The Waiting Game Promotes Wondering

The holiday season is not the time of year I like to sit in doctors waiting rooms but this year I seem to be doing little else.

It has gotten me to wondering about what sort of experiences those affected by the ACA insurance debacle will be facing come the new year.

I recently got a new primary care physician.  I like him and have found that there are times when a change can be advantageous.  Even so, long term associations that have been good are hard to let go even if you get to a point of diminishing returns. Which I had.

Being of ever advancing years, I have a handful of nagging issues that had for years never been satisfactorily addressed.  On the other hand, I'm not in as bad a shape as I had thought.  With the new cholesterol guidelines and new blood pressure guidelines I see pressures to take certain meds along with ones I am taking to soon go away.  Goes to show if you wait long enough...

As for those nagging ones, my lower back has been an issue for years.  I finally reached the point where meds were no longer working.  I don't want even stronger ones.  So.  The new doc does his poking and prodding and figures the previous diagnosis had either been a red herring or I had a combination of issues.  So.  A new x-ray of a new spot.  Bingo!  A pretty good dose of arthritis in the last joint of my tailbone.  Painful. That area had never even been considered. Off to a spinal diagnostician I go and he decides to do an MRI to confirm the x-ray.  Do you see the costs going up here?

Okay.  A shot to my bottom.  Owwww.  Now I need an MRI of the old problem because I still show symptoms and the two don't relate.  That comes tomorrow.  No shot though because it hasn't been the required 10 days since the last one.  Nor could he do the MRI the same day because medicare wouldn't pay for two the same day.  However that works.  More $$$$ to be sure.  All this last minute rush is to get it in before January 1 when the new deductible cycle kicks in.

If there is to be another shot I may squeeze it in right after Christmas but I doubt it.  Why?  I still have to have a spot checked out which I suspect is the return of a pesky basal cell.  Removal, if in fact I'm correct, will again come after the first when it will be out of pocket.

Not that any of you are interested in all this but I've been thinking about all the new doctors I've seen and will be seeing all based on the change of my primary care physician.  Fortunately I wasn't wed to anyone from my past and am actually looking forward to a better level of expertise than I've experienced before.  But it is complicated, time consuming and fraught with anxiety. Will they fix the problem this time or not?

There are always the questions.  Who did that procedure, who did another one.  Over the years it's hard to remember names of someone you may have seen but once.  So familiarity has its blessings.  But so does a look see through fresh eyes.

Hopefully I'm settled in with this new entourage for some time to come.  Hopefully I'll remain in relatively good if not better health.  And hopefully the Secretary will keep her nose out of it.

For those who are just approaching major changes in not only their insurance but their health care protocols in total, I can empathize though I've had it relatively easy.  Many won't and that's enough to make anyone queasy.

Walk A Mile In Paul Ryan's Shoes

Is it all for political show?  The idea that no Republican Senator supports the Ryan-Murray budget deal?  Because it doesn't go far enough when it comes to addressing entitlements, spending, etc?

They've gone right back to the Tea Party ways - our way or the highway.  What part of "you're not going to get it all especially at one time" do they not understand?  If it's just political posturing, what's the point?

That there is a deal at all is huge considering the climate of animosity in Congress.  I thought the other day that the Republicans might be getting smart but I see I am wrong.

I suggest any one of those Republican Senators who has the nerve to sit down across the table from Patty Murray, who is a  loyal, tough Democratic worker bee, and see if they can work out a better deal. Or a deal at all.

It's a good thing the Presidential elections are two years down the road.  Republicans are going to have a tough enough time with the mid-terms until and unless something gets through to the obstructionists and explains to them how politics actually work.  They who are holding up Ronald Reagan as their beacon, the man who knew 80% was better than none.  Take it in small increments.  The wins will build. Settling for nothing but everything guarantees you'll get nothing.

It seems elementary to me that in order to move the Republican agenda forward they are going to have to keep the House, take the Senate and the Presidency.  It isn't going to happen as long as the party remains divided or if the obstinate faction wins the battle for the heart soul of the party.

The excuse for the negativity is often blamed on their constituents.  "It's what I was elected to do."  Bull.  None of you were elected to block any sort of progress what-so-ever.  You were elected to figure out how to make things work.  That doesn't mean digging in for an impossible solution then bragging about how you stood on principle!

I'd think you'd have learned after the government shut down.  Apparently you haven't.  That nullifies loyalty and support.  How many of us can you afford to lose?

We Seniors Are ABout To Get Ours!

I really wish Congress had learned from Obamacare that any bill with the Secretary shall in it spells doom.  But they haven't and it scares me.

They are scheduled, today, to vote on the "Doc Fix" which will give the feds, as in HHS, authority to dictate "applicable use criteria" for medical services for seniors.

It's tied in with reimbursements to doctors which is woefully low to begin with.  The reason why it's so difficult to find a doctor to take a medicare patient.  What has been a short term fix from year to year is now scheduled to become permanent.  Woe is us.  It gives the Secretary the right to make a judgement on things like CT scans and MRIs.  To make matters worse, the doctors went along with this in order to get higher reimbursements and while they have a say in the decisions it's a weak one.  The power is with the Secretary shall.

Now I don't know about any of you, but I do not want Kathleen Sebelius anywhere near my medical care.  She knows nothing about me nor my needs and even if she did she isn't qualified to make any determination about what is or is not appropriate.  That's between my doctors and me.

At the moment this is aimed at radiological services but contains a provision giving the Secretary the authority to expand it to other services.

I'm not saying that Medicare doesn't need reformed.  It certainly does, but I implore the medical and senior citizen community to speak up against giving this power over to the government.  If the Secretary could micromanage effectively I'd not be so worried but it is evident this one cannot manage at all what's more micro manage.  If we've learned anything from Obamacare it should be that government has no place in determining, on their own, what is and what isn't important or appropriate in health care, no matter your age.

Is there such a disconnect that no one notices the language in this bill?  Don't they see the same red flags?  Have they even read the legislation?  Or are they so anxious to get home for the holidays they'll vote for anything just to get out the door.

You know, in a way I hope it slams shut on their foot.  And when they go to the doctor to get it fixed they find that the Secretary has determined they can't get an x-ray, a cast or even a pain pill.

One day those who vote for these ludicrous bills will be forced to abide by them just as we are.  It can't happen too soon. They ought, too, remember they will one day be old and until then their parents already are.  Is this really what they wish on them?

Are Republicans Beginning To Get It?

I actually like John Boehner when he gets mad.  He just doesn't do it often enough when he's dealing with the ultra conservative wing of his party. You know, the ones who refuse to vote for their own party position if it isn't exactly what they want.

They reared their ugly heads yesterday before the details of the new budget were known nor the ink dried.  Oh, the main stream, old guard Republicans caved they said.  It's another big step backwards.  You know, I wish they'd just go away.  Their methods cost the party far more than they are worth.

Okay.  The budget agreement isn't perfect.  The big thing is that an agreement was reached and it's not all bad.  Well, they didn't address all the major issues.  You'd think they'd learn that tackling all issues in one fell swoop can be disastrous.  Look at Obamacare.  Look at Ted Cruz's attempt to defund  Obamacare.  A big bite by both parties that didn't work for either.

John Boehner called these influencers ridiculous.  I'd use stronger language.  But this ilk of the Republican party are tough nuts to crack.  They are doing the very thing they accuse the President of doing - not bending.  Their way or the highway but disastrously within their own party.

At least Boehner realizes that even a small deal is better than no deal and that the country has no appetite for another government closure nail biter.  We have enough to contend with without that added anxiety yet again.  Consider the economy is making some small inroads toward improvement.  With a year long deal businesses can at least plan for that period of time rather than three months and hold your breath.

They've eased up on some of the more damaging areas of the sequester by allowing discretionary cuts rather than across the board.  This is especially advantageous for the military.  And no new taxes.  Isn't that the Republican mantra?

If just once they'd say, "Good job guys." But no.  It's always negative and divisive. Keep an eye on those who vote against this deal and keep it in mind when the elections come along.  If you're going to vote for an ideologue try voting for one who's ideology is 'country first, political ambitions second'.

While you're at it keep reminded what sort of legislation you get with nothing but partisan, ideological support.  It's called Obamacare.  Smaller bites are far more easy to chew and digest.  Gulps provide nothing but heartburn.

This budget bill is small to be sure.  But chew on it for awhile.  It may not taste so bad after all.

The Picture Seen Around The World

Is a memorial service really the place to sit, giggle and take selfies?  Apparently so.

So here goes the old lady again.  My generation would have considered it inappropriate at best for what I assume was to be a solemn occasion.
My parents would have killed me on the spot.  It looks like Michelle might have had the same thing in mind.

This time I can't fault Obama alone. The British and Danish Prime Ministers are right there with him enjoying the jocularity.

It's no wonder I have such difficulty coping with the workings and non-workings of government today.  It is, one more time, a generational thing and perhaps a lot of what's going on is fault of mine.

My generation is called the Silent Generation and we produced the Boomers.  I'm guessing we were too silent, too permissive and the pendulum has yet to swing back.  Sometimes it does, but I'm beginning to wonder.  The Millennials, though, are showing some promise.

Those running things around the world these days are Generation X.  A rather innocuous name. They just go along doing their own thing without care or even awareness of what has been, what is and what may be while we Silent types are wondering what's wrong with them.

It's pretty simple really.  We didn't teach the Boomers the importance of our heritage, culture  and responsibility to it to the extent they felt it necessary to pass such knowledge on to their kids.  So today we have naivety trumping experience, self indulgence trumping duty and a total disregard for what others think.

The Millennials are catching on though.  Especially with the health care law where they're being ordered to shell out more so others need pay less.  Foul, they call and they're taking the Xers by surprise. Being cool is no longer cutting it.

Social media has changed the world, a world in which I am a dinosaur.  Those who created it, however, are savvy and oh so smart.  I have to continually adapt as they move the way we live into a universe almost beyond comprehension.

The isolationism and mediocrity being promoted by those Xers with a Socialist bent are going to be challenged by the Millennials.  Their motivation?  Money. That evil of evils. The money they're making from being able to capitalize on ideas and technology that's leaving so many of us behind.  I don't see them buying into Socialist ideology where it's their ideas and the rewards that those ideas have generated are taken for the good of those who can't or won't compete.

Maybe one day we'll see a return to coats and ties in better restaurants, no baseball caps no matter which direction they perch on a head and memorial services attended with the respect for the deceased that is deserved.

In the meantime three nations should be ashamed of their leaders for their inappropriate rudeness. I'm sorry that one of them is ours - but not surprised.