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Trump Doesn't like Vaseline

Here is why I don’t think Trump’s healthcare plan is excellent.

First let me start off by providing a little information so you can understand why I feel the way I do. I hate to break this to you guys, but America the Beautiful, is not so beautiful. I’m going to say something that’s going to ruffle a lot of feathers. But if you research what I say, you will find that I’m only stating facts. America, being the “greatest country on Earth,” just like a lot of other pseudofacts, is something that is fed to us in order to breed patriotism. Bottom line. Its a lie. 

Let’s start with health. Did you know America is the unhealthiest of all the rich countries in the world? We spend more money than the rest of the world combined on healthcare, yet we are the sickest. (Don’t start with that lie that we have the best doctors and best technology in the world, that’s another one of those pseudofacts). Yearly, America spends about $3 trillion on healthcare (fact check me because I’m going by memory on that number)!!!! So any country spending that amount of money on healthcare would be pretty healthy right? One big issue. Every single rich country in the world, except the United States, has universal healthcare. Taxes less than U.S. insurance premiums are deducted from payroll and employers pay a payroll tax that is less than group insurance so that each and every citizen can have health insurance. In other countries, health is a right, not a privilege. In America, health is a business. This is not the case anywhere else. Nowhere else is the pharmaceutical industry controlling the government. The government should be controlling Big Pharma, not the other way around. There is much much more to this story that you all should hear. Especially the part about how the richer you are, the healthier you will be and the poorer you are… well you know the rest. And before you ask “Why should I pay for someone else to have insurance,” maybe you should be asking why are you, a minion compared to anyone in the top 1%, even paying taxes, when most of them get away without paying a dime. But instead of holding the wealthy accountable, you want to point your finger at the poor and disenfranchised. Oh I get it. 

But let’s get to this Trump healthcare plan.

Trump #1
“Completely repeal Obamacare. Our elected representatives must eliminate the individual mandate. No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to.”

My opinion:
Ok. Let’s repeal and go with Bernie’s plan. Medicare for all.
But in reality, repealing Obamacare will cause millions of people who gained health insurance to now be uninsured. Obamacare expanded Medicaid, which gave the working poor an opportunity to have health insurance. What about the pre-existing conditions? What about your college students? What about… nevermind.

Trump #2.
“Modify existing law that inhibits the sale of health insurance across state lines. As long as the plan purchased complies with state requirements, any vendor ought to be able to offer insurance in any state. By allowing full competition in this market, insurance costs will go down and consumer satisfaction will go up.”

My opinion:
So there we go treating human life and health like it’s all part of business as usual. If this doesn’t change, it can only get worse. Government is controlling how much a medical provider charges for their services but fail to control insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies who are having their way with Americans in the worst way (with no Vaseline, might I add).  Let’s move on.

Trump #3.
“Allow individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns under the current tax system.”

My opinion:
Ok, if you want to go with this Trump plan, this could work.

Trump #4
“Allow individuals to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Contributions into HSAs should be tax-free and should be allowed to accumulate. These accounts would become part of the estate of the individual and could be passed on to heirs without fear of any death penalty. These plans should be particularly attractive to young people who are healthy and can afford high-deductible insurance plans. These funds can be used by any member of a family without penalty. The flexibility and security provided by HSAs will be of great benefit to all who participate.”

My opinion:
So here we’re saying these ridiculously high deductible plans are ok? You pay a monthly premium only to get sick and have to pay more because you didn’t reach your $5K deductible. Ummm…yeah. That’s great. I’ll keep paying you and use my own money to pay my doctor’s bill. Why have insurance again? Oh yeah!! That’s what kinda led us to this point huh? No point in having insurance so I’ll just go sit in the ER for my earache and let the hospital eat the cost.

Trump #5
“Require price transparency from all healthcare providers, especially doctors and healthcare organizations like clinics and hospitals. Individuals should be able to shop to find the best prices for procedures, exams or any other medical-related procedure.”

My opinion:
Here is the problem with #5. Doctor’s offices don’t actually make what you think they do. They have to count every penny and every dime. You know why?  Because Medicare and Medicaid also take delight in that no Vaseline idea. Most provider offices base their fees off of what Medicare will pay. Problem with that is that the number seems to get smaller every year. And Medicaid, pays half of half, which adds up to nothing. So you want to know what your doctor’s office charges?  Look at a Medicare fee schedule. Its all transparent.

Here is what Dan Calabrese had to say about #5 and I will tell how it makes no sense what-so-effing-ever.
“Another excellent feature is price transparency. Today, if you walk into a doctor's office and try to self-pay, they look at you like you're from another planet, and half the time they don't even know what things cost because everyone just figures insurance covers it, so who cares? If people don't understand how that drives up the cost of health care, they really need a crash course in basic economics.”

Back to me. You know why they seem like they don’t know? Its because they are trying to mentally calculate a lower price to a number that they think is affordable to you but still allows them to pay their staff. This effing guy should shut the eff up if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. How about he take a crash course in shut the …. Wait Wait!!! I almost went there. Back to Trump.

Trump #6
Block-grant Medicaid to the states. Nearly every state already offers benefits beyond what is required in the current Medicaid structure. The state governments know their people best and can manage the administration of Medicaid far better without federal overhead. States will have the incentives to seek out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve our precious resources.”

My Opinion
Now this is some “Bobby Jindal come eff my state with no Vaseline  ” BS right here!
Let me give a short little lesson here. The federal government provides funds to states through grants. The two grant types are Block and Categorical. Categorical grant, which Medicaid is under now, allows the federal government to say what the money goes to when they give it to the state. Block grants, however, is like your parents giving your 21 yr-old self a large sum of money and saying “I would like you to spend this in the area of entertainment for the month.” You may either be a good kid and spread your money equally throughout the month on wholesome activities, or you can Bobby Jindal it away at the strip club and realize mid month you have to close major hospitals (oops I mean you have to play Candy Crush). Hmmm…So lets leave Medicaid in the hands of crooked or even worse, clueless state politicians. How about…NO!

Trump #7
Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, reliable and cheaper products. Congress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America. Though the pharmaceutical industry is in the private sector, drug companies provide a public service. Allowing consumers access to imported, safe and dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to consumers.

My Opinion
LMBO, No ROTFL, Wait! KMSL
Big Pharma controls the government who controls the FDA who all would rather watch people spend years in jail for selling something that heals and treats many diseases because they haven’t yet figured out how to control the market (that might just be run-on sentence, but who cares). Congress doesn’t have the balls to step away from special interests. That ish is laughable. Though, it is a good thought.

Is Trump plan excellent? Far from it. But many of us will never know, because we have been taught that we live in the best country in the world. We have been conditioned to believe that freedom means capitalism, happiness comes in dollars, patriotism requires idolatry, and health… is a luxury; something that we can sacrifice if we have to pay our rent; something we can save our money to get; something we can show off to our friends; something we can get the most of…but only if we can afford to.


So its almost 1am. I'll post-read and edit tomorrow. 

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