Two Headlines From Yesterday That Show What a Completely Bizarre, Republican Party, Trumpian Rabbit Hole Into Which We Are

I can't even believe my eyes, frequently.  Here they are. Here's number one.

Vaccine Chief Says He Was Removed After Questioning Drug Trump Promoted

The reason I can't believe this one---because I can totally believe Trump and his administration would fire him---is that we let this go one under this Republican Party President and his administration but the Republicans and Right Wing would absolutely flip if the opposing political party even attempted such a thing.

But this next one, the second, wow. It takes the cake. Check this out.

Former Labradoodle breeder was tapped to lead U.S. pandemic task force

This is so bizarre, I'll give you two sources for it.

HHS secretary faces criticism over naming aide with little public health experience to lead COVID-19 response

This Trump administration picked---wait for it---a former Labradoodle breeder, a breeder of dogs, for God's sake, to lead this Covid-19 pandemic response team.

Isn't that reassuring? Doesn't that give you confidence? Make you feel safer, Mr. and Mrs. America?

How are we even letting this happen?

Into what bizzaroworld have we stepped, ladies and gentlemen?

How far are we going to let this madman go?

At long last, what will be "too far"?

The ACA for Seniors

Still more facts on "Obamacare" and who it's for:

Yet another reason to support this healthcare reform

Still don't support this Affordable Care Act? "Obamacare"?

Then read on:

Affordable Care Act means $1.1 billion insurance rebate

The nation’s health insurance companies will refund approximately $1.1 billion dollars to their customers this summer. It’s one of the new benefits of the health care reform law.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department expects 12.8 million Americans to get some of this money – although in the majority of cases that refund will be sent to employers.

Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies are required to disclose how much of your premium dollar they actually spend on health care and how much they spend on administration, such as salaries and marketing. In the past, consumers did not have a right to this information.

But here’s the real game-changer: The 80/20 rule. If the insurance company spends less than 80 percent of premiums on medical care it must rebate the excess. For large group plans (the kind provided by companies that employ 50 people or more), health insurance companies must spend 85 percent of the premiums on medical care.

“The 80/20 rule helps ensure consumers get fair value for their health care dollar,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.

So here's yet one more reason, as if we needed it, that we--the "working man and woman of America--should be for this sorely needed health care reform.

Heaven knows the health insurance companies have been gouging us on our premiums to them. Now, they have to give some of that back. Their little "money party" is, if not over, at least made less luxurious.

And we gain the benefits.

As I've said before, no, it's not perfect, far from it. But it was and is for us, as least in some big ways. This is just further, strong proof of that.

Link: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/03/12525490-affordable-care-act-means-11-billion-insurance-rebate?chromedomain=leanforward&lite

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius on the Affordable Care Act, Part 2

You might be surprised at how informative and so, important this interview is.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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A rarity--a reason to watch the local evening news

The world learns how to pronounce Osawatamie

Welcome to town, Mr. President. (And just how cool was it to see former Kansas Governor, now Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius get off the plane with him?) Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/06/3304458/president-obama-visits-osawatomie.html

Still don't think we need health care reform?

If you still don't think we need health care reform here in the US, consider these three facts and all the supporting data:

1) In the U.S., health care costs run nearly $7,000 per person. But in Cuba, they spend around $251 per person.

•United States health spending per capita is $6,697 per person according to Catlin, A, C. Cowan, S. Heffler, et al, "National Health Spending in 2005." Health Affairs 26:1 (2006). As with the number of uninsured, the number continues to increase and is projected to be $7,092 per capita in 2006, $7,498 per capita in 2007 and reaching $12,782 by 2016, according the Department of Health and Human Services Center for Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures, National Health Expenditures Projections 2006-2016,
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/proj2006.pdf
•The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report says Cuba spends $251 per capita on health care. (Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/indicators/52.html)

2) In Cuba, access to health care is universal.

•"Cuban dissatisfaction with their personal lives does not mean they are negative about the revolutionary government's achievements in health care and education. A near unanimous 96 percent of respondents say that health care in Cuba is accessible to everyone. Gallup polls in other Latin American cities have found that on average only 42 percent believe health care is accessible." Gallup/ Consultoría Interdisciplinaria en Desarrollo, "Cubans Show Little Satisfaction with Opportunities and Individual Freedom Rare Independent Survey Finds Large Majorities Are Still Proud of Island's Health Care and Education," January 10, 2007.
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brlatinamericara/
300.php?nid=&id=&pnt=300&lb=brla

3) Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate and a longer average lifespan than the United States.

•The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report's human development index states the life expectancy in the United States is 77.5, and is 77.6 in Cuba. Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006 at 283. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06-complete.pdf.
•According to the United Nations Statistics Division, Population and Vital Statistics Report, the rate of infant deaths per thousand in Cuba is 6.2 per thousand, and in the United States is 6.8. "Table 3, Live births, deaths, and infant deaths, latest available year, June 15, 2007."
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab3.pdf

And there is a hell of a lot more where this comes from.

Not that the insurance companies give a damn

From Politico just now:

""The New Numbers -- Health Insurance Reform Cannot Wait: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new state by state analysis of last week's U.S. Census numbers regarding the uninsured. The results are sobering and confirm that health insurance reform cannot wait another year. "These numbers only serve to further confirm a reality that far too many American families live with every day," said Secretary Sebelius. "Our health care system has reached a breaking point. The status quo is unsustainable, and continuing to delay reform is not an option." The facts below underscore the urgency of health insurance reform. Nationwide, the number of uninsured has increased the number of uninsured increased from 39.8 million in 2001 to 46.3 million in 2008."

And keep this in mind:

"These numbers don't even include those who have lost their insurance in the recent recession or have had coverage gaps of shorter than a year."

"Even among high-income households, the ranks of the uninsured are rapidly growing."

This effects big business and small, every household in America, everyone.

Anyone who says we don't need health care reform either doesn't know the hard data, works for the insurance companies or takes money from the insurance companies via their lobbyists.

Amidst all this controversy, I just got notice, myself, that our health insurance is going to go up between 8 to 13 percent shortly. The only way we can keep it down to just 8 percent is by upping my annual minimums AND increasing my co-pay 33%.

I feel sure the insurance companies are thinking they'd better pass along increases now, before any bill goes to Congress.

I foolishly thought they'd want to lay low right now, as this bill goes through our government.

Silly me.

Link to story: http://www.politico.com/politico44/

Say it isn't so, Kathleen!

Well, this is just perfect.

This must mean that former Governor Kathleen Sebelius is absolutely qualified--perfect, really--to be in the Obama Administration.

I've been a HUGE Kathleen Sebelius supporter from right next door here, in Missouri (to her Kansas).

But I never thought I'd see in the media she owed back taxes she hadn't taken care of.

Sure, far stranger things have happened in Washington and politics but I thought she was far above this.

What a letdown.

Not having paid back taxes seems to be a requirement for service in this administration.

This sets to rest any concerns these people were going to be perfect, huh?

And this was on top of her voting for, in the last week, fetal sonograms for mothers, just before any possible abortion procedure. She clearly did this so she'd more easily be voted for her position as head of Health and Human Services.

It should be all uphill, once she's voted in.

I hope.


Link to story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090331/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/sebelius_taxes

Great news, just out

Another "right thing" happened just now.

It seems Tom Daschle has withdrawn from consideration as Director of Health and Human Services.

Terrific.

He shouldn't have been under consideration in the first place, since he hadn't paid, apparently, over $140,000.00 in taxes and he didn't tell the Obama administration about this glitch during his earlier clearance.

The reason he really ought to have been thrown out of consideration is because he "earned" at least $200,000.00 from some of the very health care companies he'd have to be overseeing.

That's a huge conflict of interest.

And this is exactly, specifically what this new administration was not supposed to be about.

If we're going to be creating a new type administration that's "cleaner" than what's come before, there shouldn't be anyone on the staff who has not paid or who does not pay their taxes.

That's easy and obvious.

If we're going to have a new administration that breaks from the past as promised, the person shouldn't have taken money and support from the very corporations they're going to be overseeing for the public's welfare.

No way.

So no matter what is said in the near future, the right thing happened here.

Tom Daschle was not the right person for this job.


Link to full story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_pr_wh/daschle_taxes