Social Security & Medicare Trust Fund Integrity - Not A One Party Issue

Mon Jun 28, 2010 10:36 PM EDT

If you are a U.S. citizen and are either now drawing Social Security or close to it and you are concerned about the fiscal commission in D.C.

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medicare, politics, ethics, social-security, u-s-government, u-s-congress, fiscal-commission, participant-funded-retirement-plans

What the Future May Hold

Seeded on Wed Nov 18, 2009 2:30 AM EST (The New York Times)

What will the United States be like in 20 years when today's toddlers are in college or trying to land that first job or maybe thinking about starting a family?

politics, u-s-infrastructure

America's economic pain brings hunger pangs

Seeded on Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:14 AM EST (The Washington Post)

"The nation's economic crisis has catapulted the number of Americans who lack enough food to the highest level since the government has been keeping track, according to a new federal report, which shows that nearly 50 million people -- including almost one child in four -- strugg …

economy, food, politics, safety-net

We really do 'get it', though we wish we didn't.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:17 AM EST

We get it, really. There is only so much money the U.S. government has to spend, without either printing enough to devalue our currency horribly or cutting the supply too quickly and causing runaway inflation. Without taking down our economy pretty much permanently.

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elections, money, politics, health-care, government

What Real Health Reform Looks Like - We Need Health Care, Not Insurance

Seeded on Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:53 PM EST (CounterPunch.org)

Read it and weep. If we manage to get any bill passed in the Senate, it will not improve our health status as U.S. citizens. Only that of the medical profession and the drug companies.

Drug firms raise prices in face of health reform

Seeded on Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:42 PM EST (msnbc.com)

This remind anyone else of the banks increasing credit card rates and decreasing credit lines after getting their bail out? "In the last year, the [drug] industry has raised the wholesale prices of brand-name prescription drugs by about 9 percent, according to industry analysts.

politics

America's Defining Choice

Seeded on Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:34 PM EST (The New York Times)

A sobering thought, this "Based on the numbers from the Harvard study, a person like Sue dies as a consequence of lack of health care coverage every 12 minutes in America. As many people die every three weeks from lack of health insurance as were killed in the 9/11 attacks."

politics, health-care, terrorists, national-health-care

Unhealthy America

Seeded on Thu Nov 5, 2009 6:35 PM EST (The New York Times)

"The moment of truth for health care is at hand, and the distortion that perhaps gets the most traction is this: We have the greatest health care system in the world. Sure, it has flaws, but it saves lives in ways that other countries can only dream of."

health

'Too Big To Fail' Revisited

Seeded on Thu Nov 5, 2009 5:32 PM EST (Forbes)

Roubini is right about this: "....some variant of the Glass-Steagall Act should be reintroduced."

politics, glass-steagall-act, too-big-to-fail-institutions

Changing The Doctor Payment Scheme, An alternative approach

Seeded on Tue Nov 3, 2009 7:49 PM EST (Forbes)

This surprises me: "Right now however, Medicare--unbelievably--still doesn't have a catastrophic cap on out-of-pocket expenses. In other words, seniors' costs rise along with their medical expenses, even for major illnesses."

medicare, politics, health-insurance, national-health-care

Kucinich: Health reform legislation 'a bailout for insurance companies'

Seeded on Mon Nov 2, 2009 12:52 AM EST (Raw Story)

If anyone can refute Kucinich's statement about the insurance companies being able to raise rates up to 25% under Pelosi's health care bill, re this quote: "It's on page 22 of the bill," he replied.

politics, health-insurance, national-health-care

Volcker Fails to Sell a Bank Strategy

Seeded on Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:14 AM EDT (The New York Times)

A sensible voice, although not being paid attention to. No corporation should be too large to fail.

politics, glass-steagall-act, banking-regulation

Democrats Lose Big Test Vote on Health Legislation

Seeded on Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:54 PM EDT (The New York Times)

For pete's sake, now we have the Democrats as well as the Republicans ranting about balancing a budget we Democrats didn't unbalance (TARP 'was' passed before Obama got in office--as well as the Wall St.

politics, health-care, political-parties-hurting-medicare, medicare-billing

Safety Nets for the Rich

Seeded on Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:46 PM EDT (The New York Times)

How 'can' people keep believing in the lie (not fairy tale, as Mr. Herbert says) of trickle down economics? It doesn't exist. I'm with Mr. Herbert. If a company is too big to fail, they're too big to exist and should be broken up.

politics, bonuses, bailouts

The Public Plan, Continued

Seeded on Sun Oct 18, 2009 8:29 PM EDT (The New York Times)

It still boils down to congress not having anything at stake in whatever they decide for the rest of us. But this editorial explains pretty concisely what the present 3 options are for a 'much needed' public option plan to be included in our national healthcare.

politics, health-care, national-health-care, public-option

Insurance Industry Assails Health Care Legislation

Seeded on Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:35 PM EDT (The New York Times)

Well, duh. The insurance companies are telling us right here they're going up 1/3 in premium costs by 2016 'under present law', without any changes. How can we then be dumb enough to be 'satisfied with present coverage'?

politics, health-insurance, national-health-care, public-option-health-care

Let Congress Go Without Insurance

Seeded on Thu Oct 8, 2009 5:06 PM EDT (The New York Times)

'Let me offer a modest proposal: If Congress fails to pass comprehensive health reform this year, its members should surrender health insurance in proportion with the American population that is uninsured.' This is an excellent idea--only it should affect all of Congress.

congress, politics, health-coverage, national-health-coverage

That'll Be $418 For Use of the Examining Room - 'Facility Fees' Are Taking Many Patients by Surprise

Seeded on Tue Oct 6, 2009 6:46 PM EDT (The Washington Post)

Yet another way to bilk individuals! We so much need to get away from medical care being for profit, particularly when our already expensive insurance doesn't cover such things as charges for us being treated in a room at a medical facility.

health, health-care, national-health-care, for-profit-health-care, medical-insurance-coverage

A Heated Debate Is Dividing Generations in AARP

Seeded on Mon Oct 5, 2009 9:39 PM EDT (The New York Times)

It's not really about death panels.

health, health-care, universal-health-care

The Public Imperative

Seeded on Mon Oct 5, 2009 8:19 PM EDT (The New York Times)

This article does a good job of showing the differences in mythologies concerning universal health care between people in the U.S. and in other industralized countries.

health, health-care, universal-health-care

Cut Republicans out of healthcare!

Seeded on Thu Oct 1, 2009 1:53 AM EDT (Salon.com)

Quoting Mr. Keillor (who is really talking about 'all' politicians waffling on health care so don't get pushed out of shape if you're Republican) '...if Republicans should be cut out of the health care system entirely and simply provided with aspirin and hand sanitizer.

politics, health-care, national-health-care

Health care during the last 6 months of life

Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:43 PM EDT

In a short piece in the NY Times on 9/28/09 titled 'Why a Health Care Overhaul Matters to Women — and the Economy" (at ), there's some discussion over Senator Jon Kyl's …

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women, health, health-care, pregnant-women, national-health-care

The Body Count at Home

Seeded on Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:37 PM EDT (The New York Times)

"After Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans, eight years ago on Friday, we went to war and spent hundreds of billions of dollars ensuring that this would not happen again.

politics, health-care

Why the public option matters

Seeded on Wed Sep 9, 2009 4:10 PM EDT (The New York Times)

"...the argument against the public option boils down to the fact that it's bad because it is, horrors, a government program..." Yep, and so is Medicare.

politics, health-insurance, health-coverage

Let's Get Fundamental

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 4:50 PM EDT (The New York Times)

Hear, hear! Mr. Brooks. It is definitely not the time for half-measures. Do it right or not at all. "...the president's in political hot water already. He got there trying to dodge the hard issues. He might as well be there because he's fighting for something real."

politics, health-care, health-care-reform

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