Religious Poppycock

I keep thinking... maybe the earth slipped on its axis from all the hot air being broadcast 24/7. So many people, so little time to brainwash them into believing black is the new white and the wee little folks are 10 feet tall. Charles Dickens and C. S. Lewis would be having a field day about now what with dour pots calling kettles black and rich rotund Men in Black crying out about being victims. Don Marquis would have Archy telling Mehitabel, "Your kittens are YOUR problem... we cockroaches don't have too many little roaches." And, yes Alice, there really are talking rabbits who wear clothes & check time with a pocket watch.

Dickens, Lewis & Marquis would quickly realize Catholic bishops' crying "foul" over insuring birth control at affiliated universities and hospitals is a Giant Red Herring. Catholic cardinals as well as bishops are using "religious liberty" to drive a mack truck through so they won't have to report child sex abuse to secular authority... nor pay over $700 million in judgments that are on appeal. Don't take my word for it, take Cardinal Egan's word for his belief now, retracting his apology 10 years ago, that the Church has no obligation to report abuse cases.

The bishops are reasserting that Canon Law rules, not governments, to get Congress to overturn the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in United States vs. Lee, 455 U.S. 252 (1982).

Justice Burger, writing for a unimous Supreme Court: "Congress and the courts have been sensitive to the needs flowing from the Free Exercise Clause, but every person cannot be shielded from all the burdens incident to exercising every aspect of the right to practice religious beliefs. When followers of a particular sect enter into commercial activity as a matter of choice, the limits they accept on their own conduct as a matter of conscience and faith are not to be superimposed on the statutory schemes which are binding on others in that activity. Granting an exemption from social security taxes to an employer operates to impose the employer's religious faith on the employees."

This isn't new stuff - these folks mean business!  A year ago in March, the "Rights of Conscience Act" Bills were filed in the House & Senate (H.R.1179 and S.1467) and referred to Subcommittees on Health.  The Catholic bishops are now spending $50 million on public relations using code words like "freedom of religion" and "religious liberty" ... with help from their long-time frienemies.

I figure taking the Catholic Bishops' argument to its ultimate conclusion means spending $2 billion/year to Catholic affiliated universities and hospitals could be viewed as a violation of the Establishment Clause.  Then Bishops can tell their Catholic faithful to pay those costs out of their own pockets so they needn't worry about abiding by federal law.  Hummm... pitting Catholics against Catholics??

Health Care Reform - Part I

Health Care Reform Affects 20% of Economy
Consumers Ultimately Pay Health Care Bills

People who are clueless believe whatever drivel is dished out on  talk shows. Then they spout ignorant opinions as if they really know!  Liberals and conservatives scream & shout, both deadly certain their precious ideologies are more important than those who's life or mind hang in the balance.  So, first things first ~ this isn't about labels!

Next, use your common sense reasoning to answer a couple of simple questions:
1. Do we enjoy public-funded fire, police, road/bridge maintenance, education, Social Security and Medicare?
2. How did private medical insurance have $168 million to give campaigns in 2008 plus $485 million to lobby Congress last year?  In the first 6 months of this year, the health insurance sector alone has paid out over $128 million to lobby Congress.  Where did they get that money and what do they expect to get for it?

Insurance is a "paper" industry, but it can't print money! So-called "health" insurance is very profitable! It used to be called medical insurance but now they insure only healthy people if they can get away with it. They exclude coverage for pre-conditions and rescind coverage for any excuse they can find AFTER YEARS OF ACCEPTING PREMIUMS!

Consider a doctor that started his private practice 10 yrs ago. He or she could NOT see a patient until 30 contracts with insurance, networks and HMOs were signed. NONE were negotiable! Only 1 was with Medicare. The COMPANIES DETERMINE:  how much can be charged and what is routine service - anything else must be pre-approved.  Many decisions are made by non-medical personnel using insurance protocol intended to increase profits to the company and reduce profits for your doctors.  Payment can take 3 to 6 mo. after being billed, which makes doctors and hospitals de facto lenders to the insurance companies.  Otherwise the companies would pay banks for short-term lines of credit.

If the doctor brings in partners, more employees are needed to handle insurance-related administrative work in order to get reimbursed. Almost 60% of total medical costs are insurance-related administrative costs.  The doctors overhead increases, but not their charges to cover it. They must see more patients and do more procedures to make ends meet.

Many doctors feel so squeezed they worry about being neglectful of patients. Patients feel they get shorted, too.

Private doctors are actually a small business providing medical services to patients while also providing jobs and medical insurance for employees at a HUGE premium. That, too, is overhead that must be covered by their charges. CHARGES THAT ARE SET BY THE VERY SAME INSURANCE COMPANIES!!!

Many small businesses have not been able to provide medical insurance any more. Large businesses spend money on  resources to find and negotiate new coverage every 2 years. To reduce the costs of insurance, coverage is then reduced by larger co-pays and deductibles.

People spouting off about "socialism" are being manipulated by TV and radio talk shows, paid for by insurance and drug company ads. Such ads are tax deductions so they actually are paid with lost tax revenue as well.

People need to think about insurance company executives with high salaries and bonuses, country club fees, golfing fees, skyboxes and other entertainment perks that are legally deductible marketing expenses - like advertising.

Insurance executives have a vested interest in keeping their golden lifestyles - hence their willingness to pay out well over $780 MILLION to elect and lobby congress in only 18 months - just to derail health care reform legislation. They also handsomely support talk show hosts through ad revenues (again tax deductible).

WE PAY FOR THAT through PREMIUMS and TAXES!!!!

It is WAY past time people get a clue! We are getting manipulated alright - by "health" insurance companies!!

What exactly is "socialistic" about these specific consumer protections that Obama's pushing for? What is so wrong with these being legislated by Congress and enforced by the Obama administration?  In my humble opinion, these 8 specific items address only the most egregious infractions by "health" insurance companies.

• No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
• No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
• No cost-sharing for preventive care
• No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
• No gender discrimination
• No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
• Extended coverage for young adults
• Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid

What is so wrong about Obama pushing for public health measures to promote health and prevention of illness?
So SPEAK UP to counter the self-serving arguments of crass partisans, special interests and their fear-mongering news shows!