The Health With It
by Ken Mahal, NSC President
Originally published on October
8, 2009 - reprinted with permission
HEALTH CARE FOR EVERY ONE BUT WHO PAYS FOR IT & ETC?
In my life time I have never seen one issue take so much of our time with little or nothing
to show for it after many months. I believe there are three people at whose door step we can
lay the questions and get a different answer from anyone of the three. You know who I speak
of and they are our gad about President Barrack Obama who would sooner run around half the
world to get the Olympics in and for Chicago, which didn’t happen in short order plus our
head Senator Harry Reid and our head Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi. In all my years I have had
so little interest because of the 1,300 + pages which can change day by day with amendment
by amendment. If we do anything I would set a limit of say no more than 30 pages which would
pretty well knock out putting us in prison with our doctor if we did not do exactly as the
book says and oh yes fine us $25,000 besides. Believe me folks when government gets as low
down as making laws that will put us in prison and fines us if we use our good judgment and
do something a little outside of the book, this has to be an unbelievable experience. Tell
me who in government deserves the right to sue us if some bureaucrat in government wants to
do it on a whim? If we do anything wouldn’t it be better if we started out with a simple
wellness program to help us be better by living a more healthy existence? If we do that I
think most of us would soon be better off health wise. And try to do as I do, my doctor sees
me four times a year for general health conditions after taking blood tests that will give
the doctor a hint on things that might need looking at before something serious goes wrong.
This happens to be a group practice which has enough doctors so that they can support a
laboratory where they can take your blood and twenty minutes later they will have the blood
work done so that your doctor is working with the latest blood work to do an analysis from.
Most of us would be better off if we really had a good preventative care program and whether
you lived much long is one thing but if you do live longer lets also hope that this kind of
a program would make that life a more quality one because of the effort you put into it to
live better.
DO I KEEP MY SAME DOCTOR?
Supposedly we will be able to keep our same doctor and change if we like. In some cases it is very
good to be able to find another doctor if the one you are working with can’t quite get the answer
you’re looking for. In this day and age where things get more complicated it has been our experience
that it is good to find another doctor if needed. One never knows when another doctor is needed until
you have work with one doctor who does the very best but cannot quite find the answer. In our instance
the group practice, which means more than one doctor on staff, it helps when they have their group
discussion meetings every week where they discuss how things are going and if something has your doctor
stumped the group practice may be a help if you have a half dozen or more in the group practice you
could find that more than one brain looking at the problem may be very worthwhile having in a complicated
case. We also found that out to be true. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester was started that way and a later
one the Cleveland Clinic is very similar. And by the way the firm I worked at did both clinics.
CAN I KEEP MY CURRENT INSURANCE?
At this writing so far as I can tell we can keep our current insurance coverage which is the supplement to
Medicare and in our case we have contracts with Continental General. From what I understand now anyone would
be able to keep their present Insurance except when it comes to HMO’s there has been talk of changing them
but I am not aware of the details if they will be changed.
IF I HAVE A PROBLEM WILL IT BE EASIER TO GET COVERAGE?
According to what is being covered it should be easier for anyone to get coverage because no one will be
disallowed coverage because of any existing illness. I am sure it is more complicated than this short answer
but we are just trying to cover things briefly and to the point.
HOW WILL HEALTH CARE REFORM AFFECT MY TAXES?
Proponents claim health care will save money in the long run but will cost a lot at the outset. Taxes presently
are being discussed that only on income over $250,000 will be taxed.
WILL THE COST OF MEDICATION BE AFFECTED?
For existing Medicare patients there should be little change in prescription drugs and if the Wal-Mart,
Walgreen and other major pharmacies keep their minimum $4.00 prices etc. that should help hold down prescription
costs as well as any change that may come with the change in the new program. The miserable donut-hole should be
put to death. Let’s hope that is the case. I wonder who in the wide, wide world ever thought that up?
HOW WILL HEALTH CARE REFORM AFFECT COST OF MEDICARE?
There won’t be a major change but some to help lower cost of medical prescriptions.
WHAT TREATMENT WILL MY HEALTH CARE COVER AFTER REFORM?
If you have coverage with an employer and or are under Medicare not much change should be expected.
Of course when we say that just look out for trouble.
WILL I HAVE TO GET COVERAGE IF I DON’T HAVE IT NOW?
Probably anyone without coverage will be expected to get it just like your car insurance where everyone needs
it to make everything on an equal playing field.
WILL I GET FINANCIAL HELP IF I CAN’T AFFORD IT?
The answer is most likely but we will have to wait and see.
WILL REFORM MAKE MY MEDICARE BETTER OR WORSE?
That is the big question. If you have been denied insurance from a pre-existing condition or you are self employed
reform should improve your situation.
EVERYONE PLEASE TAKE NOTE: OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd
with HIS HONOR MAYOR OSCAR GOODMAN.
GOD LOVE YOU ALL.
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