This is the group that will be regulating your health care

 

A 2005 federal study found that the U.S. had virtually no affordable housing for the deaf. So the federal government helped build Apache ASL Trails, a 75-unit apartment building in Tempe, Ariz., designed specifically for the deaf. Ninety-percent of the units are currently occupied by deaf and deaf-blind seniors. But now, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development says Apache ASL Trails violates civil rights law - because it shows a preference for the hearing-impaired. "A preference or priority based on a particular diagnosis or disability and excluding others with different disabilities is explicitly prohibited by HUD's Section 504 regulations," says a HUD memo about the project. "There is no legal authority contained in any of Apache Trails funding to permit such a priority or preference."

So HUD is trying to eliminate the housing by forcing Arizona, at a facility with 75 units designed for the deaf, to limit the number of units for hearing impaired residents to 18.

"C'mon! What's'a'matter with 'ya?... 'Ya nuts?!"
- Moe

This goes to the heart of the concerns expressed by the Affordable Health Care Act's opponents - the government cannot properly manage it's current obligations so why would they ever place the health and care of their bodies in the hands of the government's minions?

Any of you who have experienced the helplessness and fear when an insurer denies health care might welcome a mediator or advocate to bring balance and support to the patient, and that is how the Affordable Health Care Act was sold. But consider for a moment combining the power of the insurer to give or refuse care with the bureaucracy of your local Department of Motor Vehicles, Drivers License Division... one can easily imagine questionable decisions being made by low level auditors in the Cincinnati office (wait, was that the IRS profiling?) or action delayed (by whom, we may never know - remember Benghazi?) in providing care due to improper paperwork. The size and complexity of this program means the opportunities for breakdown are limitless.

Oxycontin is a class IV drug meaning it is regulated in ways that other drugs are not. Bet you didn't even know we had a Federal Office of Diversion Control!

My late wife, Terri, was prescribed Oxycontin for pain while undergoing a brutal regiment for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Considering her prognosis, her doctors were liberal with their pain management - as they should have been - so over time, as her condition deteriorated her prescribed dosage increased. Following a particularly difficult week of radiation to the brain in conjunction with chemotherapy, her dosage was increased and a new prescription issued on a Friday afternoon. If you have ever gone to get your driver license on Friday afternoon then I'm sure you know where this is going. The pharmacist could not get authorization for the increase because at 4:15pm the only insurance company representative apparently authorized to give approval was gone for the day (weekend - only us peasants work on weekends). To make matters worse, the increase coincided with her normal refill date so she had just enough medication for the day under the new dosage. Following a short profanity laced, accusatory tantrum by none other than yours truly, the pharmacist gave me enough medication for Terri to make it through the end of the day on Monday allowing the insurance company to get back to their job of taking care of their customers. For the record, I apologized for my explosion. Just to be kind to the pharmacist, because I wasn't really sorry and have not forgotten the bureaucratic obstacles and lack of compassion displayed by everyone except the pharmacist.

I wonder if that pharmacist would make the same decision today considering the penalties and other new regulatory consequences provided for not following the rules under the Affordable Care Act?

Another interesting variable in the overall Affordable Health Care Act ponsy scheme came to light today. Like Social Security, the health care laws success is contingent upon young healthy members enrolling and paying premiums. The fact that they will not be utilizing many services allows their contributions to fund the services provided to our aging population. And our non-contributing population. We learned today that 15% of America's young adult population, age 16-24, those required to participate in the new health care law if it is to work, are currently not attending school and are not working. Hard for them to pay premiums under those circumstances.

Ponsy scheme's only work when another sucker comes along to participate. Today's youth apparently are not the rubes the health care act's architects thought they were. They know a free ride when they see one!

And I can't help but thinking those same young adults view our government the way they view the 3 Stooges. Old and no longer relevant. Not so funny when you think about it like that.