No kidding... Life is totally not fair. Here I am looking at all these cute dolls and wanted to fix her hair up all pretty... She doesn't want any dolls and threatens to run away if I touch her hair *sigh...

ROFL, sounds like you didn't need the list! Of course I did it now, I did it when people started bugging me :) Plus do you have any idea how hard it is to pin Nina down to what she wants? LOL, no "I want this, and this and this" just doesn't happen. How is everyone doing?

This is just a word press blog that I forget to type in all the time now :D

Where is "Christ" really at in Christmas anyway? It is highly unlikely that it is the time of year of the birth of Jesus, Santa has nothing to do with Jesus, Yule has nothing to do with it, a "Christmas tree" is a tradition that also has nothing to do with Jesus... So where exactly would he fit into Christmas?

Christmas to this atheist is simple; it a called Christmas because it is easier than terming it something else, it is a time that my family gives gifts to each other in to show we care, and it is a time where annoying each other with extra time spent together as we are all home for an extended period of time. :P

Honestly anyone that says we need to put the "Christ" back into Christmas doesn't understand the history of the celebration, and doesn't recognize that it is, was, and always will be a pagan holiday. If they chose to set that day to recognize Jesus, good for them, but don’t tell me that it is the “right” way. After all it wasn’t even their holiday to begin with, and they “stole” the traditions of others…

*Sigh at the Christian nation…

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, life has been a bit hectic. Everything is OK, not great but OK. Summer did seem to fly by. The girls will get out there, Nina actually drives me crazy about it quite often. I just haven't felt well for quite a while, which makes it hard to want to go and do anything. Working on my school stuff still, that is about it. The girls are too. Seems like after school is done with there isn't much time left over. I accidently took two writing classes this semester though, which is most likely why. :)

Anyway, we will get the girls out there. Not sure when, but we will :) Hope everything is going good for you!

rofl

I am going to attempt to go into this reinsurrance without rambling. Before I do note that this is the first time I have heard of it, and I only read the links provided (as well as the links those provided) on the subject. To say it bluntly, I don't like it.

The major reason is because of cost. If the trends in income and the trends in insurance premiums continue, the middle class will become the poor. This is one of the major reasons that fixing health insurance is important for all of us, not just families like mine. Some of it can't be helped, as some things are expensive and that is the way it is. However, with the amount of money that individual people are making from the health insurance industry we can bring some of those costs down. The incentives aren't there to do so as it is.

The incentives for the insurance companies are simply to make money. Even providing that they would help pay for the risk pool that is explained (could happen) in the reinsurrance, it would be in actuality making those that do not qualify for the pool to pay. Since the incentive is there for the cash rather than the health, I don't see a program like this working, at least not long term.

Don't get me wrong I am in favor of health care reform, but I think the best way to do it is to be honest, and that includes keeping the cost in mind. This is one of the major drawbacks of the way it is, and the idea that Obama has. Obama's plan will be cheaper than the "status quo" but it is not by any means cost efficient.

The way things are set up right now we actually already pay enough money for every single person in America to be covered under a government plan. However, the rising costs (much of which comes from the practices of the insurance companies) must brought under control. There isn't ENOUGH incentive for the insurance companies to negotiate for lower prices. I know that innovation is in part created by money, and in part by necessity. However, there is NO WAY in heck that my daughters medication costs more than a few dollars to produce, thus for things like that a price that is acceptable to both the drug companies and the insurance company needs to be addressed.

There are many different ways that we can lower the costs, some making bigger differences than others. However, the MAJOR thing we can do if we want to keep our free market (which I do not, but it appears that about 35% - you know the majority ;) do) is to have this public option that the president is trying to sell us on.

Now there will be problems (some foreseen and some not foreseen), but it is the only viable solution. The other one that has been proposed is to allow insurance companies to go across state lines, which causes its own set of problems. (If my insurance is from a different state whos laws do they have to conform to? If they don't do what they have to which government keeps them accountable for their actions?)

So in short, do you have any ideas for bring down costs? There are small common sense things of course, but I mean in a big way. (Small things = electronic records, not redoing the same tests repeatedly and so on.)

rofl... that is what i get for trying to read and watch TV at the same time. still a good word for single payer.

I shouldn't admit what I am about to admit. Your thoughts on pre-existing conditions are right on... Business wise you are completely correct, and that is the way it is...

However, this is one of the reasons that I am in favor of a single payer plan, I don't think that health care should be a commodity, and thus I don't think that health care should thought of or dealt with in a business type manner. I see health care as an essential. I am not talking about all procedures, and think that the insurance market should be there for specific things. Not just nose jobs, but elective surgery (to a degree) and so on. However, things like my daughters conditions (AutoImmune Hemolytic Anemia) should be taken care of without the business end.

My daughter takes chemo pills at a cost of $350 per month (at this time, dosages change, and if she goes into remission she might not have to take them for a while.) Without the medication her white blood cells kill her red blood cells, therefore, without the medication she would die. (Admitted to the hospital last year when diagnosed with a red blood cell count under 4.) That kind of thing shouldn't be a business, as it is life or death. Anything that is life or death shouldn't be a commodity.

My own problem isn't life or death, it is uncomfortable and it makes it so I can't be a productive member of society, and I am not sure if I would even take it far enough to extend to my condition. However, in the cases like my daughter I would.

Hopefully that makes sense... :)

Very true. We all know that stealing is wrong, but people can talk themselves into believing it is OK because of their situation. (Watched a special on it, and while some people just will steal because they don't care, most actually make themselves believe that they have no choice in their current situation.) It is the same type of thing, and while we all know that we don't have to have this and that to survive, we can convince ourselves that it is a need.

Which is why we have laws to make this illegal, regulations need to be in place. Like all things in life there has to be a balance, as to many regulations aren't good, but there is a "right" amount. I am not an expert so I don't know what that right amount is, but I do know there is a balance. To many laws (or regulations) doesn't work, and not enough doesn't work either...

I have read, and asked several people to read the current stuff on the table, and as is we would both be covered. There would be an out of pocket expense (as should be for this type of reform, nothing for free), but it would be reasonable as it is based on your income.

(LOL, you write as well on your blackberry as I do on my on screen keyboard!)

Anyway, I am not sure why she doesn't think she would be covered on the proposed stuff, but most likely it isn't true. The reason I say that is because everyone will be as it sits. (Although it isn't done, and I have no idea how it will change.) Plus she won't loose her current insurance with the reforms that are on there.

My daughter will loose her insurance because she will become an adult the way it is currently set up. I do not have insurance and haven't had insurance in my adult life, as I am "uninsurable" because of my problems. I do use the term loosely as I can get insurance, but it is basically crap and doesn't cover anything. (Which makes no sense to buy.)

Anyway, if you could find out why she doesn't think she would be included in the proposed plan I would love to look up and see if it is true or not. (Which means if you can give me more details I would be more than willing to do the research.) I am biased because of my own situation, but I will not lie for it. It isn't a perfect idea, but it is a start... :)