...BECAUSE I'M PARAPHRASING HOW I UNDERSTOOD WHAT I HEARD.
I was watching Laura Ingraham tonite who was sitting in for Bill O'Reilly (yeah, I watch The Factor sometimes). Tonite it was particularly interesting because Laura had a guest on and they were talking about the health-care bill and something in it about old folks like me. If this passes (which in some form or another, it will, eventually), they want a mandatory meeting for old folks with a government representative. I didn't catch at what point an old person gets their first visit. But the purpose of the visit was the thing that had warning bells and whistles going off in my brain.
It appears that this government rep will come and discuss with old people (like Social Security recipients, I suppose), the rationale behind their health and the care they are receiving to see if they are making the best choices. And they may need to evaluate the fact that they don't have much time left, and they'd had a good life and so.... "Ding, ding, ding!" soooo...they should consider putting themselves under Hospice care rather than spending money on healthcare. I suppose the government rep will have this handy dandy little list of things that helps determine the quality of life an old person has.
Laura was pretty upset. She said she didn't want some rep coming in and interviewing her 83 year-old dad and telling him he needed to just accept he'd had a good life. The gal she was interviewing had a rather condescending expression (in my biased opinion) as she told Laura that it was up to her father and not her what he did. Ah..."Ding...Ding...Ding". I see. So the rep will talk to the old folks and their family members won't have any say-so in the matter. Ah...the good old national healthcare system. Won't it be wonderful? We'll just bump off advise the Social Security recipients. We'll explain how they'd be better off and so would their families and all the young people in America, if they'd just step aside and go on to Gloryland as the better choice for all concerned. And I suppose if the old person doesn't agree, the health-care system can just cut off their dialysis treatment and blood pressure medicines and chemo. I'm just guessing though....don't quote me.
Hey, that would take care of the Social Security going bankrupt, now wouldn't it? If all of we baby-boomers (especially those of us who are struggling financially), were to step aside for the good of the younger generation? (Surely we can see how much better that would be for our grandchildren's benefit). Then Social Security could be solvent again. And no one would have to pay for our healthcare, either. Hmmmmn.
I'm getting cynical in my old age, folks. Downright cynical. selahV
