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All Posts Tagged With: "health care"

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Depression is

Kate Spade, now Anthony Bourdain….the numbers continue to rise. But the only time anyone talks about suicide is when a celebrity is struck down by THIS AWEFUL DISEASE CALLED DEPRESSION!!! They say we (society) need to TALK about IT. Yet, those who suffer from IT feel so ASHAMED they often keep IT to themselves. They […]

8Jun2018 | | 0 comments | Continued
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Aggravated With Medicare And The Health System

Right off let me be clear, I am a senior.  That is somewhere between middle age and elderly.  My health insurance is Medicare with a United Health Care supplement.  As I have aged I have experienced more aches and pains resulting from the active utilization of my body parts.  Did I mention that I have […]

1Jan2018 | | 1 comment | Continued
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A facebook Discussion On Single Payer Insurance

Robert Stuber Yesterday at 9:24am · AN EXPANDED MEDICARE 1. Of course, start with Medicare for all 2. Cover medicines, thus eliminating Part D expense to Americans 3. Give Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies 4. Expand Medicare so that there would be no need for expensive tie- in supplemental private […]

21Apr2017 | | 0 comments | Continued
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Single Payer – What Is It and How Is It Better Than What We Have?

The health care debate rages on.  Our system has been flawed from the beginning.  Powerful Unions negotiated with employers to provide health insurance.  Good for the Unions and unionized workers, not good for everybody.  Insurance companies liked the deal because they could negotiate big lucrative packages.  Actuaries ruled the day.  It is actually simple math […]

10Mar2017 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Aren’t We Done Yet?!

I can recall earlier Presidential campaigns that were contemptuous to say the least and how I really, really could hardly bear the wait till the first Tuesday of November. This year is the worst I could ever have imagined. Although, recent postings on social media show us there is nothing new in this world and […]

4Oct2016 | | 0 comments | Continued
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“…an organized, nationwide system of care…”

Civilized industrial nations have searched for many years for an appropriate response to public health.  Individual health care financing in the United States was somehow attached to one’s job as a part of the benefit package.  A good job came with good health insurance.  By 2008 there were fifty (50) million individuals without health insurance. […]

18Apr2016 | | 3 comments | Continued
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Mr. Mullinax

I was once a young man, in a land far away. Well, about two miles from where I sit today.  Methodist Hospital hired me as a Computer Operator three weeks before my first child was born.  Actually, Larry Koch hired me – he was the Computer Operations Manager.  His boss was John Mullinax.  John was […]

13Oct2015 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Physician Jokes

Doctors are brilliant.  They cure poor people faster. My doctor told me I had two weeks to live.  I hope they are not in August. The receptionist said, “Let me get your medical history.  Do you pay your bills on time?” When a doctor wants a consultation that means he is calling in an accomplice. […]

2Mar2013 | | Comments Off on Physician Jokes | Continued
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Military Priorities – Education, Health Care, and Golf

The Sequester is upon us.  I just saw a feed on CNN that the military is going to cut back on military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.   One might think these nuts have their priorities out of whack. Anyone who talks revenue increases confine themselves to taxing the top 2% income bracket.  But what about […]

28Feb2013 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Why Obamacare Isn’t Enough

We have been entangled in a running debate in our society about health care, the related skyrocketing costs, and how we are going to pay for them.  In spite of the political backlash initially endured by the White House Administration, the Affordable Care Act, where the rubber meets the road and where the pocket book […]

31Dec2012 | | Comments Off on Why Obamacare Isn’t Enough | Continued
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Save Yourself – Then Pull Up the Ladder

It is not in the nature of man to escape danger and then abandon fellow humans who face the same danger. We see examples in every war of courageous self sacrifice to rescue fellow soldiers.  We often see firefighters or police officers risk their own safety to help others.  The idea works well at an […]

8Mar2012 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Searching for Honesty and Integrity in Nationally Known Politicians

Sometimes I just write satire, or just sarcasm.   The folly of national politics seems somehow unworthy of serious commentary.  But however foolish the politicians seem – the business of our government is serious.  Real people are directly and immediately impacted by political decisions.  Real wars are fought.  Real soldiers die.  Real debt is incurred.   Generations […]

16Aug2010 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Taxing Sugar, And Other Taxing Behaviors

Hey fat boy, I’m not talking to you.  But alas, he will not stop looking at me in the mirror.  I said, “Hey fat boy, they are going to tax your Coca Cola.”  He smiled, “So what, they already tax the Jack Daniels in the Coke and the tobacco in my pipe.  My wife said […]

13Jul2010 | | Comments Off on Taxing Sugar, And Other Taxing Behaviors | Continued
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Obama’s American Revolution – 2010

We are ready.  We are ready for change.  We are ready for a Revolution. The American people have already demonstrated a powerful desire for revolution.  Witness the elections of 2006 and 2008.   Democrats have registered to vote in historic numbers.  Barack Obama – a relative unknown – won because he represented the best chance […]

9May2010 | | Comments Off on Obama’s American Revolution – 2010 | Continued
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Missouri Bureaucracy Fumbles The Ball

Modern government is a real enigma, particularly in Missouri.  We all agree that we need government, but we all want “the gov’ment” to leave us alone.  In many ways conservative and liberals are alike – no one wants big brother government – but everyone wants equality and protection.  Everyone hates bureaucracy – but everyone also […]

30Apr2010 | | Comments Off on Missouri Bureaucracy Fumbles The Ball | Continued
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Limbaugh Republican Political Strategy Fails

One year has passed. Barack Obama is President. The Patron Saint of Republicans is Rush Limbaugh – and Rush Limbaugh called for the failure of the new President. The strategy was simple minded – block every legislative effort, force failure, then recapture the Congress in 2010, then the Presidency in 2012. The passage of the […]

23Mar2010 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Health Care … A More Perfect Union

“We the People of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect union…. ”  The preamble to the Constitution of the United States does not claim perfection – but rather seeks a government format that can progress toward a more perfect union.  The political label ‘progressive’ has been dissed for many […]

22Mar2010 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Dick Cheney’s Pre-Existing Condition

To say that a snow storm in Washington D. C. proves there is no global warming is like saying that Dick Cheney received good health care proves there is no need for health care reform.  Cheney has had five heart attacks – the first when he was in his late thirties.  He has changed jobs […]

25Feb2010 | | Comments Off on Dick Cheney’s Pre-Existing Condition | Continued
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Make Hay While The Sun Shines

The Democrats thought the sun was shining.  The election of 2008 swept the Democrats back into power in Washington D.C.  – or so they thought.   It now appears that Washington is not so different than Punkin Center, Missouri.  Here in Punkin Center we live and die by old sayings.  The relevant saying aptly applied to […]

26Jan2010 | | Comments Off on Make Hay While The Sun Shines | Continued
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Really Tired of Liberal Complaining

It is just me – or has the left wing of the liberal loonies gone completely Rovian.  You surely remember Karl Rove – the master of negative Rovian Politics (RP’s).  Liberal wackos like Arianna Huffington and Ed Shultz are taking their cues from Mr. Rove.  In rural Missouri parlance it is called: Bitch! Bitch! Bitch! […]

28Dec2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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A Personal Note From President Obama on Christmas Eve

This personal note came in the form of an email.  I was surprised because I was not aware the President had my email address – usually he just sends a text message.  Anyway, I felt compelled to share the message.  Merry Christmas all. Ohg — Although it’s Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting […]

24Dec2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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The Humble Process of a Confident Barack Obama

President Obama is a confident man, a humble man who does not always have to be right. President Obama easily accepts the input of others – he seeks the input of others.

23Dec2009 | | Comments Off on The Humble Process of a Confident Barack Obama | Continued
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“the shifting sands of charity… the firm bedrock of law”

Winston Churchill was a young man of twenty two when he gave his first political speech.   He referenced the Government’s Workmen’s Compensation Bill before the Parliament in England.  “He said the bill, ‘removed the question from the shifting sands of charity and placed it on the firm bedrock of law‘.”  (Churchill: A Life, by Gilbert, […]

10Dec2009 | | Comments Off on “the shifting sands of charity… the firm bedrock of law” | Continued
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Jon Stewart – We Need A Public Option

Jon Stewart demonstrates again why the Daily Show garners more Emmy wins than the other shows in their category.  The writing is brilliant and Stewart pulls off the theatrics.   The health care debate happening in our Congress has degenerated into a lame excuse for legislative action. Polls show that 65% of the population want a […]

1Oct2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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12 Steps – A Program of Recovery

To continue this dialogue on 12 step programs – it seems only natural to describe the 12 steps. Distortions abound. Some clarity about this process might be useful to students of health care, people in the Ministry, medical professionals, and especially to those suffering from a hopeless state of mind and body. From page 59 […]

27Aug2009 | | 5 comments | Continued
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“…Anger Can Blind Human Vision…” – Malcolm X

The Elijah Muhammad’s of 21st Century America are found in the right wing radio personalities and in the fringe of the Republican Party. People like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter, and the entire FOX media system. These are people who use distortion of reality to ferment, distill, and bottle the anger of misguided masses. They sell their potions of angry snake oil from the backs of their wagons every day. They have but one target – any form of civil progress as debated and negotiated by our representative Government.

7Aug2009 | | 4 comments | Continued
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Is Ten Percent Too Much For Health Care?

President Obama is having his fourth news conference as I type.  He is suggesting health care will cost us ten percent of our national budget if we do not gain control over costs.  Is that a bad thing?  How do we measure the health of our population against other priorities? When President Eisenhower left office […]

23Jun2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Health Care Distortions by Conservatives

The Conservatives For Patients Rights (CPR) proudly defines four ‘pillars of patient’s rights.’   These rights are: Choice, Competition, Accountability, and Personal Responsibility.  This group defines the basic application of these rights in the following video.  We do not disagree with the four principles, but we take exception to the interpretation. Watch the video and we […]

17May2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Of Courage Undaunted

Mental illness strikes at the soul of man. The insanity degenerates with the ‘righteous’ who are quick to pull the sin card. Meriwether Lewis, that great American icon of exploration, suffered a mental illness that we know of today as depression.

6Nov2008 | | 2 comments | Continued
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I Am A Pregant Teen

It was difficult for me to sleep last night. I was checking the statistics on our magazine yesterday. The  statistics page gives us two views of where our readers came from.  ‘Referrers’ lists the other sites that reference our site.  ‘Search Engine Terms’ is a list of the key words individuals used to search the […]

5Oct2008 | | Comments Off on I Am A Pregant Teen | Continued
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Iraq in Context – April 8, 2008

I am listening at this moment to the Senate hearings featuring testimony by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker.  These are impressive men who are in a tough spot.  They believe in their mission.  They testify that their work is not only effective but also necessary to improving American security.  But this: Even if what they […]

8Apr2008 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Declaration of Independence – 2008

Declaration of Independence 2008 (All comments in italics are direct quotes from the United States Declaration of Independence penned in 1776) “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the […]

4Mar2008 | | 5 comments | Continued
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What Makes a Liberal – 2008

Son, Definitions shift. Words take on new meanings. Ideas are interpreted in the context of time and culture.  Conservative and Liberal have taken on new meanings.  Let’s look at the word liberal in 2008. Barack Obama is called a liberal.  But he is only a liberal in the context of the issues facing this country […]

9Feb2008 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Clinton-Obama, Democratic Debate, 1-31-08

Son, For the first time ever we are watching a woman and an African-American debate for the nomination of their party for President of the United States. Wolf Blitzer has just introduced the candidates. There is a couple of minutes of photo-ops. The stakes are very high – with only five days to the Super […]

1Feb2008 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Republican Debate, 1-29-08

Son, The Republican debate is on CNN tonight. It is being hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. John McCain, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Mike Huckabee are participating. I missed a few minutes because of a black tie affair that I could not get out of. The question is what about 100 year involvement […]

31Jan2008 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Obama responds to the State of the Union

Dad, I am excited about Obama and I believe in his message. I recieve email from his campaign and keep up with his movements and videos on his website. Here se is discussing the State of the Union Address: [wp_youtube]cmNCALGHOC4[/wp_youtube] Bryan. Son, I just listened to Obama’s response.  I find him refreshing.  While President Bush […]

30Jan2008 | | Comments Off on Obama responds to the State of the Union | Continued
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A Sense of Hope, A Sense of Destiny…. Kennedy

Son, Inspiring events are happening in America. Civil Rights, Social Justice, workers, disabled, education, voters rights, quality Health Care, Senator Edward Kennedy. There is a movement afoot, and the Republicans will not be able to stop it. Senator Kennedy is endorsing Mr. Obama as I write and I can barely keep up. “…Courage, insight, bold […]

29Jan2008 | | Comments Off on A Sense of Hope, A Sense of Destiny…. Kennedy | Continued
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Democratic Debate – January 21, 2008

Son, These folks are working hard to distinguish themselves from the crowd.  They have similar position on a variety of issues – so what is left to distinguish.  Leadership, character, honesty, courage…  This sounds personal – but I think there is purpose. Obama has been doing well – and that attracts attention.  Clinton and Edwards […]

22Jan2008 | | Comments Off on Democratic Debate – January 21, 2008 | Continued
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The Enigma of Wal-Mart

Son, You and I are of different generations – how obvious is that. What is less obvious is what it means to be of different generations. I am a baby-boomer, you are a nut case child of the seventies. Such is the case with labels. But the cultural influences and differences of our lives are […]

11Jan2008 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Bush – the Jimmy Carter of Republicans

Son, We should thank George Bush. He is the Jimmy Carter of Republicans. People talk about the Reagan Revolution – it was really the anti-Carter Revolution. Bush has led this country to a new revolution. His hard line on everything has highlighted the fundamental problem with being hard line. He has highlighted the fundamental problem […]

8Jan2008 | | Comments Off on Bush – the Jimmy Carter of Republicans | Continued
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Nebraska Mall Shooting

Son, Another tragedy in America, this time in Nebraska. A nineteen-year-young man walked into a mall with his step-father’s assault rifle and killed eight people before killing himself. The young man had a troubled life; the state estimated that it had invested $265,000 on his previous ‘treatment.’ This is not the first troubled youth to […]

9Dec2007 | | Comments Off on Nebraska Mall Shooting | Continued
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Step 9 – Justice

Son, Step Nine of Twelve is very clear. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. We are talking about Justice. Justice is not easy. This concept seems reasonable and most of us believe that we are fair and honorable people. But many of us […]

23Nov2007 | | Comments Off on Step 9 – Justice | Continued
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Step 8 – Responsibility

Son, Step Eight of Twelve is where the rubber begins to hit the road.  Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. The essential character trait is Responsibility.  In the process of working these steps our candidate for sanity has already done a ‘fearless moral […]

18Nov2007 | | Comments Off on Step 8 – Responsibility | Continued
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Step 4 – Courage

Son, Step Four of twelve is a big boy – the success of this step takes nothing short of courage. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Addiction causes problems, no argument here. The problems are generally beyond what the addict understands. But the addict knows that to look closely at self means […]

15Nov2007 | | Comments Off on Step 4 – Courage | Continued
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Step 6 – Willingness

Son, Step Six of twelve is an exercise in attitude, separating the men from the boys – Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. The essential character trait is willingness. This encompasses everything essential for spiritual growth. The wording is challenging, the thought process even more so. Check it out: […]

15Nov2007 | | Comments Off on Step 6 – Willingness | Continued
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Blunt Abortion

The Governor of Missouri is Matt Blunt, son of a Missouri Congressman of a similarly appropriate name. The headline in today’s paper is “Blunt task force examining abortion affects on women.” How appropriate. This is a good article – good because it slants in my direction. Apparently Governor Blunt has formed a task force of […]

29Oct2007 | | Comments Off on Blunt Abortion | Continued