Mass. vs. Medicaid Mess

[JR Alessi]

Al,

What do we say and to whom? I think the first thing we as the
disabled, and those who work with us, must do is to let our
representatives know we're here. Offer to consult with these
representative on these issues. If your state offers a tax
deferred personal medical savings plan I suggest everyone begin
contributing to it. Ask your representative to compose or support
legislation that the states and the federal government share tax
revenues to insure the future of medical programs and coordinate
benefits with private insurers. Ask for legislation forcing
private insurers to offer sufficient coverage that includes
Prosthetics. It can be done.

   If we consider the birth date of perhaps 1948 to be the bulk of
the baby boom then we have about ten years before we reach a total
medical catastrophe in this country. It may seem odd but it's true
that a person can be a multi millionaire and still receive a
monthly Social Security stipend along with his Medicare at age 65.
It was never based on need but maturity. We have guys like Jack
Welsh, former CEO for Ge with a reported net worth of over 450
million and a monthly income of 1.4 million collecting $1500 a
month from SS along with his medicare.

   Of course we all look at our personal needs as the most
important but in the grand scheme of things prosthetics actually
takes up a very small amount of resources. Just a few percent.
Compare the cost of a limb with say a Stem Cell Transplant to cure
someone's cancer at a cost of half a million dollars. Each! Or a
single Arterial Bypass which starts at 120 Thousand. Each! Now
look at the thousands of Americans advancing on that age bracket
and needing these treatments to survive. Each and every one of
them Entitled to the care. Priority's will be made. The cost will
be incalculable.

   There is no way the states can handle that kind of burden.
States have no authority to regulate costs. They will have to
place some of this back on the Fed. The fed has the power to
regulate health care costs however no one can hold a gun to the
doctors heads and force them to accept the assignments. Even now
we see doctors and other medical suppliers refusing the
reimbursements both Federal and State. Or accepting the
assignments as only partial payment.

  I don't think the Empire is nearly ready to fall. At least not
in our life time. Tell your representatives that as a nation our
priorities must change to focus on the needs of the people. lets
go ahead and conquer what's left of the world and get this over
with within the next ten years.

Strength and Honor Al,

Joe Alessi (R.I.B.)