God Rigs Election: It's Bush In A "blowout"

[Colleen Thomas]

No the jokes will go on I mean nobody's even touched on the "Smooth Criminal" ones yet.

You are probably right. Comidians may tire of beating a dead horse, but they never tire of kicking someone when they are down.

-Colly

 

[shereads]

Meanwhile, back on Mars...

 

[lucky-E-leven]

I think that licensing the right to "brand" the moon is essentially no different than licensing a sports arena. In fact, now that the Orange Bowl is the Federal Express Tampax Coors Lite Orange Bowl, and the latest of Miami's many publically funded sports arenas is the American Airlines Miami Heat Arena, I've been thinking, Why stop with sports arenas?

Why not sell licensing rights and allow some tastefully displayed brand logos, to help defray the cost of virtually every taxpayer-built public facility?

it looks like someone has taken it a bit further than this

-E

hope the attachment comes up...am after all only a Virgin

 

[KenJames]

Meanwhile, back on Mars...

So that explains the Mars mission.

State of the Union tonight. Too bad I have to miss it . . .

 

[minsue]

State of the Union

So that explains the Mars mission.

State of the Union tonight. Too bad I have to miss it . . .

I can't figure out if it will air today or not. It's not as good as the other ads, but it's not a bad Bush impression voice-wise:

MoveOn's Newest Ad Campaign

- Mindy

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Re: State of the Union

I can't figure out if it will air today or not. It's not as good as the other ads, but it's not a bad Bush impression voice-wise:

MoveOn's Newest Ad Campaign

- Mindy

I have to wonder about all the claims that the new medicare bill is bad. My folks belong to AARP and they endorsed it. Thay are usually pretty goo dabout protecting seniors.

-Colly

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: State of the Union

I have to wonder about all the claims that the new medicare bill is bad. My folks belong to AARP and they endorsed it. Thay are usually pretty goo dabout protecting seniors.

-Colly

From what I read in the newspaper back when it was being debated, I found it to be a terrible bill. It's a conservative newspaper, too. I no longer remember the specifics, but I'll hunt 'em down for ya.

Thousands of AARP members have quit in protest of the endorsement. The story that amused me the most (I wish they had run a photo with it!) was a group of seniors who tried to do a protest that harkened back to the burning of the draft cards. They stood on the steps of the AARP building in DC, but learned that AAPR membership cards are not flammable. They tried for awhile & then gave up. If I recall, they ended up tearing the cards up instead.

- Mindy

 

[minsue]

This is from the Miami Herald website, but the article is from a paper in Aberdeen, SD?? Hell, I don't know...
Article Link

South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle Seeks Overhaul of Recent Medicare Bill
By Scott Waltman, American News, Aberdeen, S.D. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jan. 13 - If the United States has enough money for a mission to Mars, it can overhaul what Tom Daschle sees as a flawed Medicare bill.

The Senate minority leader was in his hometown of Aberdeen on Monday and talked about how he thinks the bill can be improved.

Speaking to roughly 275 people at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, Daschle said the new Medicare measure will cost $40 billion a year. That's not adequate, he said. If the nation can afford to spend $160 billion a year in Iraq and has $800 billion to send astronauts to Mars, it should be able to find $70 billion a year to take care of senior citizens.

The Medicare plan has some good aspects, Daschle said. They include:

-- Payments made to doctors in rural areas will increase for a couple years when it takes effect in 2006.

--Some low-income people who don't qualify for Medicaid will, if they don't have many assets, be eligible for a benefit to cover many of their costs.

--Access to generic drugs will be increased.

--There's what he says is a marginal benefit from a prescription drug discount card.

But those advantages aren't worth the plan's cost, Daschle said. He also listed what he sees as many of the measure's shortcomings:

--It doesn't provide any price control for medications.

--It prohibits the reimportation of name-brand drugs from Canada.

--It includes a prohibition on the government negotiating lower drug costs for senior citizens as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does for veterans.

--An estimated 4.3 million Americans, including 5,000 South Dakotans, will be moved from Medicare to private plans.

--The benefits offered erode over the years.

Daschle said the VA purchases Zestril, a high blood pressure medication, for 10 cents a pill. At a drug store, he said, the medication is $1.20 a pill. The savings is 93 percent, he said, also listing other examples.

Of the parts of the Medicare bill Daschle doesn't like, he thinks it's most likely the Canadian import clause can be changed first. There is bipartisan support for doing so in both the Senate and House, he said.

That's something Monday's audience wants to happen. They said they don't understand why medications are so much more expensive in the United States than in Canada. To that end, Daschle provided examples similar to those he used for his negotiation argument. In Canada, a 90-day supply of the ulcer drug Prevacid costs $202. In the United States, it's $352. The savings in Canada is 43 percent, he said.

Answering a question from the audience, Daschle said there are at least three reasons Canadian drugs are cheaper:

--Each Canadian province negotiates prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.

--Drug companies spend too much money on marketing their drugs and claim they need the high prices for research. But, Daschle said, most research money comes from the U.S. government.

--Concerns about quality drugs that are reimported from modern countries such as Canada are a sham, yet the drug industry has great influence over many U.S. politicians, he said.

Not allowing reimportation from Canada amounts to a breach of free trade, Daschle said.

In short, the senator said the Medicare bill is a boon for pharmaceutical companies. Daschle said he will introduce what he's calling the Medicare Reform Act, which he hopes will combat the problems.

The AARP has endorsed the existing Medicare bill as a step in the right direction. However, Daschle said he thinks that decision was largely a business one based on the fact the AARP could benefit because it offers insurance.

Here's how the prescription drug benefit in the measure would impact senior citizens in 2006. They would pay:

--A $35 a month premium.

--The first $250 of their drug costs as a deductible.

--25 percent of their drug costs from $250 to $2,250.

--All of their drug costs from $2,250 to $5,100.

--5 percent of their drug costs above $5,100.

In 2013, those numbers are different. Under the optional plan, seniors would pay:

--A $58 monthly premium.

--The first $445 of their drug costs as a deductible.

--25 percent of their drug costs from $445 to $5,066.

--All of their drug costs from $5,066 to $9,066.

--5 percent of their drug costs above $9,066.

Monday's meeting was paid for by Daschle's campaign. He made reference to policy, but not to President Bush or John Thune, his likely Republican opponent in the November election.

According to a different article I found (but which didn't have much else relevent) AARP has confirmed that over 40,000 members have quit in protest.

I tried Medicare's website, but it was surprisingly lacking in useful information.

My main issues with the law is the prohibition against negotiating better prices (why would we not want to negotiate???) and the huge coverage gap that a large number retirees fall into (those whose prescription bills cost between $2,250 - $5,100 annually).

- Mindy

 

[minsue]

Sorry, one more...

Last one...
Article link

This one is on the Seattle Times website and is a NY Times article. Don't papers have their own reporters anymore??

Sunday, December 07, 2003

New Medicare bill bars extra insurance to help pay drug costs

By Robert Pear
The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Medicare beneficiaries will not be allowed to buy insurance to cover their share of prescription-drug costs under the new Medicare bill to be signed tomorrow by President Bush.

Millions of Medicare beneficiaries have bought private insurance to fill gaps in Medicare. But a little-noticed provision of the legislation prohibits the sale of any Medigap policy that would help pay drug costs after Jan. 1, 2006, when the new Medicare drug benefit becomes available.

This is one of many surprises awaiting beneficiaries, who will find big gaps in the drug benefit and might want private insurance to plug holes — just as they buy insurance to supplement Medicare coverage of doctors' services and hospital care.

Congress cited two reasons for banning the sale of Medigap drug policies. Lawmakers wanted to prevent duplication of the new Medicare benefit. They also wanted to be sure that beneficiaries would bear some of the cost. Health economists long have asserted that beneficiaries, when insulated from the costs, tend to overuse medical services. (If we let them buy insurance, they'll go to the doctor! )

Gail Shearer, a health-policy analyst at Consumers Union, said she had mixed feelings about the prohibition.

"I don't want a return to abuses of the 1970s and '80s, when lots of confusing Medigap policies were sold to vulnerable seniors," Shearer said. But she added: "Many seniors and disabled people will face a huge gap in drug coverage. In a bill that's marketed as providing choice to consumers, comprehensive drug coverage is not really an option. That's a disappointment."

The new drug benefit would be the biggest expansion of Medicare since creation of the program in 1965. But patients still would face substantial costs.

Under the standard Medicare drug benefit, the beneficiary would be responsible for a $250 deductible, 25 percent of drug costs from $251 to $2,250 and all of the next $2,850 in drug costs. Private Medigap policies could not cover any of those costs.

A Medicare drug plan could limit coverage further by establishing a list of preferred medicines known as a formulary. The list must include drugs in each "therapeutic category and class" — antihistamines, antidepressants and cholesterol-lowering agents, for example.

But Medicare would not be required to pay anything for drugs left off the list. While patients could appeal a denial of coverage, they could not buy private insurance to cover the costs of such drugs.

Under the standard benefit, a Medicare recipient would pay $3,600 of the first $5,100 of drug costs. After that, Medicare would pay 95 percent of the cost of each prescription.

But if a beneficiary bought drugs not listed on the formulary, the bill says, those costs would not be counted toward the $3,600 amount.

Congress began regulating the Medigap market in 1990, as a way to protect consumers, many of whom had bought duplicative policies. The federal government and state insurance commissioners developed 10 standard policies, to replace thousands then on the market.

Three of the 10 Medigap policies cover drugs. Under the legislation, an old policy with drug benefits could be renewed — but only by a person who chose to forgo the new Medicare drug benefit. A person who enrolls in the new program could not buy or renew a Medigap policy to help defray drug costs.

Nearly 12 million retirees have drug coverage and other health benefits from former employers. If those retirees sign up for the Medicare benefit, employers can help pay the beneficiaries' share of drug costs. But those payments would not count toward the $3,600 limit on out-of-pocket spending.

In some states, all drug costs of some of the poorest elderly Americans have been paid by Medicaid, the government health-care program for the poor. Under the new law, however, they will be transferred to the Medicare prescription-drug program, in which they will have to make co-payments of $1 to $3 per prescription.

If state officials wanted to supplement the new Medicare drug benefit, they would have to pick up the entire cost of the extra coverage, as they could not use federal money. States would not receive drug discounts and rebates they now receive from manufacturers under Medicaid.

Dr. Lynn Mitchell, the Medicaid director in Oklahoma, said she expected Medicare formularies to be "more restrictive" than the drug-coverage policies of state Medicaid programs.

"If patients do not get optimal drug therapy," Mitchell said, "costs will balloon in other areas. Patients may need more inpatient hospital care."

In a report accompanying the bill, House and Senate negotiators said Medigap policies should be revised to provide less upfront coverage and to require beneficiaries to pay more of the initial costs of hospital and physician services.

"Numerous studies have demonstrated that covering deductibles and coinsurance has led to higher Medicare spending because beneficiaries become insensitive to costs," the report said. "Beneficiaries with Medigap consume $1,400 more in Medicare services than beneficiaries without supplemental coverage."

This, it said, "drives up costs for everyone — premiums of Medicare beneficiaries without Medigap coverage and costs to taxpayers."

I knew there was a reason I forgot all of the specifics. Now I'm irritated all over again. I'll go kick the dog.

- Mindy

 

[KenJames]

Re: Sorry, one more...

Last one...
Article link

This one is on the Seattle Times website and is a NY Times article. Don't papers have their own reporters anymore??



I knew there was a reason I forgot all of the specifics. Now I'm irritated all over again. I'll go kick the dog.

- Mindy

I have to hand it to Bush, or his advisers. He's a master at coming up with plans that superficially sound good but have incredible hidden "gotcha's."

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: Sorry, one more...

I have to hand it to Bush, or his advisers. He's a master at coming up with plans that superficially sound good but have incredible hidden "gotcha's."

Yup

 

[KenJames]

The State of the Union Address is over.

I can't watch it for health reasons (blood pressure and property damage). Any jewels of wit and wisdom?

 

[minsue]

The State of the Union Address is over.

I can't watch it for health reasons (blood pressure and property damage). Any jewels of wit and wisdom?

I tried, but I kept zoning. Something about his speech patterns & the ritual standing ovations that I can never really pay attention. The only thing I really noticed was, after a statement of support for the troops, the camera focused on 3 soldiers in uniform in the balcony. Two of them were applauding fairly normally, but the guy on the left looked quite uncomfortable and was barely patting his hands together. He stopped too soon, looked around, sighed and went back to his golf clap. (I'm so easily amused)

- Mindy, promising to read the text of the speech in tomorrow's paper

 

[Guest]

Here's the transcript, unfortunately including "applause".

WA Post

Perdita

 

[minsue]

Here's the transcript, unfortunately including "applause".

WA Post

Perdita

Damn, Perdita! Now that's fast service.

Thanks!!

- Mindy, off to read & get irritated & go kick the dog again

 

[KenJames]

I tried, but I kept zoning. Something about his speech patterns & the ritual standing ovations that I can never really pay attention. The only thing I really noticed was, after a statement of support for the troops, the camera focused on 3 soldiers in uniform in the balcony. Two of them were applauding fairly normally, but the guy on the left looked quite uncomfortable and was barely patting his hands together. He stopped too soon, looked around, sighed and went back to his golf clap. (I'm so easily amused)

- Mindy, promising to read the text of the speech in tomorrow's paper

The three soldiers were on the "Time" magazine "Person of the Year" cover.

 

[shereads]

I think that licensing the right to "brand" the moon is essentially no different than licensing a sports arena. In fact, now that the Orange Bowl is the Federal Express Tampax Coors Lite Orange Bowl, and the latest of Miami's many publically funded sports arenas is the American Airlines Miami Heat Arena, I've been thinking, Why stop with sports arenas?

Why not sell licensing rights and allow some tastefully displayed brand logos, to help defray the cost of virtually every taxpayer-built public facility?

it looks like someone has taken it a bit further than this

-E

hope the attachment comes up...am after all only a Virgin

It figures, doesn't it? So much for the neighborhood mom 'n pop stores that helped make Mars such a close-knit community. I do have to credit Walmart with offering better prices on bulk oxygen than the smaller independents.

Nice work with the attachment, for a virgin. Welcome to the thread.

My house was broken into. I'm going to go make more pointless phone calls to the police fingerprint crew who were supposed to be here two hours ago, and to the many emergency all-night glass replacement companies who haven't returned my calls. There's a gaping hole in the bedroom wall where the sliding glass door used to be, glass everywhere, house ransacked, my grandmother's wedding band - thin little gold band, maybe worth one day's oxycontin for Rush Limgaugh - is gone alone with a jewelry box full of my favorite things. I had the computer with me this time, since I spent the afternoon at the office. The dog is okay, and thank God for that. She's been regaling me with tales of how she fought the thieves and she insists that she killed one and buried him in the thick growth of ferns in the front yard, but I don't believe her...I kind of do, but I'm afraid to look.

 

[minsue]

I'm so sorry that happened to you, she. Pissed, too.

- Mindy, wishing I could offer more (read: any) assistance. Want a flower?

 

[shereads]

I'm so sorry that happened to you, she. Pissed, too.

- Mindy, wishing I could offer more (read: any) assistance. Want a flower?

Thank you for the flower. It's the nicest thing that's happened to me today, other than the dog not being hurt during the burglary.

I feel better.

FYI, this completely changes my outlook on capital punishment and torture. Anyone who's even remotely suspected of having glanced at my house today should be executed and disemboweled before the trial.

I might change my mind about that tomorrow, but right now I want EVERYONE involved to be tortured, particularly the glass company guy who hasn't called back.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

It figures, doesn't it? So much for the neighborhood mom 'n pop stores that helped make Mars such a close-knit community. I do have to credit Walmart with offering better prices on bulk oxygen than the smaller independents.

am thinking it should be called WAL-MARS

My house was broken into. I'm going to go make more pointless phone calls to the police fingerprint crew who were supposed to be here two hours ago, and to the many emergency all-night glass replacement companies who haven't returned my calls. There's a gaping hole in the bedroom wall where the sliding glass door used to be, glass everywhere, house ransacked, my grandmother's wedding band - thin little gold band, maybe worth one day's oxycontin for Rush Limgaugh - is gone alone with a jewelry box full of my favorite things. I had the computer with me this time, since I spent the afternoon at the office. The dog is okay, and thank God for that. She's been regaling me with tales of how she fought the thieves and she insists that she killed one and buried him in the thick growth of ferns in the front yard, but I don't believe her...I kind of do, but I'm afraid to look.

maybe instead of replacing the glass you should look into some reinforced steel? thieves suck. maybe you should give the dog a firearm and strict instructions to cripple only so that you may have the pleasure of disemboweling and torturing...just a thought

-E

 

[Lauren Hynde]

*HUGS*

I'm sorry it happened to you too, Sher. Glad the doggy wasn't hurt.

Wish there was something I could do to help.

 

[shereads]

maybe instead of replacing the glass you should look into some reinforced steel? thieves suck. maybe you should give the dog a firearm and strict instructions to cripple only so that you may have the pleasure of disemboweling and torturing...just a thought

-E

I've known dogs that might have been trusted with a firearm if they'd had opposable thumbs, but frankly... as much as I love this ol' pup, she's all about the benjamins. I wouldn't be entirely shocked if I found out she was in on these burglaries. It's happened twice, and she was here alone both times...She puts on such a vicous watch-dog act that the police officer wouldn't come in my house until I closed her up in the guest room. Yet isn't it odd that none of her toys or tennis balls or biscuits are ever even touched?

I know she loves me, but with a loaded gun in the house, and let's say I came home late from work again one night and she was ticked off about her dinner...

I don't think so.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

I've known dogs that might have been trusted with a firearm if they'd had opposable thumbs, but frankly... as much as I love this ol' pup, she's all about the benjamins. I wouldn't be entirely shocked if I found out she was in on these burglaries. It's happened twice, and she was here alone both times...She puts on such a vicous watch-dog act that the police officer wouldn't come in my house until I closed her up in the guest room. Yet isn't it odd that none of her toys or tennis balls or biscuits are ever even touched?

I know she loves me, but with a loaded gun in the house, and let's say I came home late from work again one night and she was ticked off about her dinner...

I don't think so.

I didn't realize she was so volatile over supper, but I'm sure she loves you very much! Maybe you should negotiate a little deal...something like a timely supper in return for not inviting folks in through the sliding glass door. P.S. I'd be suspicious that none of her items are moved around too. Maybe that's where you should start keeping your valuables.

-E

 

[KenJames]

It figures, doesn't it? So much for the neighborhood mom 'n pop stores that helped make Mars such a close-knit community. I do have to credit Walmart with offering better prices on bulk oxygen than the smaller independents.

Nice work with the attachment, for a virgin. Welcome to the thread.

My house was broken into. I'm going to go make more pointless phone calls to the police fingerprint crew who were supposed to be here two hours ago, and to the many emergency all-night glass replacement companies who haven't returned my calls. There's a gaping hole in the bedroom wall where the sliding glass door used to be, glass everywhere, house ransacked, my grandmother's wedding band - thin little gold band, maybe worth one day's oxycontin for Rush Limgaugh - is gone alone with a jewelry box full of my favorite things. I had the computer with me this time, since I spent the afternoon at the office. The dog is okay, and thank God for that. She's been regaling me with tales of how she fought the thieves and she insists that she killed one and buried him in the thick growth of ferns in the front yard, but I don't believe her...I kind of do, but I'm afraid to look.

I'm so sorry your house was broken into. I've been there. The feeling of violation passes, eventually. You can count on the cops . . . to file a report, but not to catch the robbers.

It's good the dog's okay. My cats have always hidden, knowing better than to try to face down a burgular. A life is more important than stuff.

You'll eventually get over the desire to spend every minute of every day at home with a shotgun, too.

I don't see any smilies for a hug, but here's one, anyway. You will get through this. It'll be okay.

 

[shereads]

You'll eventually get over the desire to spend every minute of every day at home with a shotgun, too.

Land mines, KenJames.

Land mines.