No Inspiration

I've tried all day to be inspired. Sorry, but it's not working for me. I'm bothered by "Health care", you see.

Is anyone else bothered by the fact that Congress just passed not "Health Care," but "Health Insurance Requirements"?

Is anyone else bothered by the fact, not being widely publicized, that this bill, which is supposed to cost about One Trillion Dollars over the next 10 years is in fact going to be tax increases of about One Billion Dollars per year for the next 10 years, but that the money won't be spent for the first four years, so, when it finally takes effect, it will cost One-and-three-quarters Billion Dollars per year for 6 years?

It matters not if the taxes apply to you at this time or not. They will. They are not indexed for inflation. When the Federal Income Tax was passed in 1913, it applied only to the wealthiest of Americans. It now applies to everyone, and has for a very long time.

Don't tell me I should have called my Congressman to voice my opinion; I did. I offered his staff suggestions. No one cared.

Here are real "Health Care Reforms" that would help our country.

1. Primary care clinics. Some have opened, and more could be used. They should be staffed by Physicians' Assistants or Nurse Practitioners, and overseen remotely by doctors. There are two in my area that I've frequented, and they are wonderful. This would be a way for doctors to assist more patients, at a lower cost to the patients.

2. Health Insurance Reform: Allow people to purchase insurance through interstate companies, according to their own needs or wants, as we purchase auto insurance. A single guy like my son certainly doesn't need maternity coverage, and a woman over 50 doesn't need it, either. Young people should be able to purchase catastrophic coverage, since they consider themselves unlikely to need (or want) coverage for most things. As we can choose to buy dental and vision care or not, so we should be able to choose to purchase or not purchase coverage for addiction treatment or mental health care. Premiums should rightly be charged on the basis of what's covered, and, frankly, the age of the persons covered. Let's face it, the vast majority of people have only Medicare coverage after the age of 65 or so, and, therefore, the government is covering the cost of the most expensive people to insure anyway.

So, I welcome everyone to tell me what you think, but, please, keep it civil. I don't think government is the answer to anything and everything (notice the post office versus UPS or Fedex, anyone?), but I know plenty of people have their own opinions. Tell me what you think, and I'll try to tell my Congressman and Senator, again, but don't count on them listening. They think we're too stupid to know what we want, and are now planning to sell us this bill which they've passed "for" us.