My Problem with Health Care

I'm all for health care, especially for the poor and people with pre-existing conditions.  I read article after article about how it will turn America into a socialized country, how it will raise taxes, how it will raise health care prices and how America cannot afford the health plan.  

Honestly, most of the arguments are shallow and invalid after a few researching clicks on the Internet.  Medicare is a form of a socialized health care system along with social security and welfare.  I have no issue with paying higher taxes because I want to support Americans and the health care system.  Also, I understand health care prices will go up in the short run, but fall once everyone is on.

Source: http://rochecoach.tumblr.com/post/20024335660

The last argument can be the strongest if there were no examples of successful health care systems from around the world.  America is one of the only first world countries not to have a healthcare system in place.  America spends about 15 percent of their GDP on health care, compared to most nations, we spend more.  

Frontline has an excellent report about countries like Japan, England, Canada, Germany and Taiwan who do not spend enough on their health care, Japan spends about 8 percent GDP, and they continuously work on it, every few years the prices change and they examine policies.  

Americans cannot afford not to regulate healthcare, but the system is so vast and broken where do we begin, some would even say not to start.  However, if everyone is covered costs will go down and there will be no more bankrupt families because of health care. 

by Pass3456

As for how it helps me personally Washington Post does a simple article and questionnaire to help the common American see and understand how the plan will help.  For me, because I only earn about $14,000 and single my insurance premium would be no more than $560 a year and my out of pocket pay could only be 6 percent of my income.

The only issue I see for health care is if the government is too slow of inflexible to fix the issues coming up.  Taiwan and Germany are doing fine in this economic climate, including their health care system.  The warnings on how health care can bankrupt a country are true only if the country decides to miss manage their funds and refuse to change policies with the times.

I can only hope the people, yes us, come up with a well thought out plan for our politicians about health care, because the less we make government think, the better we can run it ourselves.

What do you expect a positive or negative change in the American health care system when the reform is in full force?

  

My Grandma's Wisdom

by George Nikoladze

Happy Fourth of July to all you Americans out there and on this Fourth I would like to remember my grandmother.

She was actually one of the first female managers at Lockheed and worked on projects she can still not talk about because of top secret status.  Yes my grandmother is a true American, but now I'm worried about losing her.

I was lucky enough to know my great grandmother on my mother's side and lost her around the age of fifteen.  Now I'm facing both of my grandmother's health issues, but mainly from my father's side.

My grandmother used to live about a quarter of a mile away from my childhood home, but now she rents an apartment about an hour and a half away from her closest family.  I keep telling her she can't take care of her aging friends when she has no one close to care for her.

She lived a hard life in Colorado, where her mother died around the age of 50 and my grandmother was left to care for her own small children and some of her siblings.  The older siblings were left to the state and suffered from horrible abuses and never truly forgave my grandmother for it.

Source: U.S. National Archives and
 Records Administration

Many stories lie beneath her wrinkles and she is a devoted Christian whose love and kindness is not tainted by extreme opinion.  There is still time to sit down with her and record her stories and even though she will never know I'm a witch I want to remember her as a person.

Elders die and we move on, but their knowledge can be lost forever and this is why I'm going to make an effort and try to record my grandmother's stories.  This would honor her and keep her alive in a way before she passes on to where she believes she will end up.

How do you honor your ancestors?  I know it's more of a Samhain question, but sometimes there is only so much time before they go.