The Towers at Salem Hospital

I went for a checkup this week and the Doctor seemed concerned and wanted to observe me in a hospital setting for a few days. I refused because I have high deductibles in my health coverage and an 80-20 plan. I also pay out of pocket for my wife’s care and premiums all from a small pension. Needless to say I have burnt through a lot of savings.  I refused and the Dr. convinced me to travel STAT to the local hospital for a CAT scan and blood work. I agreed to go because I just became eligible for Medicare part A and outpatient costs have a lower out of pocket expense.  There were not a lot of patients there and I observed a lot of x-ray tecnicians lying around because of lack of work.

There seems to be a trend that a lot of people, with insurance, are not using the system as much as they did because of reduced coverage and higher costs.  I know it is true in my case my wife and I have to pay almost $11,000 out of pocket before our INS starts to kick in.  The passage of the ACA has helped a little because a lot of tests are now covered at 100%.

I wrote a post last week that if Romney wins in November big changes are coming to our safety net. If Obama wins the obstruction in Congress will continue for another four years and then the Republicans will surly take over and things will finally go their way in their quest to create a two class society.

I noticed that our little hospital in Salem was undergoing a huge construction project. After asking around I found out that they were in the process of building a large tower of private rooms to accommodate wealthy people who could afford the difference between what Medicare would pay in the future and what their bill would be. The hospital seems to know that in the near future the bulk of their business will come from people that have money and the hospital wants to be ready to service them.

This ,my friends, is what a voucher system to Medicare will do to coverage. A $7,000 coupon will help the rich pay their INS premiums while a $7,000 voucher will not do a thing for the poor and middle class. They will not be able to pay the difference between $7,000 and a 12-15 thousand policy. The result would be a lack of medical services to the lower economic class.

Health care in the future is being crafted to take care of the upper class. There will be better care, better rooms and a lot more donated organs from the middle class and poor who will be excluded from quality care and therefor die early. What a bunch of sucker we are. The facts are staring us in the face and still hordes of us will vote to cut our own throat. It's not like Mr. Ryan and Romney are keeping their plans hidden. They are telling us what they plan to do and yet their support among working people stays strong. I just shake my head everyday.