From the Citizen and Soldier side: I made a little promise to myself that my blog would not get involved in things I have no direct experience or knowledge of....like politics. My opinion of politics are: Anybody who runs for any office is out for something....and no matter what they do, there will always be somebody who hates them for it. Those are sometimes the same people who bitch about everything.... you know the ones who if the won the lottery, they'd bitch about having to pay taxes.
There are a few things that I do love about this country...the freedom to say what you want. Nobody is going to throw you in prison for complaining about the government, or bitching about the stuff congress does that you don't like. Complain all you want...because along with the fact you have that freedom...the fact is nobody really gives a shit.
I've been to a few countries whilst serving in the US Army. In some of those countries I witnesses first hand what free medical care did for the citizens. In the truly free and modern countries, if a citizen was injured, an ambulance would come and take them to the hospital without question. In the countries recovering from the communist days, or some screwed up ruler, the free medical care required a bribe to the doctor and hospital staff to actually get treatment.
As most Americans know, while serving in the military, a service member is provided free medical care. Sometimes that may be a full hospital, and in a war zone it may be whatever the medic happens to have in his aid bag. But it's free... so you can't bitch, right? Those in the Reserves/ National Guard don't get free medical care except when they're on active duty.....however, they can now pay to have medical coverage! And it's pretty cheap.
The question I have now: How many of you reading this blog have free medical care? I mean it is provided by some sort of government employer or a private business you work for?
How many of you reading this pay for your medical care out of your paycheck each month?
11 comments:
What's this 'free' you are talking about? Is there such a thing?
...wait....wait... more to follow....
I pay for my employer's semi provided Blue Cross n Shield. The nearly 100 a month hurts but no where near as much as no insurance or some friend's 'work insurance' costs.
Good question. I pay for my private insurance, which is not that great at covering my needs, so I also pay doctor bills whenever I or my family members need care.
On the other hand, whenever I needed an MRI I have gotten one within a few days. I get all the lab tests I need. I generally get the care I feel is required.
I was on fertility charting websites these past 5 years, posting with a bunch of women from other countries, mostly Canada, the UK and Australia. And lots of Americans. The Canadians, Brits and Aussies complained about having LONG waits to even see a doctor, they had an awful time getting the GP to agree to refer them to a specialist. Then good luck getting the lab tests/blood work or fertility meds. Even something so simple as a progesterone pill to prevent repeated miscarriages was denied in those countries. So while I haven't "lived" it, I have, in a way. Day-to-day sharing of life stories over the years with candid lady friends on the internet paints a picture. There were NO political discussions on these forums (with the exception of the month prior to a major election). So politics did not motivate the ladies to share or not to share their experiences.
I'm so scared, Roller Dude. Obama is talking about slamming through a bill in the next 2 weeks that will substantially wipe out 17% of the American economy. All this at a time of great economic crisis. Is he DAFT? Why does this have to happen this week if at all?
By the way, I just noticed you have me on your blogroll. I will add you to my blogroll as well. Thank you for your heartfelt comments of late. Much appreciated.
Thanks for the feed back... I'm still gathering "intel" for my next post.
Yo dude, you did some time at ft huachuca, my favorite assignment during my army years 63-67. Sierra Vista was a bump in the road back then.
I pay for mine through my work and it is pretty good insurance.
My insurance is "free" but I work for my family's company so there are some weeks when I have to double check to see if I can cash my paycheck... it's a trade-off, I guess
1. Tricare/VA/ other military medicine.
2. Things were okay until OIF and OEF casualties started pouring in.
3. Now the facilities are strained.
4. Geezers like me who are stable and just need maintenance must take a back seat to the young vets whose requirements are urgent and immediate.
5. The military has more resources, talented docs, etc.
6. The VA tries harder. VA docs tend to be foreigners of suspect ability or residents who will be moving on to more renumerative practices once their training has been completed.
7. That said, they do the best they can.
8. I am more comfortable -and certainly more welcome at VA.
9. The one area in which VA has more expertise than the miltary side is gerontology.
10. Go figure.
11. As time passes, that becomes more of an issue than ministering to the various nicks we've suffered while in service.
V/R J West
Thank you all for your comments on this topic. I am still doing some intel gathering...
It costs me $500 a month to pick up a Cobra plan. I can't afford the deductable to actually use it for anything meaningful. I just have to keep paying it so I don't lose it altogether...
The med plan the school I worked for "provided" basic care for "only" $400 a month.
Maybe I should enlist.
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