America's Health Care Policy

Today the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R.3962) is being debated on the House floor.

Skip the commentary, go directly to C-Span to witness this historic discourse.

H.R.3962 passed as amended, 220 to 215.
Now, on to the Senate.

I favor this bill because I have family members who are underinsured (with pre-existing conditions that prevent them from buying better policies).. My own insurance is adequate (at least, so far. I haven't had a serious illness).

 C-Span Heath Care Hub

Unemployment has exceeded 10% in America. Fewer and fewer America's are covered by an employer-paid health insurance policy. 

Insurance premiums have risen beyond the reach of many Americans.

My personal health insurance policy (paid totally by me) will increase by $98 on December 1, 2009. My total premium will be $574 with a $750 deductible and a 20% co-pay if/when the deductible has been met.. This does not include vision or dental (totally out of pocket expense for me). Because I am healthy, I rarely spend more than my $750 deductible in a year's time (mostly for wellness appointments such as an annual exam). So my cost (not including dental and vision).will be $7638 this year before I receive any benefit from my health insurance.

While I can afford this increase, the next increase in my health insurance premium may price it beyond my capacity to pay.  Then what?

Health care reform is especially important for women. This says it very well,

From YouTube, The White House, The First Lady on Health Insurance Reform and Older Women

From my point of view, a single payer system would be a better system for America. This bill is a step in the right direction. Insurance companies are not non-profit entities. In my opinion, insurance companies exist for their own benefit, not for our benefit.

From YouTube, RunAwayBox, Boyfriend With Health Benefits 

From YouTube, Paul Hipp, We're Number 37 

From YouTube, lessjobsmorewars, Billionaires for Wealthcare

From YouTube, Humanleague002, Billionaires for Wealthcare

"Undefined"

While experimenting with various "gadgets" easily available for addition to this blog, I made what I consider to be an interesting discovery.

I added two video bars along the side. I wanted the first to play only whatever has been posted on YouTube for the world renowned musical group, Pink Martini. So, during set up, I did not mark options that I did not want. However, it soon became very clear that YouTube read what I did (or didn't do) as "undefined". And so what showed up in the video bar was a sound described on YouTube by the person posting it as "undefined", a cacophonous, raucous sound that may be music to someone's ears but certainly not to mine.The album, "As I Lay Dying."

However, the lyrics are interesting:

what is this world, what is this we've created
in the burdens of this life I cannot rest
this world means nothing
everything we hold will pass away
with a void of completion comfort will ever fade
I long for this wind to cease
we once held undying devotion
now dead to our thoughts, undefined, like our love

Interesting aside, the ads that were here disappeared shortly thereafter.

We Seem To Have Skipped Over "That One" This Year

Halloween is past and now it's time to get ready for Thanksgiving, right? Not so fast!

Having two homes to decorate for the holidays this year, I ventured from place to place searching for Thanksgiving themed window clings only to be given the same message at every stop, "We seem to have skipped over that one this year."

"That one" being Thanksgiving." Full steam ahead, on to Christmas.

Recession Notes: 1958 vs 2009

Spring 1958 and my younger brother had the mumps. Our parents were concerned because mumps led to sterility in some cases. Their solution was to purchase our very first black and white television set. The idea was to keep my brother as still as possible with the hope that he would recover without complication.

Along with the westerns, Saturday cartoons, and game shows, I remember a public service announcement that I found to be particularly intriguing. The spot was an animated story about a hot dog stand. The message, as I remember it, suggested that negative gossip could have an adverse effect on business. I saw the hot dog stand grow smaller and smaller. This public service ad played over and over and over again.

Billboards along our highways have often been considered a blight, obstructing the view of our beautiful America. Over the past two years more and more billboards have stood begging for business, advertising only themselves. I will believe the economy is on the way to a solid recovery only when billboards in America are no longer so under utilized.

Update (11/7/2009) I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I read this post again. I laughed because of all the mini billboards that I have placed on this blog. Physical billboards have been around for a long time but, any more, advertisers reach us by internet (less and less by radio, televison, newspapers or billboards).