Author: Elena

Had the husband not lost  his job, would he have joined the armed forces?  I highly doubt it.  Apparently he had always wanted to join, so in some ways, this story is not necessarily an unhappy ending.  However,  there are THOUSANDS of Americans in just this dire predicament, uninsured, sick, and without health insurance, because they have been jobless for an extended period of time.  This couple has been married more than two decades and yet she will find herself, fighting this very deadly cancer, without her loving husband.

For those of you who still think that insurance coverage denial is simply few and far between, here is ANOTHER outrageous story. I truly believe, once again, those opposed to insurance reform have simply NEVER been faced with serious health challenges. Is it just me, am I the confused one about the purpose of health insurance? Isn’t insurance meant to cover you when you are SICK? How many other rape victims have suffered this same “pre-existing” reason for coverage being dropped?

When Christina Turner feared she had been sexually assaulted after two men drugged her drink in a bar, she did what most women facing that situation would do. She turned to her doctor, who prescribed a month’s worth of anti-AIDS medicine to be on the cautious side.

Only afterward did she learn that her choice left her with a “pre-existing” condition that had made her practically uninsurable.The episode started when Turner accepted drinks from the men at a bar in Fort Lauderdale. She passed out and later woke up lying beside a road with cuts and bruises that pointed to a rape or a sexual assault.

Fortunately, Turner did not contract HIV, and remains free of HIV infection. However, a few months she lost her health coverage. When she sought new coverage, she was told that her treatment raised too many potential issues.

Turner, 45, worked previously as a health insurance underwriter herself, and said the insurance companies naturally checked her health records. Even after she explained the sexual assault and the precautionary nature of the treatment, the insurers declined to sell her a policy, saying that the HIV medication made her too risky. The company told her they might reconsider the decision if she could show she was still free of HIV in three or more years.

I am beginning to believe that the most adamant voices against insurance reform must be healthy individuals. Written on a inner office e-mail, this human being, who fights daily to survive and thrive despite his disability, is likened to a “dog”. Gaurdian Insuracne Company contemplates dropping an entire population just to get rid of this person and a few other sick individuals.

Good Lord, how many more examples do people need before they finally admit that MAJOR insurance reform is needed. First there was a baby that was too “fat” now we have a two year old that is too skinny and denied coverage by insurance. People should be able to buy, maintain, and expect affordable health-care!

When Aislin’s father, Rob, worked for another company, Aislin was covered under the company’s group health insurance plan.

Now that Rob is working on his own, he’s had to get new insurance. The company, UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule, sent the family a letter, which says in part, “We are unable to provide coverage for Aislin because her height and weight do not meet our company standards.”

“It took me by surprise,” said Rob Bates. “I didn’t think that her size was that abnormal and that it was something that you’d consider to be unhealthy.”

Mandating people be covered widens the risk pool, creating more funds for insurance companies, not just “sick” people, but healthy people too will be required to purchase coverage.

However, this pending legislation can’t just be a slam dunk for insurance companies, now reveling in all their new potential customers, there must be REAL competition and the public option infuses just that paradigm. Congress can legislate all the regulations they want, but until there is forced competition, health care costs will not substantially decrease.

People from South Carolina must be mortified these days by their GOP leadership. Can you fathom actually saying that out loud and believing it would be seen as a compliment? Do these GOP Chairmen not know that there are factions of people that believe Jews control the worlds wealth and are the evil incarnate?

As quoted from these two men, I kid you not.

South Carolina Republicans found an unfortunate way to praise their U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, extolling how, like wealthy Jews, the senator is “watching our nation’s pennies.”

That description came in an op-ed over the weekend written for The Times and Demcorat of Orangeburg by a pair of county GOP chairmen, Edwin Merwin and James Ullmer. The chairmen’s opinion piece was first flagged online by the liberal tpm.com.

“There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves,” the two wrote.

Poor Senator DeMint, through no fault of his own, has been caught up in this luncacy! His response was excellent!

DeMint, who is up for reelection next year, said, “I just read the op-ed last night and the comments were thoughtless and hurtful. The chairmen have apologized as they should have.”

This, THIS is what is wrong with insurance today!  When I read this story I was truly shocked. My son was a chunky jovial healthy baby, and he also was approximately 17 lbs at four months.  Although the insurance company eventually acquiesced and covered the baby, that they even DARED to deny at all should outrage us all. Why should it require media attention for American citizens to obtain decent health care coverage.

From the Manassas Journal Messenger today:

Prosecutors in Prince William County have dropped loitering charges against four Hispanic men after the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the case.

The men were arrested in May outside an apartment complex where they lived. The ACLU said the county’s ordinance is used to target Hispanics and that it infringes on First Amendment protections of free assembly.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert said he believes the loitering law is constitutional. But it also requires police to give offenders a warning before an arrest, and that didn’t occur in this case.

The county in recent years has implemented numerous policies to crack down on illegal immigrants. Critics say that has resulted in discrimination against Hispanics.

Who would have believed that Silver Lake was home to a globally rare forest. I was privileged to be a part of that discovery. It was amazing, to see that little old PWC is home to such a unique asset. Prince William Conservation Alliance has a very expansive story on the find. The Park Authority has truly shown leadership in its endeavor to take advantage of local expertise found in our environmental groups, such as PWCA and the PW Wildflower Society in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of what Silver Lake has to offer within its boundaries.

The most important find on the site is the forest stand on the northeastern portion of the property (possibly extending to the northwestern portion) on what is labeled as the “School Site.” This forest stand is Diabase Flatwoods, a globally rare forest community that occurs only in northern Virginia and central Maryland.

There is meeting tonight, Tuesday, October 6th, at Mountain View Elementary, 7:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for citizens to comment on what they would like to see happen at Silver Lake. Although citizens have already spent the last two years, overwhelmingly supporting passive recreation such as hiking, fishing, swimming, camping, boating, and other non intensive uses, this is another chance to ensure that this unique asset is preserved for generations to come!

If you can’t make it to the meeting, you can e-mail the park authority with your comments.

Yes, I will admit it, I watched/listened to several hours of debate on CSPAN. Anyone who really wants to understand the process of legislation should watch. First, almost all the members, whether a D or an R debated with professionalism and respect. It came down to a difference in ideology and not who was a “real” patriot and who was not. I was truly impressed. This is what I learned. The Rockefeller Amendment was the public option and it failed 8-15, click here to read more.
What that simply means is that people could buy into Medicare if they so chose. It was NOT the same as an entitlement because you had to pay the entire cost. Now, CBO, said that initially there would be approximately 8 million participants, but within a few years, the total estimated number would go to 6 million. What the public option would do, is guarantee real competition. It isn’t enough to have the “exchange” model that this package is promoting. One thing ALL members agreed upon was that there needed to be REAL competition. Over half the states had only a few providers that would compete against each other, THAT is not true competition.

What blew me away was that even a few Republicans agreed that a “non profit” insurance company would be the key to bringing down prices. I believe it was Senator Rockefeller who replied “well, if we could water a public option like grass, and have it grow, that would be great, but that is NOT going to happen.”

“We need a public option to create competition and bring down costs,” said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who will bring up a separate public option amendment later in the committee markup.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that by 2015, about 8 million people would sign up for Rockefeller’s plan, though that number would decline as pay rates to medical providers rise above what Medicare pays after two years. Over 10 years, Rockefeller’s public option would save the federal government $50 billion, the CBO projects.

Medicare is unsustainable because of waste and skyrocketing health care costs. Bring down health care and you resolve a majority of that problem. Private Insurance companies had a net profit almost 500 billion dollars last year. Enough is enough.

Upon request, here is the meaning of Rosh Hashana.

Rosh HaShanah literally means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew. It falls in the month of Tishrei, which is the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. The reason for this is because the Hebrew calendar begins with the month of Nissan (when it’s believed the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt) but the month of Tishrei is believed to be the month in which God created the world. Hence, another way to think about Rosh HaShanah is as the birthday of the world.

Rosh HaShanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei. Jewish tradition teaches that during the High Holy Days God decides who will live and who will die during the coming year. As a result, during Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur (and in the days leading up to them) Jews embark upon the serious task of examining their lives and repenting for any wrongs they have committed during the previous year. This process of repentance is called teshuvah. Jews are encouraged to make amends with anyone they have wronged and to make plans for improving during the coming year. In this way, Rosh HaShanah is all about making peace in the community and striving to be a better person.

Even though the theme of Rosh HaShanah is life and death, it is a holiday filled with hope for the New Year. Jews believe that God is compassionate and just, and that God will accept their prayers for forgiveness.