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Health & Fitness

Yes Virginia, Don't Be Deceived or Discouraged

Discussion of the lies of the Vice-presidential and Presidential Republican candidates; how the cuts to Medicaid ans Medicare will effect insurance coverage for elderly/disabled populations.

How long does it take to check up on all the lies that the Republican Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees spat out in their speeches during the 3 day long Republican Party infomercial? There were many. So many, that trying to discern what is true from what is false can be discouraging. My good friends—do not be discouraged. As the late Pope John-Paul 2 said over and over: Be not afraid.

 

Trust in one thing when it comes to this years’ campaign for President: there’s going to be lies and untruths more from Republicans than Democrats. I only say that based on the truth—check the fact-check sites. The Republicans are lying to you. And they are hoping that their lies, said with conviction and repetitively will numb you out, create a mood of discouragement and anger. Don’t succumb to this effort.

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If there is one particular lie to focus on it is the one stated by Mitt Romney Thursday night: That the Republicans wanted Barack Obama to succeed. If you recall, even before the President was sworn in, the Republican House met away from the capital to coordinate their one desire: to make Barack Obama a one term president. You must recall when Sen. Mitch McConnell was asked what the Republican legislative priorities would be for the next two years: To assure that Obama would be a one term president.

Recall please, the Republican’s mantra during the 2010 off-year congressional/senators campaign. Jobs. If elected they would concentrate all their efforts to creating jobs, jobs and more jobs. Yet, once they were elected, nothing they proposed had much to do with jobs. They submitted a budget plan developed by Libertarian/Republican Paul Ryan, proposing significant cuts in all government programs except Defense. He wanted to provide the elderly vouchers, coupons actually, allowing each elderly person/couple a federal discount for the purchase of private health insurance.

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This would take billions of federal dollars, your tax money, and place it in the hands of insurance companies in a program never tried before in any state of the nation to see if it would work. There will be no guarantees once you have purchased this private insurance that you would have the coverage for illnesses and medications that you have now.

As of just July 1, 2012, health insurance policies must cover a client’s pre-existing conditions. That is a major change from just 2 months ago before this element of the Affordable Health Care Act was operational. Just think of the children who once had asthma whose treatments and medications were excluded from their parent’s health insurance because it was a pre-existing condition. This was true also of people with Type 2 diabetes as well. Any prior condition could be determined by insurance companies not to be covered.

If the Republicans get in control of the Presidency and the Senate, they will pass a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Thus, the insurance companies will again be able to exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions. So, when the elderly, with their coupon for reduction to pay a portion of their health insurance, now released from the insurance plan at their worksite, could have all and every pre-existing condition either not covered or covered at an additional cost.

How much will that cost be for elders leaving the workforce? With health care costs rising way ahead of inflation, how much more will medical insurance coverage cost then? How much will that discount coupon from the federal government be able to cover the health insurance bill? Recall also, that as of now, the elderly on this “new” Social Security will have to renew their health insurance annually.

Paul Ryan, with his sharp cost cutting knife, wants to extremely reduce the amount of federal money provided to each state to help the state provide medical coverage for the poor, disabled, people on welfare and others.

Pay close attention to what is currently covered in almost all the states by Medicaid:

            -Nursing home care for the elderly and sick disabled after the state has used up all the money the elderly/disabled person has from their own possessions and money that was to be set aside as a legacy to their families.

            -Almost 100% of all intellectually handicapped, (mentally retarded, cerebral palsy, autism, and generally birth defects that delay or impede a person’s physical and intellectual development) are covered by the state/federal partnership know as Medicaid.  These are our neighbors, friends of ours or our families, sons and daughters. The cost to provide these people with a normal life and life expectancy is very high. As studies are made into the reasons why intellectually impaired people develop illnesses and medical conditions, their life expectancy increases. This is a sign of a healthy world, a healthy society. Again, almost 100% is covered through Medicaid.

            -For the children of people who are chronically unemployed or underemployed, Medicaid provides for all of their health care. Even for those who are working while on Welfare, most are not working in jobs with enough hours to have insurance benefits or the companies up until now do not provide any employees with health insurance. Children who were born into this world with no choice about where they would land in the socio-economic status of life deserve good care for their health and disease prevention.

            The mentally ill are also provided health care through the Medicaid program. The most expensive part of their treatment is new and improved psychiatric medication. If you have someone in your life you know and love, you can attest to the importance of these medications for people with mental illness can live more normal lives, free from symptoms such as hallucinations, voices, despair, self-injury or suicide/suicide attempts.

How do you think all of this will be paid for after the cuts of revenue to the state from the federal government that Paul Ryan has proposed be cut? Unless the people living in your state are truly callous and uncaring, the state portion of the Medicaid program will have to increase. Either that, or families, if they are still involved, will need to cough up more money to make sure their loved one remains cared for in a humane way.

Yes, though, people say: what about me, my children, my income, and my ability to provide for my family during this difficult time. It is harder to expect that people who have lost homes, jobs, and unemployment benefits can afford to give to help others. Yet, it is from this group that more charitable giving is given per capita compared to the top 1% of American citizens. This country has been very helpful to people with wealth whether inherited or the person was able to make their wealth from the bottom moving upwards to the top.

They are the people living in the country who have the money to add to our taxes to continue these very important economic and medical safeguards. The rest of the people will still pay what they can for taxes. It is time for those making more than $250,000.00 to pay a percentage more.

If not, the burden will shift to the states, some with more resources than others. It will shift further down to those making less money, but who still will need to pay increased state income, sales or property taxes and fees. These people in need are not going to go away when the Medicaid share from the federal government is reduced. They will continue to be the responsibility of ours: our community, our families…and the government.

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