Happy Birthday to me!

Today marks a significant milestone in my life.  On this day, I celebrate my 80th birthday! 

This is a remarkable accomplishment since statistically I should probably be dead.  On March 12, 2012, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  According to the American Cancer Society I had only a 40 per cent chance of living five years so if I can live a couple more weeks, I shall have beaten the odds.

I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my four score years than lambasting the Republicans for their absurd position on health care.  Let’s get something straight, the Republicans do not want all Americans to have universal health care.  Period.

Why?  Because the only way to give all Americans universal health care is to get private insurers out of the game—completely. Health care in America is a for-profit industry and private insurers, drug companies, cancer clinics et al are only interested in making money.  They could care less about your health.

For Republicans reading this, I will try to explain in terms even they can understand. Health CARE and health INSURANCE are two different things.  When Republicans say the government wants to control your health CARE, they are lying.  The government actually wants to protect you from being screwed by private corporations.  Private insurers are pulling out of the   ACA or raising premiums simply because they are not making enough money.

With Medicare and the ACA, the government provides health INSURANCE so you can pay for your health CARE.  Medicare works because private insurance companies’ involvement is kept to a minimum—the so-called Advantage plans and medigap policies.

Now the Republicans are tossing around things like “privatizing” Medicare (and Social Security)—a dreadful idea—“vouchers” you can use to buy, what? Private insurance and “patient centered care.”  That last one is really stupid.  ALL health care is patient centered. Who do you think is getting the care?   Of course, Republicans claim this is to get the government out of “dictating your health care.”  That is pure bull.  The government does not "dictate" nor get involved with your health CARE.  As you can imagine, I have had a rather intimate relationship with the American health care system for the last five years and the government has had absolutely nothing to do with choosing my doctors, what kind of treatment I would get and where I would get it.  I have not been turned down for anything and I am quite happy with government managed Medicare, thank you, and if it were not for that government program I would be bankrupt, dead or both in that order.

As stated in a previous blog, I am afraid.  I am afraid of the Republicans.  But since this is my birthday I have decided to adopt a positive attitude.  I am optimistic that, fortunately, I will be dead before the Republicans succeed in destroying Social Security, Medicare and the American Democracy I have known and believed in all my life.