Anyway, it was another note. This one was addressed “Dear Friend.” When it was his people, it was “Dear Paul.” Now we’re just friends. Or am I being too sensitive?
I’ll let you judge for yourself. He said to forward the whole email, but I like to leave a little mystery. (Please don’t tell him I didn’t do exactly like he said. He’s a great guy. Really, really great. But he has anger management issues. Who wouldn’t? He had parents as a child.)
8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage
--Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
--Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
--Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
--Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
--Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
--Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
--Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
--Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.
Okay now. And this isn’t about the “Dear Friend” thing. Although that is starting to frost me just a little. But see, these are all great ideas. Really great. They’re things that we shouldn’t still be talking about in 2009. But I didn’t see anything in David’s whole note or hear anything in any of Mr. Obama’s speeches or the parts of his press conferences where he sticks to talking about Heath whatever Reform that tell us how any of these eight things will be accomplished.
I want to know how. By what mechanisms? And I’m not even talking about how they will be paid for. How will they be done? I want all 8 of those things and lots more, but I won’t believe in a single one of them until someone explains how they will be accomplished. So far I haven’t heard anything more credible than “Glinda will wave her magic wand …”
I’m actually less anxious about how these reforms will be paid for. I like taxes. People who don’t should stay off my nice paved roads and stop complaining about the quality of public education and keep their parents from the socialist quagmire of Medicare and take the “support our troops” ribbon off their SUV. You’ll “support” them, but you won’t pay for them? I bow to no one in patriotism and admiration for our troops. These are people making sacrifices I don’t have it in me to imagine, but each and every one is a government employee. Their (wholly inadequate) salaries aren't funded by bake sales outside the base gate or those damn magnetic ribbons sold in convenience stores.
And I know that his failure to tell the truth thus far, either as a candidate or as a sitting president, limits Mr. Obama’s options. Can’t raise any taxes now, promised not to. But the American people will never catch on if we call them “user fees.” No, we’re not raising your income tax, that’s an income user fee. No, no, no, that’s not a charge for your ER visit, that’s a gurney user fee.
There are things that are necessary and that must be paid for. If you can’t step up to that plate, Mr. Obama, why did you run for President?
What are you doing up at 1:51 am? You should go to bed. You need to get some sleep.
ReplyDeleteA point on the SUV ribbons -- they were originally made by some US company that donated $1 to the troops (by what mechanism or to what part of "troops" I don't know) for every one sold.
A Korean company began to make them and sell them, and now no money goes to the troops. But you can buy the ribbons for much less.
Outsourcing is a lovely thing...