U.S. No Health Care 10-15 GOP based Medicare plan squanders $15 billion in 2007

[dmcowen674]

9-17-07:Hillary calls for Universal and Mandated Health Care for every American

Businesses must eiother provide coverage or contribute to a pool. Rich to pay there fair share.
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9-11-2007 Health Care premiums rise 6.1 percent

Many medium and small sized businesses being forced to drop insurance.

But that is where P&Nrs say they get their insurance from.

Doesn't make sense.
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3-31-2007 Anyone have any ideas for AT member that needs surgery but not enough insurance coverage?

A lot of you know that I've lost a lot of weight over the last couple of years. What some of you don't know, is how I lost it. On January 5, 2005, I had gastric bypass. It's a very extreme measure, but a choice that I made. Because I have fibromyalgia and arthritis and other crap, it was next to impossible to lose the weight that I wanted and needed to lose. I've now lost about as much weight as I currently weigh. (Thanks to my Gay Boyfriend, GeekDrew, for coming down to help take care of me after the surgery!! )

There have been VERY few times that I've regretted having my surgery. Very few. Right now, however, is one of them. I've had pain in my lower left abdomen for quite some time. It has, however, worsened. It's hard for me to eat or even drink.

I am, quite literally, starving to death.

I've been in the ER twice in the past week.

I have a state insurance, which is better than nothing at all, but there isn't a surgeon or GI doc yet that will see me.

I've had a CT done of my stomach over a month ago. They're trying to rule out SMA Syndrome. The last doc at the ER was a little dumbfounded because my primary care doc has done so little to really do the "ruling out" part. This doc just gave me an order for an upper GI. He also gave me a pelvic. (Any other woman groan when you read that? UGH!) He said that I need the upper GI, an endoscopy, etc. . .to start ruling out the other before they want to slice me open.

My problem right now, really, is my insurance.

They'll see me in the ER or my primary doc will see me to just say that she's trying to get a specialist to see me. (I've done almost all the leg work for that anyway.) I'm so ****** irritated/mad/sad/angry because I'm barely able to eat or drink. If I was just trying to get something stupid taken care of like a hangnail or something, I could understand. But I can't eat. (Or barely) I know docs need to make money and they have malpractice insurance payments out the ass, but I'm barely hanging on. I just don't know what to do.

I have a cousin in PA that wrote me an e-mail today. She's a retired surgeon. She was trying to give me some ideas. If none of this makes a ton of sense, I apologize. I've had maybe 20 bites to eat in the past 48 hours. (I'm not exaggerating.)

There are people here that might be able to give answers to questions if I'm not around because they know me.

I'll be on and off as I feel like I can. Just PLEASE keep me in your thoughts and prayers!!!


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I knew it was just a matter of finding the right excuse that Microchiping humans would become part of the norm.

Logan's run is here to stay.

7-15-2006 Blue Cross and Blue Shield to implant patients with microchip

The rice-sized microchip is implanted in a patient's right arm above the elbow and can be detected using equipment at the hospital.

VeriChip Corp. makes the chips and detection equipment. Hackensack already had the equipment because it was part of VeriChip's development program.

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Seriously, this is where America is headed under Republican rule.

11-15-2005 Republicans version of U.S. Healthcare

KOLKATA, India - A woman receiving treatment for diabetes at a state-run hospital in eastern India lost one of her eyes after ants nibbled away at it, officials said on Tuesday.

The patient recovering from a post-surgery infection shrieked for help as the ants attacked her on Sunday night, but nurses told her it was normal to feel pain from the infection.

On Monday, the patient's family saw a gaping hole with swarming ants in it when they lifted the bandage on her left eye.

Authorities of the Sambhunath Hospital in Kolkata said they were probing the incident.

Scampering rats and stray cats and dogs sharing bed space with patients are not uncommon sights at India's overcrowded state-run hospitals that are used by millions of poor and middle-class people.

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America's answer to Drug cost problem has made Mexico rich.

8-15-2005 Mexican Pharmacist's Empire Growing

MEXICO CITY - Victor Gonzalez sells cheap medicine and health care to Mexico's poor, and it has made him very rich.

In just eight years, his chain of Farmacias Similares, or Similar Pharmacies, has grown from a single store in Mexico City to 3,239 across Mexico and is spreading throughout Central America as well as Argentina, Ecuador and Chile.

His catchy advertising ? a cartoon doctor and an army of scantily clad models ? has made the 58-year-old Gonzalez a household name. His slogan is "The Same, Only Cheaper."

Gonzalez refuses to divulge his net worth, joking in an interview, "If I tell you, they'll come kidnap me." But his eight companies, manufacturing, transporting or selling pharmaceuticals, generated around $400 million in sales last year. His group claims to control one-quarter of Mexico's $9 billion drug industry.

Gonzalez sells Mexican-made generic medicines at prices up to 80 percent lower than those of brand-name prescription drugs.

Bayer Corp.'s Cipro, which became famous as an antidote during the post-9/11 anthrax scare, is a potent antibiotic commonly prescribed here for everything from stomach ailments to respiratory infections. It costs $24 to $28 for a box of eight in regular pharmacies. The Farmacias Similares equivalent costs as little as $4.

Gonzalez said his pharmacies in the U.S.-Mexico border cities of Juarez and Tijuana are among his most successful, frequented by Americans in search of cheaper medications.




This is awesome.

7-30-2005 Michael Moore says his next documentary already has HMOs quaking in their boots.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Michael Moore says his next documentary already has HMOs quaking in their boots. Moore has not yet begun shooting the film, "Sicko," but his planned critique of the nation's health care system, he says, is making "freaked-out" HMOs warn employees what to do if approached by the filmmaker.

"At this point we haven't shot anything yet and they're totally discombobulated," Moore said at the inaugural Traverse City Film Festival.

While Moore's Traverse City Film Festival puts politics on the back-burner for a weekend, he makes no apology for making politically themed films.

"When in this great democracy did 'political' become a dirty word?"
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Because he expose the truth and America's sheeple cannot and are not willing to handle the truth.

They are content with being brainwashed by the Corporations and Religion and that owns them.


7-11-2005 Universal Health Care Push Being Revived

A push for universal health coverage is being rekindled in some states by the soaring cost of health care and the lack of political support in Washington for federal changes.

Advocates of a single-payer system ? where the government would collect taxes and cover everyone, similar to programs in Canada and across Europe ? have introduced bills in at least 18 state legislatures.

Across the nation, the number of uninsured is 45 million and rising, and 16 million lack enough insurance to cover all their medical bills.

Companies are raising employee fees for health care, increasing co-payments and decreasing benefits.

"There's no other solution out there," said David Pavlick "The system we have now is immoral."

Not since Oregon in 2002 has a state voted on a single-payer health system. Voters there soundly rejected it, as did Californians in 1994.

Both times, the proposals came under fierce assault from the medical, insurance and pharmaceutical industries.
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Of course the medical, insurance and pharmaceutical industries oppose Universal Healthcare because their insane profit at the expense of human life would get knocked down.


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Ford slashes 11,600 jobs, cuts salaries from $38 to $17 hr and no health care.

The New American Dream - Nothing

5-25-2005 Ford to Take Back 24 Ailing Visteon Plants

The agreement reduces the number of Visteon manufacturing plants in North America from 58 to 36 and cuts the average plant size in half, Johnston said. The company won't have any plants with more than 1,500 employees under the agreement; now it has six.

The average hourly wage at Visteon's plants will drop from $38 to $17, Johnston said, and the number of UAW-covered hourly employees will drop from 17,400 to 5,000.


Couldn't find my old GM thread how I said GM and the old U.S.big 3 are on their way out.

Here is what I said actually happening. How can GM survive going down 80%???

Shares now down to 13 year low.

Wonder how many P&N Elite have seen their stock portfolio tank on GM alone???

That wouldn't bode very well for that Private Social Security Account Bush wants everyone to have too now would it?

How come all the Rich aren't buying cars? Where is their contribution to the Economy?

Oh that's right, they don't trickle down crap, of course.


3-16-2005 GM Cuts '05 Earnings Outlook by 80 Pct

DETROIT - General Motors Corp. on Wednesday warned its 2005 earnings will be as much as 80 percent below its prior forecast due to slumping North American auto sales, sending its shares down 12 percent to a 13-year low.

GM, the world's largest carmaker that has been steadily losing ground in its key North American market

Credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's said it had revised its outlook on GM to negative from stable, setting the stage for a downgrade of GM to junk status.


"One of the issues we've had for North America is the increasing drag of health-care costs on North American profitability,"

"I don't have any silver bullets on heath care ... but clearly I think the weakening profitability this year has focused on our need to make progress on health care."

GM, the largest private provider of health care in the United States, had warned earlier that its medical expenses would increase by about $1 billion this year.

The company said it also expects negative operating cash flow in 2005 of about $2 billion

 

[alent1234]

people are buying cars, just not GM

This is what happens when unions decide they want free healthcare for life. It costs GM almost $2000 per car to provide retirement benefits. Too bad consumers don't want to pay it.

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Couldn't find my old GM thread how I said GM and the old U.S.big 3 are on their way out.

Here is what I said actually happening. How can GM survive going down 80%???

Shares now down to 13 year low.

Wonder how many P&N Elite have seen their stock portfolio tank on GM alone???

That wouldn't bode very well for that Private Social Security Account Bush wants everyone to have too now would it?

How come all the Rich aren't buying cars? Where is their contribution to the Economy?

Oh that's right, they don't trickle down crap, of course.

Hey, if they put their whole portfolio into just a few companies all in the same industry, then f*ck 'em, they DESERVE to lose their asses. No investor worth a damn loads his whole wad into one stock, one sector, one commodity.

As for people not buying American cars, why should they? American cars SUCK. American car companies continue to produce these gas-sucking PIGmobile SUV's as if gas were still 80 cents a gallon.

I say PROPS to Toyota, Honda and other Japanese/Asian manufacturers who are smart enough to look at the market and RESPOND to it rather than having the *arrogance* of American car companies who think they can MAKE the market whatever they want it to be.

For anyone who ever believed that a company can get so big and powerful as to be immune to market forces, stand up and take note: The market WILL kick your ass, and it makes no difference how damn big you or your PIGmobile cars are.

Jason

 

[dannybin1742]

This is what happens when unions decide they want free healthcare for life. It costs GM almost $2000 per car to provide retirement benefits. Too bad consumers don't want to pay it.

noooo..... this is what happens when gm doens't have any fuel efficient cars on the road and spends the last 6 years designing suvs when they should be designing cars that can compete with a camry/civic/accord/corrola in gas mileage

they also have no hybrid cars, and their cars don't last nearly as long as toyota or hondas

the honda deal and toyota dealer here in town can't keep thier hybrids on the lot for test drives because they are selling like hotcakes, as are all their high milage cars, you can't beat 5 year 100k powertrain/tranny and 3 year full car warranty


stop blaming unions

 

[3chordcharlie]

DMA you give the foreign manufacturers a lot of credit they don't deserve.

They have been scrambling for 5 years now to create bigger, less efficient vehicles; you get better mileage in a 15 year old civic than in any non-hybrid honda sells today.

American manufacturers, sadly, have not been slow to respond to demand for efficient vehicles - the demand doesn't really exist! The greatest thing to ever happen to japanese manufacturers, however, was the Auto Pact, which is a part of the cause for their stellar reputation for qualoty and 'extra' value. I don't feel like explaining the entire Auto Pact effect; you know enough about markets to work it out, but if you want I'll PM you an analysis later.

 

[MadRat]

Just plain bad management if you ask me.

GM short-sightedly spent a wad on long-term alternative energy. High gas costs will only help them in the long run. Unfortunately their short term outlook is bleak because they have no transition product. Oh, look, the foreign competition all saw these gas shortages coming and adjusted production accordingly. Even with the tariff that the U.S. puts on foreign cars they cannot compete. Chrysler couldn't handle it and it took Daimler to correct their bad management. GM and Ford should have been absorbed by foreign companies long ago.

I own a GM truck for the family vehicle, a Trailblazer. If it wasn't for the wife wanting it I'd much rather of gone with something foreign. There were so many choices at the time I still kick myself for getting this gas guzzling umberpuke. It drives nice and has awesome accelleration. The thing drives top heavy, manuevers like a pig, and stops like it has cheese for tires. Other than that I hardly notice the frequent $60 fill ups... :|

 

[gsaldivar]

Originally posted by: alent1234
people are buying cars, just not GM

 

[Strk]

Well, if they'd work a bit on the parts they use, they might do better. If you spend 30-40k on a car, you want it to look a bit nicer than a 15k one.

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie
DMA you give the foreign manufacturers a lot of credit they don't deserve.

They have been scrambling for 5 years now to create bigger, less efficient vehicles; you get better mileage in a 15 year old civic than in any non-hybrid honda sells today.

American manufacturers, sadly, have not been slow to respond to demand for efficient vehicles - the demand doesn't really exist! The greatest thing to ever happen to japanese manufacturers, however, was the Auto Pact, which is a part of the cause for their stellar reputation for qualoty and 'extra' value. I don't feel like explaining the entire Auto Pact effect; you know enough about markets to work it out, but if you want I'll PM you an analysis later.

demand for efficient vehicles doesn't exist? Tell it to the Toyota and Honda dealers who can't get hybrids in the gate fast enough!

Granted, the Japanese companies HAVE tried to cash in to an extent on the SUV craze, but it's also true that they stand alone from American companies in trying to meet that demand while also providing better, more fuel-efficient SUV's. Observe Toyota with it's new Highlander Hybrid SUV and their lexus version (name of which I forget). Also observe that Honda's new top-of-the-line, TOP performing Accord is a *hybrid* that gets great mileage. Take into account also that these Japanese manufacturers (and from what I have been reading, German BMW as well) are also leading the way on research and development of Hydrogen based vehicles while American companies slowly lumber about doing the same old same old.

I probably DO heap a little more praise on the Japanese companies than may be deserved, but I do believe it's nearly all justified in support of their efforts to *change* the direction of vehicle development.

Jason

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: MadRat
Just plain bad management if you ask me.

GM short-sightedly spent a wad on long-term alternative energy. High gas costs will only help them in the long run. Unfortunately their short term outlook is bleak because they have no transition product. Oh, look, the foreign competition all saw these gas shortages coming and adjusted production accordingly. Even with the tariff that the U.S. puts on foreign cars they cannot compete. Chrysler couldn't handle it and it took Daimler to correct their bad management. GM and Ford should have been absorbed by foreign companies long ago.

I own a GM truck for the family vehicle, a Trailblazer. If it wasn't for the wife wanting it I'd much rather of gone with something foreign. There were so many choices at the time I still kick myself for getting this gas guzzling umberpuke. It drives nice and has awesome accelleration. The thing drives top heavy, manuevers like a pig, and stops like it has cheese for tires. Other than that I hardly notice the frequent $60 fill ups... :|

Ow, ow, ow! I read "Frequent $60 fill ups..." and suddenly got this stabbing pain in my left ass cheek!

Jason

 

[zephyrprime]

Originally posted by: MadRat
Chrysler couldn't handle it and it took Daimler to correct their bad management.

The Daimler merger was a disaster. Chrysler went from the most profitable US car maker to the least profitable (although now it looks like GM is giving them a run for their money). I think the recent history of the car companies shows that merging is no substitute for simply having a competant company. Honda and Toyota have hardly made any acquisitions and they're 2 of the most profitable big car companies.

 

[nergee]

Quality at the source is what counts.....The Big 3 make junk...............

 

[Stunt]

(2004 financial data)
GM: $3.7b net on $193.5b revenues
Daimler Chrysler2: $3.3b net on $192.4b revenues
Ford: $3.5b net on $171.7b revenues
Toyota: $11.3b net on $171.3b revenues
Honda: $4.5b net on $81b revenues
Nissan: $4.8b net on $70.11b revenues

 

[Stunt]

Could see Daimler as number one soon...

Japanese are doing well for Ford(Mazda), Toyota, Honda, Nissan.
not so much for GM(Subaru), Daimler(Mitsubishi).

 

[nergee]

Subaru reported its best February sales since 1986.....14,254 units.......

 

[Stunt]

Originally posted by: nergee
Subaru reported its best February sales since 1986.....14,254 units.......

WOW
It's barely beating Mitsubishi...they should be proud :roll:...12,500

 

[Stunt]

Better source for feb2005 volumes link

 

[nergee]

Subaru also topped the latest J.D. Power Quality survey with 2 problems per 100 vehicles......

 

[Stunt]

Are we talking about fiscal data and volumes or quality and rankings?
I'm sure GM has tons of awards...too bad their bottom line sucks.

 

[BarneyFife]

GM has gone crazy during the past 2 years. They've come out with a whole bunch of different car names. Popular sellers like the Buick Lesabre, Grand Am, Grand Prix, etc... all have different names. The Chevy line practically changed the name of every model. Anyway, I only buy GM and only buy American. You guys can drive your cute little Japanese cars.

 

[Stunt]

GM's had a long tradition of revamping one line every year. Their design team goes to a one line each year and makes real changes. This is way behind the competition who is constantly changing and adapting.
The most recent cycles are pontiac's line and caddy.
Their new mini chev lineup was only because they bought out daewoo and those cars are out of that factory.
GM is far to sluggish to remain competitive.

 

[nergee]

Last year alone GM recalled 10.4 million vehicles....

 

[MisterCornell]

There has been no "shift to fuel efficient vehicles". Car sales for all automakers either stay flat or keep going down, and truck sales keep climbing. Toyota and Honda sell hybrids in numbers that are insignificant in the market place.

GM short-sightedly spent a wad on long-term alternative energy. High gas costs will only help them in the long run. Unfortunately their short term outlook is bleak because they have no transition product. Oh, look, the foreign competition all saw these gas shortages coming and adjusted production accordingly. Even with the tariff that the U.S. puts on foreign cars they cannot compete. Chrysler couldn't handle it and it took Daimler to correct their bad management. GM and Ford should have been absorbed by foreign companies long ago.

This is all crap. All the Japs are making sales gains on account of truck products. The market share of trucks in the market place against cars keeps climbing. GM's mistake is that the last few years they mostly devoted to new car products, when they should have been updating their trucks, especially their big trucks.

Also, GM suffers from corporate mismanagement. They have money tied up in Subaru, a partnership which has produced only one product in several years, the Saab 92X that was a huge flop. And that's nothing compared to their disastrous tieup with Fiat in which they lost billions, and gained nothing.

 

[SuperTool]

Retiree medical costs should be government's responsibility, not burden on corporations. Otherwise there won't be any companies over 30 years old because they'll be driven out of business by younger companies with less retirees.

 

[Stunt]

But younger companies have the burden of developing highly advanced technology from scratch, and dealing with companies who have been market leaders for decades.
The old companies have a huge advantage. And it's not society's fault these big companies went overboard on their benifits. They offered compensation for their service, they have to live up to that. Not offload it on gov't.