ABRA-CA-DABRA Budget

In Congressese a cut is money that isn't spent.....so revealed by the Washington Post and using such rabbits-from-the-hat fudging, the reported 38 billion budget reduction morphs into just 358 million. Ah such wand waving. graysmoke

REAGAN LEGACY REVISITED

Skimpy air controller coverage, inherited from the Reagan years, just doesn't fit today's increased traffic up there in the wild blue yonder. I doubt that it is willful sleepiness that has cause the recent spate of incidents, more likely exhaustion. graysmoke

RyanCare

So.. Mr. Ryan thinks the health insurance corporations are going to insure us? I would wager that 97% of seniors over the age of 78 have multiple conditions that would eliminate them from ever being considered for coverage. We may have histories of cancer, cardiac disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary diseases, high blood pressure, DVT, asthma, allergies, you name, some in this cohort will have probably more than one condition that would cause the insurers to deny coverage. Mr. Ryan is just plain crazy. Medicare works like a co-op for us, we pay into it in our healthy years and hopefully many years even after sixty-five before the degenerative diseases or those caused by unhealthy life styles catch up with most everyone.I am certain in my case that I would not be insurable at this point in my life and probably haven't been for since diagnosed in 2003 with mycobacterium avium/intercellulare plus two types of bronchiectasis complicated by episodic hemoptysis. Where on earth has Ryan been? graysmoke

RyanCare

DIE! graysmoke

POLITICAL EXTORTION

What a farce.........the T-Potty-ers are practicing tyranny by minority and Speaker Beast Boehner is totally cooperative in this tragedy. I am hoping that President Obama vetos any bill with social agenda riders. Call the bluff, if they persist and the government is shut down perhaps they will all go jump into Boston Harbor. (Wishful thinking!) It seems we will find out if the Democrats have the spine to resist this --- frankly I have just a tiny hope that they will finally realize that giving in to the beast only perpetuates tyranny. Why are the extremists behaving this way. My read is that they are terrified that President Obama will be elected for a second term and that politicking in this manner lessens that prospect, but I think it will just backfire. Watch out for we independents --- our numbers are getting stronger and stronger and I don't think we will lack spine come the next national election cycle. graysmoke

PHARMA RIP-OFF

I have the misfortune of being a respiratory patient with uncommon lung diseases of bronchiectasis and mycobacterium avium-intercellulare and because of those I must use a daily inhaler. The cost has escalated to where I am forced to global shop for affordability reasons and even if that weren't the case I would do it because I view the retail pricing in the United States as legalized robbery. Given that the pharma lobby prevailed when the Part D legislation was railroaded through the House of Representatives by Tom DeLay, and no negotiation on pricing was permitted, there seems to be little hope for patients to afford the necessary medications. Here is what makes me angry. A widely used inhaler containing a minute amount of tiotropium bromide in a capsule retails US for $247.99 - my Plan D carrier charges $195.56 - the plan pays $153.56 and I co-pay $42.oo - this is for a months supply. Boehringer Ingelheim manufactures it in Germany and here it is marketed by them and Pfizer. I can purchase this same drug for $9.90 for a months supply manufactured by a well known FDA approved facility in a foreign country and supposedly this is a gray area legally, buying online from an offshore supplier. But if all the major corporations shop globally for parts or off source the manufacturing - then why should a private citizen be denied the same option? I maintain that if there were ever a class action legal test that there could not be this distinction and discrimination or protection for pharma scamming the other patients that are unaware of this. Now I can fume and vent but not much else. (And yes, I have corresponded with my senator and representative about this.) This is also the case with other more commonly scripted drugs, I could use Lipitor as an example too. But I can refuse to feel like an unconvicted criminal. Bah-humbug!! And shame on Congress and the lobbyists for kowtowing to those that fund their re-elections. Democracy, anyone???????? graysmoke