U.S Health Care Reform: 6 Components in Small Package

Congress has done a very poor job in being transparent to citizen voters. The various Health Care bills floating in the House and Senate are another example of back-room deals and midnight bargains that only a select few in Congress are privy to, leaving the public in total darkness. The current health bills are to gargantuan to download to home desktops. The U.S. government broadcasts to the world that the U.S. A. is a democracy; one would think true hard copies of all proposed legislative Bills would be available for public view at the State and local offices of each U.S. Senators and Representatives - no such thing in the U.S., where Congress is a closed private club.

Most concerned citizens have serious reservations regarding the sustainability of any bill of 1000+ page proportion that leads to the creation of yet another Washington agency. The current health care bills, will create more bureaucracy and will eat up billions in administrative costs, yielding few health care benefits to the general public. Pie-in-the-sky legislation generally falls on it's face, and 100's of millions of dollars are lost to outright fraud.

President Obama should take control of his runaway Democratic dominated Congress and present a concise( 50 pages or less ), readable, health care package in Bill form, for the reconvening ( after August recess ) Congress to consider. A new draft, U.S. Health Care Reform package, should include the following components:

1) The pool of beneficiaries needs to be defined and limited: U.S. Citizens who have continuously resident within the U.S. for 7 consecutive years. The reasons for this limitation relate to personal health histories. The treatment of imported conditions and diseases is extremely costly and will financially sink any program of wide public benefit.
There is a distinction between pre-existing conditions and imported conditions and diseases.

2) There needs to be individual and family caps on services: suggest - $100,000. over 3 years for individuals; $200,000. over 3 years for a family of four. A carte blanche program is not sustainable.

3) Co-ops and HMO's need to be exempt from anti-trust laws, to form bargaining groups, that can contract for prescription drugs with pharmaceutical companies, medical equipment supplies, doctors and other health related services.

4) Medical licenses granted by one-state need to be recognized by other states. There needs to be a national registry of licensed doctors and health professionals who are in good standing. With the addition 40-50 million uninsured, there will be a shortage of doctors to address the health care needs of these new beneficiaries. Further, there must be a limitation on medical malpractice: a national standard needs to be defined: suggest - carelessness or gross-negligence with a cap on pain and suffering calculated at three ( 3 ) times actual damages + costs; and attorneys fees should be limited to not more than 15% of any award. A national process would be patterned after that established in California.

5) A National Health Care Trust should be established. Congress and the Administration should be prohibited from "dipping" into the NHCT. The NHCT Account held by Fed, fully deductible contributions, by anyone or entity, would be made through any FDIC insured member bank. There are going to be millions who, for one reason or another, or during a specific time period (e.g., while unemployed ), will be unable to pay any premium ( distinguish between premium and co-pay). The NHCT would be used, exclusively, to reimburse health services providers for services provided.

6) A "basic" coverage plan needs to be specifically defined and initial premium costs need to be established: suggest - $96.40 a month for individual coverage; $250.00 a month for family of four - all premiums fully deductible / $20.00 co-pay each visit/$30.00 co-pay for specialists. This is where existing HMO's can be most helpful. HMO’s can provide realistic costs and define what "basic" coverage can be realistically be provided within such costs parameters.

The current 1000+ pages bills or any massive bill needs to be scrapped ! President Obama, send Congress back to the drawing board. Produce a realistic bill that is readable and read by each and every member of Congress, and can be understood by the general public; and that specifically defines " what you pay, and what you get ". The current U.S. health distribution system needs to be tweeked not replaced.

“Israel to Bomb Iran - A story of the trail that wags the dog”

The Obama administration is learning that it is the tail ( Israel ) that wags the dog ( U.S.A. ) when it comes to the middle-east, flow of oil, and world finances.
Israel, since it's recognition in 1947, by then U.S. President Harry Truman, as a de-facto State of the U.S., has received more U.S. aid and subsidies than any other U.S. State and virtually every other Nation. In direct U.S. aid, Israel has received well over $400 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars; in addition, the U.S. has provided Israel with nuclear technology and military ordinance worth the billions of dollars. Bottom line, Israel is the most powerful U.S. State and is U.S. proxy abroad.

As the recent visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates indicates, the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, and his Defense Chief Ehud Barak, intend to bomb Iran, resulting in the interruption of the flow of Iranian oil to China and other Asian customers. Israel is U.S. foreign policy. The bombing of Iran will interrupt oil flow and markets, permanently de-stabilize the middle-east with U.S. troop occupation for the foreseeable future. The world will be plunged into a full blown financial depression.

What is amazing is the silence of China. China stands to lose the most, politically and financially, from this planned chaos. One would think that China would assert itself as a world power, enter into defense/security agreements with Iran, Iraq, Syria, etc. ( fashioned after U.S. /NATO agreements ) and deploy troops and equipment accordingly, in order to check Israel, prevent the further de-stabilization of the middle-east, and to avert civilian catastrophe in the making. The Israeli bombing of Iran will trigger the collapse of world financial regimes, rendering the dollar of little value, and substantially diminishing the value of dollar assets held by China.

China has been reluctant to assume the roll of "peace maker" in a world tumbling into disorder under the leadership of the U.S. The U.S. thrives on and cultivates chaos and disorder. There is no single nation, with the exception of China, that has the capability of bringing order and common sense to the bargaining table. Hopefully, China will recognize it's roll and responsibility as "peace maker" before it is to late; now, appears appropriate.

Health Care Reform - Open Letter to President & Congress

Dear President Obama, Senators and Representatives:

Yes, the U.S. needs health care reform BUT NOT AT ANY COST. I have reviewed various snippets from the 850+ page draft bills that have been circulating in the House and Senate. I am very disappointed in both House and Senate versions, and both represent a step backward regarding health care reform.

Massive bills ( any Bill over 50 pages, let alone the gargantuan 850+ pages health care versions ) have the probability that not less then 33% will be subject to Fraud amounting to billions of dollars of waste. IT IS TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT, SENATE AND HOUSE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, and craft a health care reform package and bill, consisting of not more then 35-50 pages, readable ( and is read and singed off by every Senator and Representative ) and comprehensible by the average U.S. Citizen.

Current versions of health care reform, essentially rob senior Medicare recipients of current benefits in order to pay for the health care of virtually everyone who is in, or makes it to the U.S. Acceptable health care reform must be limited to U.S. citizens who have continuously resided in the U.S. for seven(7)consecutive years. Existing Medicare benefits should be left in place, and a form of basic coverage for eligible U.S. citizens with initial premiums of $96.40 per month per individual, and $250.00 per month for a qualifying family of four should be provided. All health care premiums should remain fully deductible and employer benefits should not be taxed.

A National Health Care Trust should be established, and Congress should be prohibited from dipping into or "borrowing" from the NHC Trust for any purpose or reason. The NHC Trust Account would be held at and by the Federal Reserve, and contributions to such an account could be made through any FDIC insured Federal Reserve Bank. Contributions to the account would be voluntary and fully deductible by any individual, person, trust, association, corporation or entity making the same.Proceeds of the fund would be used to defer the costs of basic health care coverage for qualifying U.S. citizens who are unable to make the premium payments for basic coverage.

A majority of citizens are in favor of health care reform, but opposed to the proposed versions in the form of bills now circulating in the Senate and House of Representatives. It is unnecessary to "break to bank" to have meaningful health care reform, but there is much more work that needs to be done by the Administration, Senate and House of Representatives before a coherent, readable and financially feasible health care reform package is formulated.

Respectfully,
D. Citizen

National Health Debate - Starting Point Missing

As the Obama Administration, Congress and nation continue to spar regarding health coverage for U.S. Citizens, and the 40+ million who are uninsured; a material item is missing from the debate: a $ dollar starting point.

None of the various "plans " address participant costs. The cart has been placed before the horse, and debates, without financial foundation, will drowned in rhetoric. Until there is agreement on feasible participant premiums there will be limited progress in resolving the U.S. national health disgrace.

The horse needs to be put back in the lead, before, and not after, the cart. Until the "masters of the universe" in Washington, D.C., can agree on participant premiums, a dollar starting point, meaningful discussion will remain vacuous. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. Medicare, on an income adjusted scale, pegs $96.40 a month per person, as the average participant premium. Any National
( U.S.A. ) plan should peg participant premiums be it $96.40 per month per person or $250.00 per month for a family of four, some dollar starting point needs to be agreed on before meaningful discussion can go forward.

Once a dollar participant premium is established,the debate can meaningfully move forward to determine what coverage can be purchased for the participant premium;what type of coverage will $96.40 a month buy ? There hundreds of HMO's and Health Insurers that can provide data addressing coverage given a participant premium amount. Caps are needed, including caps to Medicare payouts: e.g., no more then $200,000.00( two-hundred thousand dollars, drugs included ) in services to any participant or family during any one year, with a million dollar lifetime cap. For any "plan" to become law, there must be limitations and caps, a carte blanche system, or expanded Medicare, will bankrupt this Nation.

IF and it's a BIG IF, congress focuses on who will be included in any plan ( should be limited to U.S. citizens over 18 ), and can agree on a monthly dollar participant premium, there may be a chance debates over coverage can be resolved within financially feasible parameters, providing coverage through existing HMO's and Insurance Carriers with limited government participation. The U.S. government should limit it's direct participation to mandating uniform records keeping, billing, claims, dispute resolution and service classification standards; and publishing plan and coverage comparisons available in each State, similar to what Medicare publishes each year for Medicare Advantage plans.

U.S. CONSTITUTION TRASHED BY SUPREME COURT

The recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear the petition of secured creditors of the Chrysler chapter 11 bankruptcy signals the end of the separation of powers concept taught in schools throughout the United States.

The brief order of the U.S. Supreme Court has once and for all put the fiction of a balance of power between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches to bed. Each once separate branch, now is part of single team, with the Executive branch, and President virtually in complete control. The distinction once made, between our form of government in the U.S., and forms the U.S. has labeled as Dictatorships, has been muddied by the U.S. Supreme Court. The irony is, that this is what Bush administration V.P. Cheney was pushing for the past 8 years, an "Imperial Presidency".

What the U.S. Supreme Court did, without opinion, was to say that once monies are appropriated by Congress, the President and Executive branch can do whatever they wish with taxpayer funds. And that a Judge has full authority to unilaterally modify any contract, in any way, the Judge chooses , and there is no appeal from the Judges decision as it relates to Federal Bankruptcy laws. This means that no contract or security is enforceable in a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the U.S.

Investors should take note; there is no protection against the loss of your investment; and, be it land, buildings, or equipment pledged as security for a loan, all security can evaporate when a Corporation files for Chapter 11 in the U.S. What this means for debtor Corporations, is that Chapter 11 is the way out of virtually all obligations.

The Way to Win Wars in the 21st Century

Each and every day the U.S. pours ten of millions of taxpayer dollars [ somewhere in the neighborhood of $$$$$$$$$$$$$4 trillion spent to date ] in our "war" efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now, Pakistan. And Congress buries the real costs associated with the loss and injury to U.S. troops. After all, what can the average U.S. citizen expect when U.S. military Brass, Congress and the Administration are steeped in 18th century Prussian mentality that "...might is right...". When are the masters of the universe in Washington, D.C. going to recognize 21st century realities ? Ideology and religion are impervious to bullets. You can't invade another nation with a different language, history, religious belief and economy with any realistic expectation, except failure. What the U.S. "war" efforts are doing, is to create generations of the future that "hate" the U.S. Does anyone believe that an 8 year old Iraqi or Afghani orphan, who has lost his family by "collateral" damage caused by U.S. forces, is going to grow up and say it was all for a good cause ?

Anyone who has spent time in the middle-east finds that western "logic" has no application and little impact on their traditions: if you are a foreigner to their lands, and something happens, it is your fault; you had no business being there in the first place. Fortunately technology has provided the U.S. with a way to salvage the quagmire the Washington "masters of the universe"
have gotten us into, and, save billions of U.S. dollars and lives in the process. There is a way, but it will be difficult to convince Congress, the Administration and U.S. Military Brass that anything real can be accomplished without the mass spilling of blood. Carnage appears to be a popular emblem worn by a substantial majority of those in Washington.

What should and could be done, is for the U.S. to immediately pull all forces out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. All forces including Blackwater and the other "private security" forces paid for by the U.S. and deployed in these countries; and, request NATO and other coalition forces to do the same. To increase the UMA ( unmanned aircraft ), and unarmed, drone, overflights of areas of concern launched from offshore U.S. aircraft carriers, or from volunteer host third countries; providing the "governments"of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, with real-time intelligence regarding suspected activities. It is and remains the responsibility of the "governments" of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to police their respective nations and route-out those persons and organizations that destabilize their respective countries and pose a threat beyond their borders. The U.S. should get out of the business of "playing God" hence unarmed drones. If killing is warranted, it needs to be done by nationals and forces of the respective countries and not by foreign U.S., Coalition or NATO forces.

Unless Washington is willing to commit to 100 year "wars", the bankruptcy of the U.S. and virtual "slavery" of U.S.worker/taxpayers, there must be a paradigm shift in Washington. Winning the hearts and minds of the peoples of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, will not be accomplished by guns, bombs, missiles or rhetoric. These countries will not succumb to Western ways, values and religion in our lifetimes. The U.S. has the technology to assist the governments of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in making difficult decisions, without the physical commitment of U.S. boots on the ground. 21st Century conflicts cannot be resolved by resorting to 18th Century mentalities.

The Future for U.S. & World Economies

Recession, depression, stagnation; labels aside, main-street U.S.A. is in and will continue to be faced with a decline in demand for goods and services the majority of citizens can no longer afford. While academics , "professional" economists, the Fed and Presidential advisers, quibble over semantics, theories and blind hopes the U.S. economy will be long, very long to to regain its status circa 2005.

Today "bail-out", "stimulus", and "negative interest" are the buzz words. The reality the majority of Americans well know, is that the jobs that they will get in the future, will not pay what the jobs they lost paid in 2005. So what does this mean for the U.S. ? What does this mean for for the rest of the world ?

The U.S. has been exporting jobs and production to foreign, off-shore, countries for over a decade. This is common knowledge; the labor differential, NAFTA and related trade agreements have hastened the process. While CEO's have pocketed tens to hundreds of millions, U.S officials and the U.S. Congress have never addressed the "end-of-the-day" scenario. 2008-9 are the "end-of-the-day"; the end of millions of U.S. jobs, jobs at pay rates, that will not return. Slight-of-hand economics and policies will no longer mask the reality that the U.S. economic engine has burned itself out.

What does it mean ? It means that the disposable income of the U.S. worker will decline over the coming years; decline as much as 33%, or more, over the next five ( 5 ) years. This decline will be aggravated by inflation: increased costs for electric, water, sewer, garbage phone and utilities, and higher local and state taxes. Accordingly, the U.S. consumer will buy 33%+ fewer goods and services. The disposable income of U.S. consumers and high U.S. consumption rates, have been the fuel for world economies. As of late, China has been the major producer of goods consumed by the U.S.; Europe and other emerging economies have benefited proportionally. The decline of average wage earned by U.S. workers will have a major impact on other economies. While academics, economists, politicians and world leaders focus on the "financial" community, liquidity and credit, the real problem is the decline in U.S. worker wages and disposable income. Few, if any, in high places understand the bottom-line which means that the future, next five plus years, spell gloom for the U.S. and the rest of the civilized world.