Obamacare Shutdown TAkes! The Complete Lives System

Rich TAkes! on the Complete Lives System

Handing over decisions about your health care to the government should scare the life out of you. Perhaps that is what they want. I dunno.

I do know that for once Speaker Boehner has finally stood up, with huge prodding from the TEA Party. Laws can be passed, but the House has to fund it. It’s right there in the Constitution. We call that “checks and balances”.

Progressives believe that they know what is best for you, or society in general, and Obamacare will relieve both you and your Doctor of making decisions when and if you ever become ill, injured, or need a transplant. Obamacare is not about better health, it is about government control and distributive justice, whatever that means. (I’m pretty sure that it’s bad)

Obamacare is about driving up your health care costs, while insuring that your actual health care is worsened. There is no way that adding thousands of bureaucrats and 16,000 IRS agents to the mix can make costs cheaper.

Doctors are closing their private practices, and are either becoming hospital employees, or quitting altogether. New Physician-owned hospitals will be prohibited, and current facilities will be prohibited from expanding. Some Doctors are opening up cash-only practices, offering superior services at a cheaper cost. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that model deemed illegal in the near future if Obamacare is allowed to stand.

“Progressives” real goal is to bankrupt private health insurance and give us all “single-payer” models where the government calls all of the shots. They are not bashful about this, either.

Some companies have been giving a rebate to employees who opt out of an employer sponsored plan in case they are already covered, or just plain don’t want coverage, that practice will be illegal beginning Jan 1. Many companies have already dropped spousal and family coverage as a result of Obamacare.

Private clinical trials, especially for cancer and AIDS cases, will be greatly curtailed, since the government under Obamacare is mainly concerned about reducing health care costs overall. If there is no longer any profit motive, what is the point? The real heart and soul of Obamacare can be summed up in Zeke Emanuel’s Complete Lives System:

Betsy McCaughey: Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel Wants Health-Care Rationing

McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) may be the most knowledgeable expert on the subject of Obamacare anywhere.

Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions

Above is the PDF of the article co-authored by Emanuel, published in the Lancet, compliments of CUNY

The Complete Lives System:  Socialism in Medicine

Summing up Obamacare in two pages. It’s about control: Editorial (PDF) from the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Volume 18 Number 3 Fall 2013

Abstract from the National Institute of Health

“The allocation of scarce health care resources such as flu treatment or organs for transplant presents stark problems of distributive justice. Persad, Wertheimer, and Emanuel have recently proposed a novel system for such allocation. Their “complete lives system” incorporates several principles, including ones that prescribe saving the most lives, preserving the most life-years, and giving priority to persons between 15 and 40 years old. This paper argues that the system lacks adequate moral foundations.”

I find it troubling that the words “distributive justice” appears on a government page.

Continue reading Obamacare Shutdown TAkes! The Complete Lives System

Obama’s Government Shut-Down TAkes!

So now the Veterans from the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions have to once again parachute behind enemy lines in their wheel-chairs and walkers,  wielding canes to visit their own WWII Memorial in the National Mall in DC., 70 years after they sacrificed blood and treasure to take Omaha Beach.  Obama is being petulant, vindictive, and imperialistic.  If he doesn’t get his way he is going to deliberately spread the pain around to the people whom he is supposedly serving, in a blatant act of political hypocrisy.

His behavior is nothing more than the childish exhibition of the petulance of a seven year old. Whaah!

Our Outlaw President? Obama Should Ignore the Debt Ceiling – Brookings Institution

left-leaning think-tank suggests just ignoring the law

Obamacare Facebook Erupts with Citizen Sticker Shock

Obama said it would save 2500 bucks, not that it go up. He lied, I knew it would go up, it had to.

Obamacare 101: What to know if you opt out of buying health insurance

good advice here

It’s the Law, Yes, and Most Americans Oppose It

Slavery, segregation, internment, and prohibition were also once the law of the land, we got rid of those too

25% of Uninsured Say Plan to Stay That Way

CBO: Obamacare to Cost $1.930 Trillion, Leave 30 Million Uninsured

I thought we started with 30 million uninsured?

McAfee: Beware of ObamaCare Phishing Scams

there were more phishing sites than the real thing. If you really want this, be careful

Betsy McCaughey: Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel Wants Health-Care Rationing

The Complete Lives System: Socialism in Medicine

The heart of Obamacare: from the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Fall 2013 (PDF)

Wendy Davis was a media hero and Ted Cruz is a ‘grandstander’

typical liberal hypocrisy 

Continue reading Obama’s Government Shut-Down TAkes!

An Open Letter To Senator Joe Donnelly

Honorable Sir:  ObamaCare-billboard

During the great healthcare debates of 2009-2010, you consistently stayed away from the fray, and after much hand-wringing, presented yourself as undecided up until the very last minute, when you voted for the ACA. After a little arm-wrestling from Hoyer and Pelosi, no doubt.

What exactly is the definition of a “moderate” Democrat?

A moderate would surely not wish to allow the finest health system in history to be destroyed piece by piece by granting total government control of health care to a bunch of government bureaucrats.The astounding number of thousands of exemptions and waivers granted by this administration should be reason enough to end support for this national travesty.

Businesses are unsure of what the future holds, so they are not expanding or hiring, and/or are converting full-time employees to part-time status.

Physician-owned hospitals are prevented from expanding under this Bill, and no new physician-owned hospitals may be opened. Is this what freedom and liberty is all about? I would say that current Med students will have a clear view that they will be serving at the whim of HHS under the provisions of the ACA.

My dear friend and partner suffered from degenerative hip disease, a genetic condition which deteriorated over time. After much research, she decided to pursue a new anterior approach to hip replacement, which neither Memorial nor St Joseph Hospitals offered. No muscle tissue or ligaments are cut using this method, as opposed to traditional hip replacements. We found one doctor in Kalamazoo, and another in Fort Wayne advertising this procedure, and at the last minute discovered that Unity Medical and Surgical Hospital on Edison Lakes Parkway in Mishawaka also offered this procedure. She had the procedure, was walking within three days, and was back to work in one week, as opposed to months and months of recuperation with traditional hip replacements.

The ACA will put an end to private free-enterprise approaches by physician-owned hospitals like Unity.

I also lost a sister-in-law to stage 3c ovarian cancer a couple of years ago, she made it 5 1/2 years, solely due to participating in three or more clinical trials, A couple of them worked, when she did not respond much to traditional chemo therapies. Sadly, the FDA has not approved these treatments for wide-spread use. While the FDA approval process is a separate issue, stage 3c or higher cancer patients have nothing to lose. I fear that there will be no incentive for these types of treatments under the ACA, especially since our dear President himself said that sometimes it might be better to just take a pain pill [and suffer your fate (paraphrased)].

The good news is, you now have a chance to redeem yourself as my representative in the Senate, and I strongly suggest to vote no on cloture concerning the up-coming Continuing Resolution.

Thank you for your consideration,

Rich

On Defunding, DeLay, and the War On Coal TAkes!

Congress is back in session, the fiscal year ends September 30, and still no budget. Nothing new there, since Obama has been President, there has never been a budget. They are still working on FY2009, which Pelosi and Reid pinned on Bush in the 2009 Omnibus Bill. Yet another CR (Continuing Resolution) Showdown is developing since the House soundly passed a CR which fully funds the government except for Obamacare, which is not now, nor will ever be ready for PrimeTime.

It is time to call both of your Senators now and tell them to

defund bumpersticker

Palin — Bombs Away on Obamacare; Cruz Is over the Target

House passes spending bill to defund Obamacare 

Will Mitch and the Senate grow a pair for the show-down?

Unhappy Birthday for Obamacare

Fund: Doctors are fleeing their profession, and patients like the reform less and less.

CBO: Obamacare to Cost $1.930 Trillion, Leave 30 Million Uninsured

No Surrenders

Cleveland Clinic, Cited By Obama In Health Law Pitch, to Offer ‘Early Retirement’ to Thousands, Cut $330 Million, Citing ObamaCare

No surprise, Medicare will be cut by billions, Medicare Advantage will greatly diminished beginning Oct 1

Obamacare Doctor Rationing Begins in California

56% Favor Delaying Individual Health Care Mandate, 26% Opposed

Fox News poll: 68 percent concerned about their health care under new law

Obamacare: Walgreens Dropping Current Coverage for 160,000 Workers

Supreme Court to Consider New Obamacare Case

involving Kathleen Sebelius’ HHS Mandate, which requires employers to provide abortion-related insurance coverage, even if those employers have a religious objection to abortion.  Hobby Lobby won their appeal, which has not been challenged by DOJ.

Screw ObamaCare: Why I’m leaning toward remaining uninsured

(and many of you should do the same)

on the joys of the cash plan, and why it makes sense for some

Genius: Starting in 2014, Obamacare begins taxing… itself.

Continue reading On Defunding, DeLay, and the War On Coal TAkes!

The Paducah TAkes!

I ran out of hours yesterday at Paducah, KY, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to update the latest

RichTAkes! Paducah Edition

some links I found interesting lately

How Obama Literally Hypnotized America-Part 1

Pavlov’s theory of psychology also says that propaganda can create mass hypnosis, and people can become conditioned to verbal or other symbols used in propaganda. Such masses can lose their discretion and be easily influenced.

Obama’s speeches often use an unnaturally slow language to start. Unnaturally slow speech is a common hypnotic technique in order to allow the subject time to respond to suggestions, imagine images, and feel sensations conjured by the hypnotist.

Are We Witnessing Conversational Hypnosis At Work? | A Nation ADrift-Why?

loads of links here

Phony Scandals

KUHNER: President’s socialist takeover must be stopped

the case for impeachment, 2010. It’s even worse today.

Kim Strassel: New Links Emerge in the IRS Scandal

Just a phony scandal. I know, because Obama saith so.

IRS Harassment of Pro-Life Groups Continues Despite Claims to Contrary

Thomas More Society Reveals Ongoing IRS Misbehavior and Religious Liberty Violations

Exclusive: Dozens of CIA operatives on the ground during Benghazi attack – Jake Tapper

Phony Benghazi scandal update

NSA reveals more secrets after court order

NSA surveillance reach broader than publicly acknowledged

more revelations about the phony NSA scandal

Court: Ability to police U.S. spying program limited

More on the NSA outrage

Judicial Watch: Defense Department Teaching Documents Suggest Mainstream Conservative Views “Extremist”

 “Extremist” is said to mean anyone who actually believes in the principles that the US was founded upon

U.S. Rice Farmers Cash In On Venezuelan Socialism

another example of the tragedy of nationalizing entire industries in the name of socialism

Mexico’s Looming Oil Battle: Bid to Bring in Foreign Investment Sparks Protests

Mexican lefties trying to hang on to another underperforming socialized asset “for the people”

Obamacare Full Frontal: Of 953,000 Jobs Created In 2013, 77%, Or 731,000 Are Part-Time

the creeping economy is the real scandal

Sorry: Businesses cannot avoid Obamacare by switching to part-time staff

they will just lay them off or fire them instead

80% Of US Adults Are Near Poverty, Rely On Welfare, Or Are Unemployed | Zero Hedge

33 Shocking Facts Which Show How Badly The Economy Has Tanked Under Obama | Zero Hedge

We all know the economy sucks despite the lies coming out of the White House

When welfare pays better than work

You’d need to earn 50k and actually hold a job to equal some welfare incomes

Continue reading The Paducah TAkes!

Rich TAkes! On the Health System

I found this at Red State, it reflects closely what I’ve held for years. So here is 

Rich TAkes on:

A few radical ways to shut down Obamacare

But first, here is a message from the Heritage Foundation on the effects of defunding Obamacare: 

(as always, my comments appear in cayenne)

from the article:

…Now on to the second issue of how we could improve health care if we are lucky enough to stop this abomination called Obamacare. Here are some suggestions.

1. Implement tort reform: Cut down on frivolous lawsuits and defensive medicine, and you reduce the cost of health care by 10 percent instantly. While we’re at it, let’s go back to the time when lawyers were not allowed to advertise on TV. We don’t need lawyers on TV talking lazy, unemployed bums into claiming brain damage from a phony medical error.

>> We can do tort reform while recognizing that genuine malpractice should have consequences. I would also like to see an end to ambulance chasers gathering class actions via TV ads (like mesotheleoma, several IUDs, and other such groups) but this seems to conflict with the first amendment. <<

2. End state government-run health insurance monopolies: Allow insurance companies to sell across state lines. Allow anyone from any place to buy the best coverage for the money, regardless of the state. Instead of only having a few choices, you would have more than 1,300. Competition lowers cost — just look at your cellphone bill now compared with 10 years ago.

>>The People or employers should be free to decide what coverage they require, instead of the states. The prohibition against selling health insurance across state lines dates back to the New Deal, and only serves to drive up costs and limit choices. We can optionally buy car insurance (okay, this is not an option if you plan on driving a car), life insurance, disability insurance and more across state lines, and in some cases, worldwide. You don’t want to buy coverage that includes happy pills, hysterectomies or vasectomies? If you’re gay, should you be paying for well-child and pregnancy coverage? You should have that choice. You should also be free to not purchase health insurance at all. You should also be free to buy high deductible insurance, which used to be known as “major medical”. See bullet point 4.<<

3. Reduce drug-addicted newborn babies: There is a drug-addicted baby born every hour in America, at a cost of $1 million per child. This needs to stop. Make having crack babies child abuse punishable by a minimum of five years in prison. When people know there is a tough consequence for their actions, many will change their ways. At least those who break the law won’t be making more drug-addicted babies for five years.

<< I hadn’t considered this before, but it’s hard to argue that having drug-addicted babies is not child abuse. >>

4. Create health saving accounts: Allow people to buy low-cost catastrophic health coverage, and then put money into a savings account for their everyday health care. Watch how prices drop when consumers start asking how much a certain treatment or procedure costs before getting it. Americans know how to shop, so let them.

<< Going back to the cash plan will save everybody more, including the health care providers who suddenly won’t need to hire three employees to wade through mountains of paperwork to get paid, to say nothing about the claims adjusters the insurance companies will no longer need. We have had limited HSAs for decades, but they have been mostly pre-tax on an annual use it or lose it basis. Obamacare limits HSA contributions to $2500.00 beginning next month which won’t affect many of us, except for those who actually need it, such as those with autistic children or some other birth defect.

If I were to design a health plan for younger folks, I’d allow HSAs to roll-over and accumulate and set the deductible to increase according to use. For most of us, this account would accrue with interest over the years, and be available in the fifties or later when actual use begins to occur. Wider use of HSAs would also eliminate the need for dental or eye care coverage, just for starters. >>

Continue reading Rich TAkes! On the Health System