The Soapbox
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| Subject: That is an excellent point, and one not lost on me. |
| Posted by: KaHOOnah on Tue Feb 21 2012 9:50:49 AM |
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Message:
But I think if policy addresses one side of the coin without the other, the
policy is doomed to fail. Prior to healthcare costs acceleration in teh 80s and 90s and aughts, I think I read that Medicare was solvent, but I may be wrong about that. As I understand it, the reason why these Medicare/Medicaid are collapsing under their own weight is because of care/drugs' rising costs in conjunction with people living longer. So you get hit with higher costs/stay and more stays/lifetime. That's a toxic combination. Otherwise, the bandaid fix that I referred to with SS could easily apply to healthcare programs: lower the income / raise the age at which people are eligible to collect benefits, decrease the benefits and/or increase the contributions to it. But Medicare/Medicaid won't approach solvency by only touching the eligibility portion of the problem. We have to figure out a way of bending the cost-curve or all other efforts to save these programs (which may, indeed, be impossible) will prove folly. I think we're basically saying the same thing. We don't tend to view government in wholly different ways and I always enjoy the conversation. Your post prompted me to think on end of life issues. My father is totally decrepit. He's senile, suffers from severe type 2 diabetes, has gout in nearly every joint the poor man has, and congestive heart failure. He's recently been relegated to a bed 24/7 and has taken to hallucinating visions that are, apparently, very scary. If he were my dog, we'd put him to sleep out of absolute pity for the severe pain he endures and the quality (lack thereof) of life he suffers. For crying out loud, the man was literally a rocket scientist and now struggles to recall his wife's name. Since he was NASA, his insurance is excellent and the costs incurred by my mother and his children are less than what other families in a similar position may incur, so I shouldn't complain. My brothers and I take turns going home to change diapers and take care of the man to alleviate the emotional and financial burden that my dear ma is too kind to complain about. But the costs that insurance and Medicare incur to keep the shell of my dad alive is astronomical. When I'm in that position, I hope we have laws a little more similar to Holland than Virginia. I think I read somewhere that ~80% of the medical costs per citizen are incurred in teh last year of life. It seems callous to ask, but what is it for? |
| Current Thread: |
Lemme see if I got this right: Obama's last budget went down 97-0 -- Doug Mon Feb 20 2012 10:43:23 AM |
It is a political strategy that will probably work. Why -- cddc Mon Feb 20 2012 3:31:16 PM |
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This is actually how republics fall. -- hawkb Mon Feb 20 2012 1:52:18 PM |
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Voters are selfish and spineless, consequently pols are too -- Hood Mon Feb 20 2012 5:32:36 PM |
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That's a good post right there. Sums it up very well ** -- cvilleHOOrat Mon Feb 20 2012 4:13:16 PM |
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Good post. ** -- Doug Mon Feb 20 2012 2:05:37 PM |
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Good post, that's where I come out ** -- HiltonHeadHoo Mon Feb 20 2012 1:57:33 PM |
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I think people on this board don't realize how reasonable it is -- hawkb Mon Feb 20 2012 2:20:17 PM |
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You probably think I am one of the most unreasonable but I would take Simpson/Bo -- TomKazanski Mon Feb 20 2012 2:33:00 PM |
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That sounds quite reasonable -- Bacon Mon Feb 20 2012 4:11:09 PM |
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Obtuse, naive or just partisan junk? -- Lazarus Mon Feb 20 2012 12:58:58 PM |
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Emboldened by Romney's collapse/Santorum's ascendency? -- NaturalMysticHoo Mon Feb 20 2012 5:00:39 PM |
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I concur, mostly: -- Doug Mon Feb 20 2012 1:01:48 PM |
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I seem to have gotten back to the board too late... -- hoolstoptheheels Mon Feb 20 2012 11:53:51 AM |
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Below is the link to the spreadsheet showing taxes, spending, and deficits -- Doug Mon Feb 20 2012 12:38:30 PM |
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Thanks Doug. -- hoolstoptheheels Mon Feb 20 2012 2:12:11 PM |
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You're welcome. Below I have posted a link to the source -- Doug Mon Feb 20 2012 3:08:33 PM |
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Well, not without fixing the entitlement problem. -- hoolstoptheheels Mon Feb 20 2012 4:07:16 PM |
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What (in broad outlines) is your proposed fix? -- southdenverhoo Mon Feb 20 2012 5:27:23 PM |
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I'd like to see no entitlements. -- hoolstoptheheels Tue Feb 21 2012 8:27:58 AM |
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I think if Social Security can be fixed with a band-aid... -- KaHOOnah Tue Feb 21 2012 7:15:27 AM |
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Of course, the day of reckoning would be put off.. -- hoolstoptheheels Tue Feb 21 2012 9:23:19 AM |
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That is an excellent point, and one not lost on me. -- KaHOOnah Tue Feb 21 2012 9:50:49 AM |
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Well, first, I am very sorry for what you're going through. -- hoolstoptheheels Tue Feb 21 2012 10:07:07 AM |
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I tend toward that libertarian view as well. I have the right to life, liberty -- KaHOOnah Tue Feb 21 2012 10:29:41 AM |
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I look up holding the line on spending as including holding the line -- Doug Mon Feb 20 2012 4:36:26 PM |
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That's a hamhanded way of looking at the outlays and receipts, IMHO -- KaHOOnah Mon Feb 20 2012 2:28:32 PM |
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I understand all that. -- hoolstoptheheels Mon Feb 20 2012 4:26:14 PM |
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Obama is a poor leader. However, the answer isn't to bring in some -- Galileo24 Mon Feb 20 2012 11:44:09 AM |
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There's that independent view! Just asking, don't -- cddc Mon Feb 20 2012 3:36:40 PM |
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I'm not really sure what your point is? The House Republican's KNEW every... -- I_Love_Lamp Mon Feb 20 2012 11:12:16 AM |
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Ah, yesssss, it is of no moment that Obama proposes one budget that every -- Doug Mon Feb 20 2012 12:21:49 PM |
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You spelled Democratic wrong. {106} ** -- Metcalf Tue Feb 21 2012 5:11:56 AM |
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"Democratic" is an inapt descriptor of the Democrat party and of its members. ** -- Doug Tue Feb 21 2012 9:49:27 AM |
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For one, that the label "do nothing" republicans is flatly incorrect. -- Hoo05Dave Mon Feb 20 2012 11:40:06 AM |
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I don't see the difference between a 'do nothing' party and a party that passes -- I_Love_Lamp Mon Feb 20 2012 11:53:04 AM |
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Well have you ever considered that some of these regulations overreached and -- HooBauer Mon Feb 20 2012 3:28:22 PM |
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Again, for the third opportunity, you duck the point about the budget... -- Hoo05Dave Mon Feb 20 2012 12:06:16 PM |
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Agree to disagree. I see promoting bills that have no chance of getting approve -- I_Love_Lamp Mon Feb 20 2012 12:52:27 PM |
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All politicians do this. Your kidding yourself if you -- cddc Mon Feb 20 2012 3:39:32 PM |
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Ever heard of a Conference Committee? ** -- JMHoo Mon Feb 20 2012 3:19:06 PM |
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I'm not saying it's a good thing... -- Hoo05Dave Mon Feb 20 2012 1:05:39 PM |
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Agree Dave. Every POTUS budget in my lifetimme has been called "DOA" before it -- WaxHoo Mon Feb 20 2012 12:44:36 PM |
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Surely you can see there can be a balance between having rives on fire -- Hoodafan Mon Feb 20 2012 11:27:02 AM |
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Damn glad I read all of this. I know we hate UNC but "rives" is a good guy -- HooBauer Mon Feb 20 2012 3:31:41 PM |
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The problem is finding that balance. I don't disagree that there are -- Galileo24 Mon Feb 20 2012 1:42:27 PM |
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A little kepone (sp) never hurt anyone! ** -- cddc Mon Feb 20 2012 3:41:17 PM |
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I could care less about 'spotted owls.' What should not be protected at all -- I_Love_Lamp Mon Feb 20 2012 11:44:59 AM |
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Re: EPA brought a lot of this on themselves with over regulation. ** -- PhillyHoo Mon Feb 20 2012 2:42:12 PM |
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LMAO you are holded the EPA up as the standard bearer of efficinet govt -- TomKazanski Mon Feb 20 2012 12:55:03 PM |
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Your stupidity still amazes me each and every day. ** -- I_Love_Lamp Mon Feb 20 2012 3:30:21 PM |
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Lets see you put faith in one of the most corrupt govt agencies in existence and -- TomKazanski Mon Feb 20 2012 4:30:26 PM |
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Make that rivers, not one of my favorite posters even if he is a Heel fan. ** -- Hoodafan Mon Feb 20 2012 11:27:57 AM |
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I'd settle for a Fiscal Conservative who's actually fiscally conservative. -- KaHOOnah Mon Feb 20 2012 11:18:52 AM |
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