BO Health in the Midst of an Urgent Crisis

No more excuses with wailing violins playing in the background.

It's getting rather pathetic, don't you think?

Seems I'm not alone in thinking Obama needs to "$h*+ or get off the pot."

President Clinton discovered during his first term that The Bond Market in fact controlled his agenda, not the other way around. He was forced to abandon his audacious health care agenda when the bond market threw up all over it.

President Obama is in a much more precarious situation, in that this is not just about whether he can execute his agenda or not - it is about whether we will have an economy (and likely a republic) left in another year or so, and if he does not pull the cotton out of his ears in the very near future the answer will be "no", as we are approaching a point where we will suffer enough damage to the capital markets that a replay[sic] of at least the 1930s - if not the 1870s - will become inevitable.

Be warned Mr. President - we are on the precipice of a tipping point from which you and our economy cannot recover for a decade or more, if at all.

Protecting those who have stolen the wealth of millions of Americans, along with their homes and jobs, is going to become singularly unpopular in very short order.

Yes, George W. Bush was responsible (along with President Clinton before him and the Congress over the last 20 years) for the economic and market conditions that got us here. I've said that repeatedly.

You, however, are personally responsible for refusing to address the issues and continuing to foment and cause what is now turning into an all out economic and market collapse. [link]

We all know he "did a little blow" in his younger days. Kinda makes you think there might be more than a few brain cells fried in that head of his as he continues to ignore the obvious while pushing forward with his health agenda.

Speaking of the dumb, errrr (clears throat) Dem health agenda...

Being legally immigrated here from Canada moving here after marrying the man I love, I'm sitting here scratching my head every time I hear the misinformation being spread about how the Canadian health care system really works.

Like, for example, where in the world did you get the idea that it is run by the Canadian Federal government?!?

Google "OHIP" ...even wikipedia has better info on how it works than most of what you are hearing in the media and from your Federal Government. (Although, since wiki can be changed often by almost any source... who knows if it's still accurate since I last read their page 2 hours ago.)

My point is this -- the province of Ontario runs its own health care plan -- NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. And it is funded by the residents AND businesses AND (small by comparison) transfer payments from the Federal Government.

They are quite explicit as to what the "emergency and preventative" health plan covers (practically all necessary medical attention -- as determined necessary by your doctor, not the government) and what it does NOT cover (like cosmetic surgery such as face lifts, breast enhancements, and the like, ok?) ...and for what it doesn't cover, there are very affordable supplemental insurance plans (like for chiropractic care, eye care, dental, prescription drugs, etc.).

I really get a kick out of all those American media types saying -- "Oh, but you have to go to a participating doctor."

Think about how stupid that sounds.

Really...

Think about it.

I mean it.

Seriously....

Now, I ask you, what doctor in his or her right mind running a clinic and/or working in a hospital in the province of Ontario would choose to NOT participate?

How much business do you think...

Never mind. I'm guessing you know where that question was going, anyway, right?

Sheesh. Stupid stupid stupid reporting, is all I can say.

Then I look at what Obama is trying to do here in America, and I'm ready to vomit. Man oh man oh man... your health care system could become totally trashed if some of his idealism makes it into application.

I already knew he didn't have a clue about business.

It shows -- bright and clear.

Now I'm getting to see how pathetic his (or is it his advisers??) knowledge is with respect to health care.

You wanna start somewhere?

Here's your first step -- CLEAN UP THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY FIRST.

They are the entities currently dictating how long you can stay in a hospital room before you get the boot, regardless of whether or not your pneumonia is healed.

They are the group deciding how long you should be allowed to remain on life support -- and yes, age plays a factor.

If you're over the age of 75 here in the great U S of A, I believe it's around 4 days before your doctor will come up to your family and tell them maybe it's time to pull the plug. I personally know of at least 5 senior citizens here in our region who are scared to death to land in the hospital on any kind of life support -- be it a ventilator, kidney machine or other -- just in case they reach that 4-day time limit ...and possibly get euthanized against their will.

I could be wrong. Maybe the age is lower than 75.

The point is this, the health insurance companies are also the group currently charging hundreds of thousands of dollars to doctors, clinics, etc. for malpractice insurance.

Ask any doctor... any clinic... how much they pay for this INSURANCE.

Before you can make any progress forward with respect to any kind of government health care system in this country -- YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST clean up the health insurance industry.

And another thing.

Health care in Canada is PROVINCIALLY run, and only federally assisted through transfer payments from the federal coffers. Minimum standards are set... naturally. And you have to go through some pretty rigorous education and training before you can practice medicine.

But the care -- and treatment -- is between doctor and patient.

Not dictated by Government.
Not dictated by insurance companies.

How it's paid? Like I said, there are some things not covered under your provincially run health care plan. (see above again) I checked my husband's health plan and notice the similarities.

The waiting list for non-essential surgeries can be quite long. (Just as the same can be said for here in the USA.)

But the KEY WORD is NON-ESSENTIAL.

And, as here, the waiting list for transplants can be long because, just as it can be here, donors can be in short supply.

Now, you might be thinking there is no competition in the health care system, right?

Heh, heh, heh...

Here's a test for you. Search "cancer clinics Canada" in google and see how many results you get. And don't forget how much smaller the population is up there compared with here.

But, back to the INSURANCE issue.

Down here in the USA, insurance companies make out like bandits. They have all kinds of different insurances for the clinics, the hospitals, the doctors, the nurses, etc. (malpractice just being one of them) ...and then they also rake it in from group policies by unions clear across the country ...and they also rake it in from private individuals.

So, they take a HUGE chunk of change from both sides of the industry: the providers and the patients.

And would you look at those "deductables" inching ever higher and higher.

And how much does insurance cover versus how much you have to take out of your own pocket for, say, having a baby down here in the USA?

If I do a straight comparison, preventative health care is FAR BETTER in Canada than in the USA, but I'm sure there are plenty who would disagree with me on that. Go ahead. You won't change my mind. I've lived and seen the difference.

When Obama rolls out the full details of his so-called "nationalized" health care plan, take a really close look at who stands to make some really big bucks off the entire deal -- and who stands to lose.

Where will all the money go?

I'm not going to mention names here. This post is already too long for a Friday post.

But when it comes to dopes of all kinds, I'm scratching my head wondering just how long BO "did a little blow" during his school years.

And I'm wondering what percentage of the population has done the same in this country if they haven't figured any of this out yet.

One thing is for certain, there are a heck of a lot of us who HAVE figured out that BO isn't all that great at prioritizing.

And if he doesn't get his priorities straight -- and FAST -- health care of any kind is going to take a backseat. Most people will be more concerned about putting food on the table.