; I think during your and my life time, industrialized countries have used and used up the majoring of the earth's resources. The USA is the major producer and consumer of everything.
There was little thought of leaving enough for the future. When people say they want to insure their grandchildren's futures....I think: Good God!, how self centered! What about the future of those 10,000 years away???
kd, i am in my early 80s and do not appreciate what is happening to the elderly or ordinary people of any age. I was so depressed when death star won, that i told my LMT that only people who are happy are already dead.
Michele,
People our age are only useful to ourselves. We have served our biological purpose and our societal duties. We have to face that and just count our blessings: one having lived in the USA when it was a pretty good deal. I had a lot of challenges but all in all I had a lot of freedom. Completing a B.A. ($12.50 a credit!) while raising kids (no health insurance and affordable doctors), a business, 5,6&7 months budget solo travel, living in Mexico.
In the past in Japan, old people would voluntarily be taken to a place to starve to death. The sustenance had to go to the productive members and the youth.
The fact that we have SS and Medicare is a huge blessing. In the past old people had to depend on family and often that was not very enjoyable. The ability to live independent of family ...well, if I ever get to the point of dependence, then there's a little stockpile of pharmaceuticals.....
I did the best I could to NOT pay attention to the election and even now when the TFFG is promising chaos. I spend my study on the world situation starting at the Oct 7th: Palestinians and Israel, now Russia, Iran, BRICS, and now Syria! It's a lot for a Lit. Major who never paid attention to current affairs or history. Big learning curve. 3-4 hours a day Almost all from YOUTUBE...one good source is "Judging Freedom" with Judge Andrew Napolitano and guests, usually 3 a day. Then there is Norman Finkelstein: the expert on Palestine. These then lead to others.
One thing I have learned is the USA is causing misery everywhere.
Trump is only the puppet/actor for their plan. It completely wore him out, and now he is back doing what pleases him the most - in front of his adoring fans at Mar a Lago, doing what he does best (gloating) while they kiss his ring.
Every one of Donald's picks is also a puppet, just like Donld himself.
Lord knows none of them are competent or have any genuine leadership ability. But lurking behind each one will be a number of staffers setting policy, doing the actual work, and implementing the Heritage Foundation's agenda.
Unfortunately.
All he loves, that ugly arse in his mirror
I've noticed that, too. Verbal reports of his hard work but thats not like him. Very unusual for him not to be dominating the airwaves with pronouncements and off the cuff bragging. Have to wonder about his mental state. Regardless of what the background characters do, nobody rouses the masses like T in person. Nobody.
I agree, Barbara. I never want to see Pouty Potty Mouth again. That goes for his “handlers “ as well.
How’s that working out? There are a lot of guns out there. Musk bought us Trump and a lot of free disinformation. You get what you pay for. This is going to get really ugly.
I keep saying if Great Britain kicked Musk's sorry self out, for creating discord & being devisive there, why haven't we sent his butt back to S. Africa as well?? His citizenship can be revoked, as I understand. Or do we value $$ more here, than a greedy, narcissistic, wannabe overlord's divisive input, respect to our government's policies; albeit he's from another country? Disappointing...
Talk about an illegal immigrant & his illegal Afrikaner entry. Continue the Exodus to 🦋.
Ah, but he has control of the satellites, which is unfortunate.
Perhaps we should consider nationalizing both SpaceX and Starlink. After all, they are national security assets. Let the Space Nazi keep his worthless X platform, though.
I think we are well past the time that could have happened. Someday people who are now "worshiping" Biden will wake up and realize how absolutely middle of the road he was. Something like taking over the satellite industry would never have crossed his mind. We still live in a nation that worships capitalism and free market enterprise, at least for the wealthy. Nationalization of industry has never even been CLOSE to on the radar. I doubt it ever will in my lifetime.
Muck has government contracts with 10 or more Federal Agencies. Time to investigate what DOGE does do, if anything.
Gee, wonder what musk gets for his big investment…🤔
Got that right Susan. Wreck is headed for France this Weekend for the Notre Damn re-opening amid the disruption of a "no-confidence" French vote.
High security risk for the Sinner on the Seine. Joe will be there too.
The system is corrupt. Our employees get a better plan and we pay for it. A bot tells us we are denied, or is that someone that just graduated junior high? I've questioned the high cost of pharmacutical drugs. The answer is the same as the price of new cars and groceries.
A concept of a plan to either do nothing or destroy. That's all he knows how to do.
Sociopaths gotta sociopath.
Many Insta postings today in the vein of the 65,000 laugh emojis responding to United Healthcare on Facebook. My favorite: “I have a concept of condolences.” (from bguiles, whoever that is)
Good luck. Look who America has elected.
Dear Talia, some of us completely agree. Writing this for Frank L also. Two gigantic obstacles are the insurance companies who make billions, and specialist MD’s who also make big bucks. Sigh.
And don't forget the pharmaceutical industry, which is manipulating prices, supply, and shilling inexpensive compounds for tens of thousands per month. My mom has been through every biologic in the book, and they are nearly killing her each time. When she goes off one, they keep shipping $25,000 auto injectors to her house. She's keeping them in her fridge in place of food because she fears the government will come looking for them, wanting their money back. It is a boondoggle and a half.
A boondoggle to flim flam the vulnerable
The commercial carriers are contracted by the Fed to admin and process Champ/VA, Tricare, Original Medicare and Medicaid claims. No different than the fed contracts businesses for pens and tanks and hammers. So we wouldn't get rid of them but they would be controlled.
Not that this is the solution for everyone: I live in Mexico and have received excellent health care. If one is under 70 they are eligible for a very affordable private health care insurance. I moved here just as I turned 70, so I don't have it. I just go to doctors and pay.
There is public insurance which some carry in case they have a major issue like cancer so they can chose to use doctors in that system. I have used it and it was fine except for the inconveniences in a system that is basically underfunded.
I have also lived in Thailand with it's really lovely 1st class care.
There are many countries that offer affordable quality care. Countries whose leaders are not funding their citizen's tax dollars on personal wars. Countries that do not allow just anyone to own any kind of gun.
No kidding!!! It has been a very popular idea with MOST of the American populace; we'd LOVE a decent single payer system that the Republicans couldn't play patticakes with and flub it all to hell.
The only naysayers are people who bleat endlessly about communism and socialism (disregarding the fact that those systems are not one and the same and that those same bleaters couldn't define either system) and the insurance companies who have harvested massive profits from the health insurance business.
The problem comes in when insurance companies start thinking that their profits should not only come before the actual health CARE of patients but also begin putting AI, accountants and CFO's in charge of the DECISIONS--decisions that should be between the person being covered and their doctor ONLY--on healthcare coverage. Health insurance should NEVER, EVER be "for profit".
publicly funded, mind you!
Like in Australia.....
Really not sure how these people sleep at night. Well, in a dark way, I do know now with this murdered executive. This era is not for those whose careers have collapsed and lost most of their money (e.g., me). 💔
Obviously, self-pity does not work; but I am acutely aware, these days, of the high level of low living among the unprincipled and the declining level of decent living within the middle and labouring classes. 😢
All that ambivalence on the table, however, does not excuse wanton murder. The assassin is no folk hero; worse than the man he shot dead. Anyone else wondering if the man-hunt under way parallels the ending of 'Fahrenheit 451'? 😱
For Sure! - an American who has thought so for decades.
A big health insurer uses A.I. routinely to deny insurance claims, as if above human decency?
In an oligarchy, the richest are above the law.
The justices of the Clarence court (excepting the three more liberal ones) all understand that, at least since Citizens United (2010) the only law of the land is money. Masses of money. Dark money. Lobbyists’ money. Do-this-for-me money. Corporate thank you money.
There’s an emoluments clause in the Constitution. The convicted criminal has been hawking watches, guitars, crypto, sneakers, $60 Bibles, $100-dollar coins (of himself), trading cards (of himself), and most recently perfumes (also named for himself). Is he above the law? Did the Clarence court pay any attention to the Constitution where it bans insurrectionists from public office?
Do the American people care about his (lifelong) criminality?
Doesn’t elite impunity happen logically enough when the schools of a country throw out all their humanities, so all get numbed to human consequences?
Seriously… how much money is enough? And let’s not forget…. This is all while WE… those actually paying taxes are funding the healthcare and welfare of these super rich sociopathic morally bankrupt criminals. They are laughing as they pick our pockets and watch us make ourselves sick working to support their mansions and yachts. I’m honestly not surprised at all about the shooting… but my first inclination was to think it could have also been one of the hackers of the health exchange that went down in February. United Healthcare refused to pay ransom and took months to rebuild their system while they paid no claims, held onto their money and destroyed people’s lives. Mind you… this happened during a cash crunch after they purchased doctors and healthcare facilities to rig the system. Apparently sketchy is as sketchy does. Karma.
Karma. Yes. We are being held hostage by felons, abusers and crooks. If folks who voted for Trump ever, ever understand they have been lied to and bought hook, line , and sinker they are going to be pissed. Somehow we have to unmask these craven beings.
Most of his cabinet picks are billionaires. Apparently his voters are for the moment happy to say, “We won! We owned the Libs.” Maybe sooner or later they will feel some cognitive dissonance. Billionaires in charge, billionaires getting tax cuts, how’s that make my life better. . .?
They are also blatantly misogynistic and sexual abusers. Project 2025 is ready to charge straight ahead with abortion denial taken to its most absurd, possibly denying birth control and transgender care as well. Just look at the example of Musk...eleven children "to improve the human race," while their mothers are yesterday's toast.
Almost as if they are chosen for their reputations for sexual assault, or in Linda McMahon’s case, turning a blind eye.
Baptist Health was caught up in that mess. I had to pay a bill that was covered and sent to collection. It took six months to get the money back.
Excellent questions Phil! My big blue advantage plan dumped me and a thousand other Medicare subscribers off their advantage plan without warning. I went with the only other advantage plan in the area because it seemed easier than going with original Medicare. I will certainly look into it next year, no matter how big they make the flex card amount. I had no idea that Medicare advantage was such a moneymaker for these companies. Duh!
It’s a shock to me that a company would use AI this way to deny claims. The word heartless comes to mind—another adjective to add to the alphabetical list I’ve been keeping for the convicted criminal. (And there’s another!)
Gigi, Two years ago I became Medicare eligible. Almost all of my retired cop cohort were extolling the virtues of the PERS* Advantage plan. Lots of "health related" benefits that people who retire at ages between 50-55 (as we do in law enforcement) were delighted to get. I went to an insurance agency recommended by several different friends, and spent about two hours with them, looking at various plans. Frankly, both the PERS and the Pacific Source (a local public employees insurance carrier) offered pretty good plans. The sticking points for me were that they were local (PNW to Oregon only), plus I really had a distrust of a plan that GW Bush thought was a good one.
I settled on regular Medicare with both a prescription plan and a "Plan G" supplemental plan. When we came back and returned our signed documents, one of the agents said that for the "healthy times" between the ages of 50-70, the Advantage plans were very effective. When the "unhealthy times" or 70+ arrive, they become a nightmare. So far (two years in) I am very pleased with my coverage.
*PERS: Public Employees Retirement System.
It's imperative to keep as healthy as you can in later years: keep the weight off, stay away from junk food, read labels - if there are a lot oof chemicals in there don't eat it! Lots of fruit, veggies and limit meat but eat the best quality you can afford. Stay away from GMO and fake meat - full of chemicals. Go for walks everyday.
Took your advice years ago. Middle aisles are processed to the max. I don’t miss the crap. look at ingredients, scary stuff
Yes!
Wish I had done so decades ago…
Good advice. The weight here is my biggest issue, and that stems from the deteriorating joints I so wildly abused playing and officiating softball as well as the 28 years of shift work that impacted diet, exercise, and healthy sleep. The only meat I buy is beef raised under organic conditions (the reason they cannot label it "organic" is because they will infrequently use antibiotics to treat eye or hoof infections and because they butcher on site with a non-organic certified but adhering to organic practices butcher so the cattle don't have the trauma of travel to an unfamiliar place prior to slaughter. I will infrequently buy pork (shoulder and ribs; hey, I'm a "smoker" of Traeger variety, and there's nothing like good ribs or pulled pork) from a local pig farm that is very close to organic standards and nitrate free.
Got my weight down to 145, don’t smoke, and a single beer nightly, but at 91 BBQ spare ribs and ice cream are essential to maintain my sanity.
I don’t want my final cry to be for St Louis spare ribs.
Keith, wish I could get you some of my baby back ribs....
Stay away from sugar - it's the worse thing for arthritis!
And vegetable oil! I think someone here recommended "Deep Nutrition: Why your genes need traditional food" by Dr. Catherine Shanahan.
She's not a fan of sugar of vegetable oil as she was an ER doctor and treated many cardiac arrests and strokes.
Indeed it is!
My sister-in-law does the cooking in our house and loves her Traeger. My wife has been a vegetarian for over 30 years, and the Traeger smokes vegetables and fish really well.
The dog and I share a breakfast sandwich so we get our meat protein. Not as healthy as your beef though.
When we lived in Nebraska one of my co-workers raised and butchered 5-10 head every year. He finished them off on grass. What a treat!
Grass fed totally worth the price, local if you can find it. Cheap food is not worth the health hazards.
Re: "FAKE MEAT" Not too long ago, I was a vegetarian and ate copious amounts of 'better burgers' until I read the ingredients of these so-called "healthy" alternatives!
Relieved that I’ve read this in the HCR comment section. Somehow I’ve never heard any of that advice. /s
I’m glad that you saw this today. I’m an acupuncturist with some training in nutrition from eastern and western perspective. I treat a lot of arthritis. Sugar is the worst thing for arthritis for our health and general. Read the labels keep it at a minimum. You’d be surprised the products that have a whole Lotta sugar in them like ketchup for one.
Terry Some of the lemonade drinks are deadly sugar reciprocals.
Wise Ally, GWB never had a good idea. Chump is even dumber, but a better carnival barker
Everybody: "Advantage" plans are no advantage.
I got "Plan F" through the American Bar Association -- meaning powerful ABA bargaining power for good terms. Use your 🦾 through your retirement org: teachers, nurses whatever "group" bargaining power you can muster.
I added on a "Supplemental Policy" through Transamerica that even pays for the Medicare premium & the 20% Medicare does not cover that goes to the provider.
Me? Zero, nada. Yo necessario 💰dinero for my Granddaughters' future.
I also like the succinct easy-to-read Transamerica quarterly statements instead of a blizzard of paper in the mailbox. To your health at all times!
Brian A new insight into ‘pro bono.’ My only bar benefit is when I find a bar that makes a scrumptious planter’s punch. Otherwise, I am a barbarian. [apologies]
Ally Sounds like you are dancing on the yellow brick Medicare road well. At 91 I have had Medicare plus AARP (United Health Care) for a generation. I have enjoyed the full access to doctors without pre permission. I can’t remember when I have paid a copay.
I am bothered by how various doctors seem to be paid by Medicare. The person who takes wax out of my ear gets a higher reimbursement than the surgeon who performs my semiannual bladder cancer procedure. It makes no sense—I bring the bladder guy a bottle of wine.
Overall, my health care access and cost is more favorable since before I qualified for Medicare. However, I would appreciate a planters punch when I am obliged to wait for over an hour when I have a scheduled doctor’s appointment.
You chose wisely. On Medicare for twelve years; have paid nearly nothing while suffering broken elbow, rotator cuff repair, knee injury, congestive heart failure and afib. New cardiologist, a young Arab American, got me on the right meds four months ago, dropped fifty unneeded pounds and, at 77, feel healthier than I did twenty years ago. Yay Medicare. Go ahead, T****, try to take it away. I dare you.
Good work, James!
But, Gigi, they NEED all that money so they can keep producing and endlessly showing all those horrid TV commercials we’re tortured by!
The commercials should be banned yesterday. Money flushed.
They are pretty awful. Another big reason we don’t own a TV.
No shock at all if you remember that all they are concerned with is profit at all costs. These days, it's best to use that idea when dealing with publicly traded businesses. Stock prices and the investors are all they care about.
Heartless, soulless and lacking humanity. Who needs humanity when you have AI
Prior to going on Medicare, I'd done a good deal of reading & decided it was to our advantage to purchase Medicare & a supplement via AARP. SO far, so good. I chose a plan that had a $200 plus ( annual ded. Per person for doctors- increases a bit each year). But our " out of pocket" costs thus far have not been too bad. I'm a bit older than him & he rarely sees a doctor, other than a chiropractor; which is largely out of pocket, but reasonable for a neck issue hes had since his 20's. Otherwise he's still 150lbs, & walks miles daily..We've been relatively fortunate.
Americans do care about his criminality. Unfortunately, not enough to go to the polls last election.
"Do the American people care about his (lifelong) criminality?" That is the question that depresses me. How could so many millions of US citizens vote for the scoundrel?
Marvelously written!! In Trump's world opposing policies is easier than making tough choices or legislating. And norms, like the emoluments clause, have now become ill-defined, making them vulnerable. What lies ahead - organized crime, coordinated by the government.
Under fascism - for my friends everything, all others the law.
You said it, oligarchs are above the law. Money will almost always keep one from being held accountable!!
He, and his family and cronies, totally ignored the Emoluments Clause last time he was king and there was a bit of minor bluster from our lawmakers and that was it, no enforcement as usual. It will be no different this time except this time he will not relinquish the throne. The Constitution means nothing.
Nothing was done bc there’s no there there under the emoluments clause. And they knew it. It was a Democratic Party in congress meme for political consumption by the party hoi polloi. And as George Carlin said, “It’s a big club and you ain’t in it.” Though it’s a bit smaller now post November 5.
The emoluments clause has no application to President Trump. None from a legal perspective. Zero. But I’m wondering if Heather C-R has any fact history lesson on the George Washington’s sales from his estate farm during his Presidency?
You can get that history, bio on Washington, OverFlowError, from a recent book by William Hogeland, "The Hamilton Scheme."
Thanks for the recco. I’ve read some reviews and appears to be a good page turner on FF’s relationships and tribulations. I know at one point I’ve read a bit about Washington’s Mount Vernon that produced all manor of goods, crops, livestock and sundries for sale. I bet he must have had a few “Washington “ eye popping signs hither and yon to bring in the customers. Like an emolument’s violator. I’ll try the book out. Thanks again.
Well stated!
All good points. I’m spending much of December reading. The current issue of The Hedgehog Review: Critical Reflections on Contemporary Culture, published by IASC of the University of Virginia, is a great place to start.
Apparently not enough people care because the king is getting ready to take the throne, this time for life. He will not leave.
But who will run the asylum when his dementia progresses?
Elon? JD? Susan?
It's almost at a point already they can no longer cover for him.
While I don’t condone violence, my empathy is out-of-network.
Same here. Sorry for the guy's family. But it stops there. This will likely turn out to be a political assassination in a way. I'm 100% behind the sentiment. I was a doc before "managed care" started in the 90's. Health insurance made sense because it supported the medical imperative of "Do No Harm."
Once the insurance industry moved in, that imperative changed to a business model of "Make More Money." The change was profound and I saw it every day.
Human care should NEVER be delivered by people whose guiding principle is Make More Money."
How bout a secondary principle? I don’t know many (gosh, I think any) who has that as a guiding principle. Your point seems an easy lift. Physicians, heal thyselves!
😂 good one!
Double aught, I may just steal this.
But you approve of mass protests as South Koreans showed. And I would not take this NY incident lightly. It always begins with a seemingly an isolated happening. Trump has abused the American justice too long.
On the one hand, I can't celebrate murder, because that's a slippery slope that leads to the worst kind of depths. On the other, for how many deaths was Thompson responsible?
In the meantime, we were told that the immigrants are the criminals....
Are these the first shots of resistance against the regressive lurking Trump dictatorship?
"Are these the first shots of resistance against the regressive lurking Trump dictatorship?"
If so, then they are deeply immoral and impractical.
Trump and the Republicans are itching to declare martial law and/or enforce the insurrection act. Such assassinations will give them the excuse they are looking for.
Thank You Lin. Also. I hate like heck to sound preachy but here goes. It is an awful idea to celebrate this man's death. We must, must not descend into being like them. Sermon over.
We desperately need Democratic Leaders right this second. We are without a strong voice. We are rudderless. This really is freaking me out to the point that after being a registered Democrat for 57 years I am considering registering as an Independent. Maybe change will come from a coalition of Independents.
I was yelled at by an understandably terrified woman who misunderstood what I was saying. We can't do that. We can't turn on each other.
Get it together everyone. Only cool heads and even cooler tempers will help us in this nightmare. Things are about to get seriously bad.
We need each other.
"We desperately need Democratic Leaders right this second. We are without a strong voice. We are rudderless. This really is freaking me out to the point that after being a registered Democrat for 57 years I am considering registering as an Independent. Maybe change will come from a coalition of Independents."
I suggest listening to CSpan.
We have Democratic leaders. We have strong Democratic voices. We are not rudderless.
We are not powerless. We have made progress. We almost won the presidency and legislature. And would have - had a few more voters per swing state polling precincts voted Democratic. This is the coalition we need. We can preserve democracy and reform the Democratic party. But it will take strategic rather than self centered voting. Shared goals rather than personal feelings.
And this is the coalition the right wing built and the voting strategy it employed - uniting behind Republicans for decades. Plutocrats funding populists remade the Party of Lincoln into the GOP of god, guns, and greed.
Then I will give CSpan a listen. Thanks for your wisdom Lin. It is unusual for me to be so reactive. The results of this election have really rocked my boat.
Good points,
Thank you for your sanity, Barbara. I fear we are teetering on the edge of mass hysteria. It's up to the AntiMAGA-Americans to lead the resistance now.
Opposition. We must move beyond "resistance" to "opposition."
TC in LA sums it up nicely"
https://open.substack.com/pub/tcinla757/p/we-must-build-an-opposition-not-a?r=3hlhv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
The day of the election, I began gathering materials for dual citizenship I should have pursued ages ago. That is my last option emergency plan. The day after, went down to the town office and changed to independent. The timerity of Dems to continue pounding my inbox for money after this debacle is without parallel. They have enabled this and they still come begging. They had the 'biggest' war chest. Quite honestly, the only path I see forward right now is if we all jump ship and vote for reasonable candidates in the Republican primaries.
Muskrat tipped the scales. Egos as big as purses weigh heavy
My first reaction (to a threat/pique promise or action) is why on earth would you? Or anybody? My second was a suggestion, try out your local R party. Check it out. Meet some of them. You may well find yourself registering as a R. Unless you can’t stand being around working class Americans most of whom don’t have college degrees. In which case, Well….bye.
If you really want change, consider the Republican Party. It isn’t your grandfathers party. The model of the new R party is the old FDR D party without the socialists/ Communists. Lower income, working class, blue collar to middle class America.
Just walk away from the privileged, credentialed, college educated, professional(ist) D party.
I have thought that too. Dem forever sounds suicidal at this juncture
The only thing holding me back is that here in Kentucky you have to have a party affiliation to vote in the Primary. Mitch McConnell's Senate is up for grabs.
The assassination of Brian Thompson was immoral. Using the momentum of outrage generated by that assassination is not. No one here pulled the trigger and no one here will go looking for another opportunity. Murder is wrong. That doesn't mean the entire corrupt business of "health care" in this country should get a pass.
The horror stories of US healtcare are endless. Universal care is cheaper in the long run and has been proven so. Somebody probably could not take being ripped of anymore and lost it.....Where is the GOP...the call for thoughts and prayers????? The shooter needs therapy.......bla bla bla
Where is the outrage about the women bleeding to death in cars....waiting rooms.....allyways when they have a miscarrage!!!
The jetsrream of bullshit from Republicans will have final judgment the day the Book of Life is opened
“Universal care is cheaper in the long run and has been proven so.”
Yes cheaper but there’s no profit for the health insurance oligarchs if there is Universal health care. They won’t give up their golden calf
Well said, lin• We (I devoutly hope) ain't there yet.
Hope not. There are still other ways of resistance.
Opposition.
I’ve been wondering about that. If people who haven’t been following along begin to wake up, MAGA might not look so fun after all.
More likely an angry maganut
Probably lost his home because the healtcare company sued him for everything and was homeless and had nothing to lose anyway.
I believe this televised murder does ask the question, "who is the real villain?, who has the most blood on his hands ?" This is not a story that the Insurance Industry wanted to see played out like this. I believe this is what the hitman wanted most...the spotlight on the whole Industry and their Deny, Defend and Depose culture. My wife worked for a BIG Insurance Co for awhile...and they denied ALL claims over 1 Million $$ automatically. We pay them good money out of good faith that we will get help when we need it most...and then we get abused and confused on purpose when we need the help.
"I believe this televised murder does ask the question, "who is the real villain?, who has the most blood on his hands ?"
It is not either/or. The industry which puts profits over people and the individual who assassinated a person to make a point are both villains. The difference is that the courts have legitimized industry to do harm for profit. And the solution is to change that dynamic through all the legitimate means available.
Part of the picture of villainy are all those who suppress legitimate means of taking power such as voting. Including those whose specious rhetoric falsely equate the two parties to split the vote or to justify not voting. And who reject the hard work to make gradual change. (It took the right wing decades to capture the courts and to elect a Trump.) We came very close to electing a Democratic Harris-Walz administration. Which would have expanded health care access and consumer protections. Building towards a Democratic victory in 2026 should be our focus.
Trump and his gang get more exposed to those who voted him back to power every day. I'm enjoying my conversations with folks who voted for him about how bad and poorly qualified these cabinet picks are. Winning the mid terms is a priority...but there's got to be a lot of protest to hinder Trumps plans along the way...and Dems need the right focus and cast of players in '26. This is going to be hard work....and I do believe the "victim" in this murder story is the bigger villain. He represents hundreds of Insurance CEO's and execs who have literally gotten away with murder and mayhem for years. This spotlight was needed. I'm sorry for the man's family that he died...but he chose to not protect himself, when there where threats. That's either arrogant or denial or just stupid. He put himself at risk. Not a good insurance man...
Thank you, Mike. Your statement is concise and powerful.
Wonder if the actuarial tables will change for CEOs
“...literally gotten away with murder...”
MW: No, they haven’t and the suggestion that denying a disputed claim by an insurer, even when a court of law may rule that the denial was a breach of contract, is not “literally” murder. As a nation, we’ve heard this before and quite recently. He’s “literally Hitler”, he’s “just like Mussolini”, he’s a “tyrant”, “dictator”, “totalitarian”, he’ll “end elections to keep himself in power.” We heard a constant stream of such calumnies from the national media and from the mouths of Dem politicos for months during the election cycle. And now we hear it about big business CEO’s and employees of companies that are conveniently populate targets. And in forums such as this where posters, perhaps yourself too, promoted and amplified that hate. This sort of utterly baseless, rhetoric of hate and came “literally” to borrow your phrase but use it accurately (unlike you) within an inch of Trump having his his head blown off on national television. The second Trump assassination attempt has been now shown to have expressly motivated by such rhetoric. The American people have as a result on November 5 rejected your kind. Rejected you. Rejected your way of thinking. And that’s a good thing. Perhaps I should say, keep it up. But I think the worm has turned. Thanks for the help, and, yeah, keep it up. It will be great for the R party in Congress and the state houses. And if more HC CEO’s get gunned down in the street because folks like you promote it, well, eventually, folks like you will need to keep an eye over your shoulder while walking in the streets lest you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bullet meant for a target of your hate finds your back instead.
"OverFlow" is a right on name for you to use...You've really exaggerated anything I've said. I'm not promoting or condoning murder, assassination or violence here. I don't want to see anyone gunned down. But I do understand how someone could be driven to that course of action. You obviously think Trump is ok. I don't. Hate is not my game. I'm trying to see the realities based on my experiences, what I learn from folks like HCR and real conversations. If there's any hate here it appears to be coming from you...You are the one advocating putting a target on someones back for expressing himself . I'm finished with this...so don't expect any more replies.
I’ll repeat a final time what you elide. The denial of a contractual medical claim, whether legally right or wrong, is not and can never be “understood” as murder. “Literally “ or colloquially. In something like this, if you’re not condemning explicitly, you’re condoning implicitly. If you “understand” a claim denial to be murder, then it seems you also “understand how someone could be driven” to viciously shoot a man in the back in revenge for it. That sounds a lot like empathy for the killer to me. BTW I don’t think HCR was teaching what you claim to have learned from her piece.
But for Musk’s intervention, Harris/Walz might have one. My daughter finally got me off X last night. I feel like I just shed at least 500 lbs. of ugly fat. We have to rid ourselves of this pestilence.
The courts have legitimized industry…and made corporations citizens. “Legitimate” has always depended on who is in power. Slavery legal, Holocaust legal, Jim Crow legal, etc.
From what I understand from those who try to collect from health insurance companies, United Health is the most culpable in denying claims. It infuriates me that AARP's health insurance plan is United Health. Doesn't seem right that an organization that purportedly supports seniors, works with such acdishonest company.
I have little good to say about AARP. They seem to be just a major marketing firm to seniors with a little lobbying on the side.
My sentiments
AARP is owned by United, perhaps literally. Always seemed fishy that AARP mainly pushes advertising for major corporate products while harnessing celebrity involvement and claiming that they represent mainstream seniors.
As a small optical business owner I cringe when reading articles in the AARP magazine or paper about the best places to buy eyeglasses. Always larger chains.
I’ve got AARP as well. We need alternatives fast.
I was documenting an AARP lobbying event at the Capitol and they were very well organized with a lot of folks going to elected reps. I don't remember what the specific issue was...a LOT of us are members, lets press them on these issues...they have a huge office just across from the Capitol. I hate to imagine what the rent is. We need organized voices that cam get the ears and votes of our elected reps.
I’ve worked 45 years in the insurance/legal field, I have some questions for your spouse……
ask away
I have difficulty accepting at face value that the entirety of the insurance industry or even one very large carrier ‘never’ pays out initially or ‘always’ initially denies a $Million claim. Much depends what part of the industry you’re talking about, HC, CGL ( comprehensive general liability), D&O ( directors and officers coverages), PL (professional liability) etc on and on. I have seen in every one of those coverages, including HC ( though the format varies for it since billing for HC costs don’t miraculously start at $1M but are approved and paid over time as catastrophic injuries are cared for. And I’ve seen million dollar (multiples of millions even) paid out on the spot to settle claims. I’ve seen that even where a carrier may have plausible coverage language and limits of liability issue.
So what I’m saying is, yours was a categorical statement that I would ask many questions along those lines that get into some fact and legal weeds.
Overflow, thanks for your concern and perspective. I was not trying to imply that everyone denies "automatically" across the board. We talked about this last night and I may have over stated my understanding of the specific situation, but not by a lot. This goes back 30 years to a large company HQ'd in NY. Their division only dealt with million dollar claims and above...of a wide variety of loses. They very seriously vetted everything. VERY few got paid out without going to court. They litigated almost everything.So in fact they were defending and deposing most of the portfolio they had to work with. She was there for almost 2 years and reflected on the VERY male dominated, high testosterone environment of the time, where money was spent very freely on lavish meetings, gatherings and parties. The execs lived VERY well. She had come to them as a temp and became the assistant to a VP. My personal experience when I was doing legal videos and depositions is that very few of those making health claims were attempting to scam the system....and when "day in the life" videos became popular payouts went up, when juries and judges could see the struggles of the victims first hand. Personally we just received far less for an auto accident my wife was in than we feel it was worth based on our expenses buying a new car and her health needs and care. It took a year to settle and would have taken at least another year if we had turned down the negotiated settlement and gone to court. A good friend of mine was in an horrific accident with a truck 3 years ago. She almost died and has gone through 3 years of intense rehab...and will never be whole again. The truck driver was charged and was obviously at fault for an illegal U turn that caused the crash. Again, they went through a lot legally to get anything approaching a reasonable settlement. I understand the industry not just throwing money at every case...but I do believe they frequently "go to the mat" to hold on to every dollar they can....and that people do suffer and die along the way. On the other hand, right now I'm very happy with my Medicare coverage combined with a good Blue Cross plan. It is saving me thousands...if Trump and Musk attempt to mess up Medicare I'm going to be leading the protests. Peace
This is sanitized murder in the name of efficiency, profit, and everlasting economic growth for the few at the expense of everything and everybody on earth.🌍
Are Medicare denials of treatments or drugs resulting in demise of a patient also
I've not experienced denials but I have Original Medicare. I went on it in 1992 with SSDI. Had work in business end of healthcare and knew better than to fall for Advantage.
… “sanitized murder”?
Well said.
Neither can I JJ. The NYPD has his full face photo of the perp from his use of an Upper West Side hostel -- no less. The Perp left a trail of genetic data on his exit to Central Park along with his cell phone & evidence what he ate at a Starbucks right before his M1 murder.
The Perp has already been tracked on a Greyhound Bus from from Atlanta, GA on 11/24/24. Calls to NYPD's Crime Stoppers have helped solve over 1400 Murders.
NYPD: 800-577-TIPS and/or @NYPDTips. Rewards💰
I really like the historic context in connecting the past with current events. By this context we gain a deeper understanding of the cycle and patterns of history. Heather Cox Richardson is excellent at illustrating this for us.
'Zackly, Vicki. We are currently in a downward cycle. I hope we survive it and can rise from the ashes, stronger and wiser. Our enemies are circling like vultures.
And closing in
Yes , she is.
This is a major issue with our elections being ethically based on the one person , one vote ideal our forefathers envisioned. The creation of the structure that allows one individual to financially participate and subvert the facts with deliberate lies and misinformation to manipulate an electorate is brought to you directly by our current, politically corrupt Trump/Republican supporters on our Supreme Court. PACs are fueling the destruction of our democracy over corporate and individual greed.
Money talks. Big Money talks big, and loud.
Who among us, ordinary citizens, can compete with that?
The implication is that the wealth of the bazillionaires is far more important than the opinions of we who are citizens.
Little wonder that many eligible voters don't show up to vote.
We, the vast numbers of citizens, are outshouted.
Ruled by a minority.
And they ALL have lobbyists who can actually communicate with the elected politicians. What chance do we have in influencing a politician compared to the dozens of lobbyists employed by the health insurance industry?
Lobbyists were the primary purchasers of politicians til muskrat outbid them all…
What I’m wondering about is what happens to the loud mouth’s who’ve been selling guns to the fearful and disgruntled if the tide turns against them? Ryan Busse wrote a book, Gunfight, that’s worth reading right now. He loves guns and worked for the gun industry for years until he couldn’t stomach it anymore.
[Edit: 11:45 PM CST on 9 Dec. Original post deleted, replaced with this.]
This post was about a novel way to think about America's gun problem. It's not the first time I've floated the concept. Essentially, I think it would be more effective for the Democrats, whenever we/they get around to being able to pass legislation in Congress again, to address social and economic fairness issues, along with voting rights and civil rights, and a woman's right to govern her own body -- instead of regulating gun ownership. I am in favor of gun regulation. But what is more impossible, regulating guns, or lifting people up out of poverty, and ensuring a greater measure of economic fairness for everyone? The desire to own a gun is a manifestation of the effects of various social issues, as I see it. If we don't address those social issues, regulating guns would be like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound -- inadequate.
One white male of property, one vote.
Yes, it is true that originally it was white men who owned property to keep it to just the wealthy. But we worked hard through the years to correct that miscarriage of justice and denial of rights. The underlying principle of equality for all and one person one vote allowed that change to be more inclusive to happen.
Imagine if we could vote on legislation!
Americans would rather pay $8,000 for private health insurance than $3,000 in tax to cover the cost of public health insurance.
They think not everyone deserves the same access to health care and that some are “undeserving.” In his book “Dying of Whiteness,” Jonathan Metzl interviewed a Tennessee man with kidney failure who didn’t mind the expense of his disease as long as someone he viewed as “undeserving.” It’s long past due that we dumped this stupid mindset. We are turning into a Hobbesian anarchy, and it is ugly to watch. We also cannot leave people out of the system as past generations were.
Which is exactly why the initial bid for national healthcare failed… the bigots didn’t want to fund healthcare for African Americans.
No, it was the usual Republican hysteria about socialism and communism etc. and because they really did not want to insure anyone at all. Look at their continued attacks on Social Security ! This time it was not racism - unless you want to blame the fact that Barack Obama was black. The Republicans would have opposed the plan if it had been proposed by Abraham Lincoln !
National healthcare was first proposed in 1945. Racism was a key deterrent at the time.
Exactly
$8000 would be a deal! My quote for 2025 is $13,000. That’s twice as high as my property taxes.
Nobody should profit off peoples’ health or illness.
I’m glad the insurance execs are scared. They should be at least as scared as their customers are.
Exactly, profiting off of human illness is unconscionable!
That's where my wife's has gotten to. My former employer paid my medical benefits until I turned 65; they stopped my wife's "tag along" plan but have permitted her to stay within the plan at a much higher cost. The last time we went in for my annual Medicare review, she asked about plans on the open market; by paying about $150 more a month than the next best plan (which sucked) she still gets the "Cadillac Coverage" the county still provides.
There is a lot to unpack about the word ‘profit’.
I do understand the need for people to all receive appropriate health care. However, I do believe that all of those directly providing the care should be paid properly. To be a Doctor costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and many years of work to be able to practice. Mental Health clinicians and Physical Therapists have similar expenses to name a few others in health care. All are required to carry insurance premiums to deal with huge insurance costs for law settlements win or loose. How do we look at that aspect of Profit?
All medical care is complex and expensive.
We need one universal healthcare program that provides a good living to those providing care and excellent care for each patient. That would be my ideal, for the future. How to do it all over from New York City to Bend Oregon, is beyond me.
And, yet perhaps AI could be useful for once and can figure it out.
Liked but can't like. . .
Because of many people like that trump will be represident. 🤒
Somehow that case has to be made. A fifty-year-old person in our country has grown up in a society that has been fed distrust of government from birth. The market and the private sector were supposed to solve it all efficiently. How’s that working out? Chickens are coming home to roost.
We don’t see all the add ons.
The description of Medicare Advantage and United Healthcare’s relationship and AI operations is a cogent argument for a single-payer national healthcare system.
Hopefully now more than 0.2% of people denied coverage will stand up against the appalling practices of our current system that benefits stockholders before policy holders.
This televised murder is putting a big spotlight on this Insurance denial & defend system...this is not what the Insurance companies want...but here it is. My guess is that's what this killer really wanted most, to expose this situation on a large scale...and the question becomes, "who is the real villain here ?" This hitman is not a pro, there's too many loose ends and evidence. This story is going to have a lot of legs.
He is. His ability clear his jam w/in 3 seconds, first shot to the leg to torture and debilitate and escaping in a non traceable way. Most likely it is a decoy who lead LE around by the nose by making sure he was captured in obvious places.
David Brooks said it best. Trumpism is a wrong answer to the right question.
Bernie Sanders is made a joke of, in the political media for suggesting the need for a single payer healthcare system, and the cartoonishly evil Musk can buy a presidency, because of the Citizens United decision.
Who asked Musk and Ramaswamy to make decisions that will adversely affect the lives of millions of Americans? People were feeling frustrated enough (and through Musk propagandized enough) to vote for Trump. What they don’t get, however, is that Trump does not ever plan to leave office, and our constitution is essentially a dead letter with the Supreme Court granting an unconstitutional amount of power to Trump.
Kathy, musk and ramaswamy are rich and proximate to Trump. Their wealth makes them superior decision makers and their proximity to the dumb Trump makes them influential. /s
Repubs have wanted a permanent Republican majority for decades. Mitch’s goal forever. They won’t let go
David is right twice a day…
Again, one masterful segue after another. HCR leaves us much the wiser for the historical context and current overlaps of all the big money maneuvers and malicious machinations animating Trump/MAGA/Project 25 playing out in front of our eyes. I remain super concerned about the power plays and quid quo pros that are hidden from public view and scrutiny.
Just as Fisk's murder 'provoked a popular condemnation of the ties between big business and government', the time will come when the same happens to Trump's gilded clown car. These things run in cycles. What these money-drunk lunatics have not bargained for is mass rebellion. You don't cut social security, veteran's pensions and life-saving medical benefits from a population whom you've enabled to purchase machine guns from Walmart. Maybe the last 40 years of trickle-down economics and corporate greed needs to play itself out. Pass the popcorn.
People will not be happy if you remove the systems that keep them alive. I think the GQP and Project 2025 will try to get rid of the ACA, Social Security and publicly funded Medicare, and then politicians will see a revolt on their hands. One thing I’ll note is that some people have the mistaken notion that Social Security was meant to be an investment vehicle. It was not. It was meant to be social insurance, and often people have immediate expenses that may prevent them from putting aside money into a 401k. The 401k itself was not originally designed as a default investment vehicle. It was originally designed as a method high income earners could shelter their incomes. Eventually, it became a default investment vehicle as companies abandoned the traditional pension system.
Propaganda skewed the news, as LBJ once reportedly said. You have to act on the information you have, and you never have all the information. Or words to that effect. Rupert made sure that the MAGAts never had anything but “alternative facts.”
I’ve been thinking along similar lines myself. Auden has a line in a poem about the revolution eating its children. That’s badly paraphrased, but it seems to fit.
We do need a national health care system. Healthcare, privately funded by profit and insurance doesn’t work. It makes us less healthy and more poor. Just what the richest people want.
Before my retirement, I worked as an RN case manager at a hospital. I learned a great deal about insurance, especially the Medicare Advantage plans. They promise a lot but ofter deliver little. When I read that they are using AI to determine patient care, I laughed. I learned that before AI, the reviewers looked for key phrases to determine coverage. I had several scripts I used to in attempt to get the proper medications and/or post-hospital care for the discharging patients. And I still got denials. And I am not talking about borderline cases. I am talking about patients who needed intensive physical rehab to regain their mobility and independence in the activities of daily life. I am talking about the patients being denied the proper medications. I have worked with the attending physicians on appeals (which are long and unwieldy) only to be denied. I often went home, frustrated, angry and with a raging headache.
So when I retired I stuck with Original Medicare. So I pay more for a supplement and dental and eye care. Yes I do. But it is worth it.
And as an aside, the past week I have a forboding feeling that the ordinary citizens of this country were reaching a tipping point on how much abuse they will endure by those in charge. I think we have reached that point.
As a social worker case manager, I have had the same experiences. So many patients are denied much needed rehab and other life quality measures for absolutely no reason. Our providers wasted so much time fighting for their patients. The providers and other medical staff at the hospital are the experts, not the insurance ‘medical staff’. I chose traditional Medicare too with supplements. We need Medicare for all!
I have original Medicare. It works as it should most of the time. The premium is $174/mo. I feel exceedingly fortunate.
Those may be the same ones who voted for even worse…
What an enormous surprise this news must be to everybody!
/s
When The People cannot get politicians who care for them - or cannot ELECT politicians who will care - why would be astonished when they start taking matters into their own hands?
36,000 laughing emojis is a terrible way to react to the news of someone's death - but it is also a certain indicator of how America regards its broken "health care" system.
And views extraordinarily rich CEOs who seem not to care a bit that people die. The cost of doing business. (Like pregnant women dying from denied healthcare is just the cost of ideology.)
Two corporate visions: Corporate America and Corporate Christianity.
Corporate Christianity is definitely an oxymoron. Jesus was a poor man all his life.
I think that paying medical professionals well, pretty much out of gratitude for devoting their careers to the easing of pain and suffering is a good thing. Incentivizing healthcare careers is not a bad thing. But, corporatizing care providers and insurers for profit is evil, if that term has any useful meaning. One partial solution would be to transform the nature of the corporate charter and governance.
Peter Drucker's 1946 book "The Concept of the Corporation" is nothing if not a warning about the potential for institutionalized unethical behavior by corporate leaders who are only beholding to a greed machine. I think that perspective remains valid even if that greed machine is dominated by institutional investment managers.
Corporations that are publicly traded should be required to have a charter issued by the federal government, and that charter should require all board members to be licensed professionals whose licenses demand adherence to a code of ethics. Then, if the healthcare industry is to remain a creature of corporate structures, then something akin to Hillary's 1994 plan should be imposed upon it. Otherwise yeah, seize the whole system and rebuild the national healthcare system that we had a good start on with the old U.S. Public Health Service that the AMA torpedoed.
Peter Drucker was brilliant. As a former director of several companies including companies that provided major medical insurance, I never witnessed the unethical behavior HCR describes in her newsletter.
When we held our first board meeting when we started our company, one of the board members asked whether our board was a "yes man" board or whether we actually wanted them to tell us what they really thought?
I have never been on a "yes man" board, but I imagine there are many out there even among the Fortune 500 companies.
We can’t even get our extreme court to adhere to a code of ethics or conduct!!! To suggest that for profit corporations (healthcare or otherwise) do so is laughable.
Thank you for mentioning Peter Drucker. His book “Adventurers of a Bystander” changed my thinking and enlightened me more than any other. I posted two pages of it on BSky yesterday. He was in Berlin as Nazis were gaining ground. He knew of what he wrote, and it was mind bending. I know of his later career, so glad he escaped when he did…
A verse from a Steve Earle song from 2002 yet again comes to mind:
“Look around
There's doctors down on Wall Street
Sharpenin' their scalpels and tryin' to cut a deal
Meanwhile, back at the hospital
We got accountants playin' God and countin' out the pills
Yeah, I know, that sucks that your HMO
Ain't doin' what you thought it would do
But everybody's gotta die sometime and we can't save everybody
It's the best that we can do”