Lost in translation

I'm currently on page 502 of HB 3200. Yup. I'm reading...or in the process of reading...the whole thing.

I figure that I need to read the damn thing myself and try to find out exactly what it says. Much easier said than done, unfortunately. Good keerist! Why doesn't someone...an unbiased someone...translate it into simple English...so people can understand it?

Maybe that's the idea...make it so friggin hard to understand that people just give up, pick a position and buy into all the propaganda that's being thrown from one side or the other.

On one hand, you have those that believe that this health care reform bill is the best thing since the invention of the wheel...it's gonna be all puppies and rainbows and pink cotton candy. On the other side, you have those that believe that anyone over the age of 65 will be "disposed" of...sent to suicide rooms...like Edward G. Robinson in

Soylent Green

I figure the truth...if there even is such a thing anymore...is somewhere in the middle.

Aye...but there's the rub. What is the truth?

I sure as shit don't trust what I read or see in the main stream media...or most of what I read in blogs. Let's face it...they're all biased one way or the other. They're all "right"...and anyone who doesn't believe the way they do are ignoramuses.

So I'm attempting to read the whole damn thing and I'm making a list of the pros and cons. So far, there are a couple of things that I like about it. No one can be refused for pre-existing conditions; mental health and substance abuse treatment will be covered; no lifetime limits. Taken at face value...for what that's worth...I like those ideas.

I do have a couple of "cons", though...and they're big ones...huge, in fact. Maybe even enough to tip the scales completely over.

1. It's government controlled. I've had it up to my eyeballs with the government trying to shove "what's best for me" down my throat. Up. To. My. Eyeballs. I'm a mature, reasonably intelligent woman. If I choose to do something that's bad for me, it's my own responsibility. And when it comes right down to it, I absolutely do not trust the government to do what's best for me. Period. So why in the hell would I trust 'em with my healthcare? That's just plain...crazy.

2. How will we pay for it? Hell, even Obama says he doesn't know how we're gonna pay for this. Is the money fairy gonna wave her magic wand and Poof!...the money will appear? Puhleeeease. Sorry, Mr. Obama...I ain't a real smart woman, but even I can tell ya how it'll be paid for.We will pay for it. We, the people. Our children. Our children's children. And theirs.

There are a couple of other things that bother me, too.

And I quote: "...enable the real-time (or near real-time) determination of an individual's financial responsibility at the point of service..."

And: "...enable electronic funds transfers in order to allow automated reconciliation with the related healthcare payment and remittance advice..."

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that sound like the healthcare provider will have access your bank account to make sure you can pay for the treatment...and withdraw the payment directly from your account?

Uh...no. I think I'll pass.

Now, don't get me wrong. We need a huge overhaul of the healthcare system in this country. But I think it needs to start with overhauling the insurance system. Fr'instance:

I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. I'll always need a CPAP machine. You can buy a CPAP machine...exactly like the one I use...online for about 700 bucks. The medical equipment company that I got the machine from billed the insurance company...and the insurance company has paid...over $7,000...that's seven thousand dollars... for a $700 machine.

I'm no genius, but even I know there's something wrong with that. Bad, bad, horrifically wrong.

I've since bought my own machine. I took the responsibility and purchased my own...to keep this mind-boggling scam from continuing.

And it kills me. People have said, "Why don't you let the insurance company take care of it? It'll be free to you."

It's not free. We're all paying for that $7000 machine with higher and higher insurance premiums. That's really the problem with healthcare and most people can't even see that. The insurance companies are making trillions and trillions of dollars because most people are too ignorant to understand how it works. And the insurance companies love ignorant people.

And don't even get me started on tort reform.

I dunno...after reading 502 pages of this...manifesto...I just don't see much that's addressing the real problems with the healthcare system. And that concerns me.

It should concern you, too.

Addendum

Ok, I just listened to Obama's "town hall" meeting in Colorado. I don't agree with everything he said...but he did make some valid points, especially concerning insurance reform. Unfortunately, I'm pretty shell-shocked when it comes to politicians...any politician. They say one thing...and do the complete opposite.