Monday, March 17, 2008

It's so expensive because...

Making ends meet
Health care is the largest industry in Southern Oregon, so our hospitals' health matters to all of us, experts say. The simplest measure of financial well-being is whether you bring in more money than you pay out. On that score, Medford's two hospitals did OK in 2006 (the most recent year for which data is available), but Ashland Community Hospital paid out more for wages, supplies and equipment than it took in.

"As government-sponsored care reimbursement drops, it creates immediate and direct cost increases for commercial insurance," he said.

This "cost shift" represents about 15 percent of the cost of health insurance premiums. As premiums increase, some employers who are just hanging on tend to drop insurance coverage for their employees, sending more people into the ranks of the uninsured.

Thank you government. My premiums are subsidizing the plans that my taxes already pay for.

Standing in line for bread in the Soviet Union may get to be what we joke about while we are standing in line for our health care someday. Investors will not prop up a failing bussiness model but in this case the model may be sound but government comes in as says YOU MUST accept these prices. (anyone tried to negotiate paying a lower cost or going somewhere else to "buy" their drivers license?)

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

does anyone else find Daniel's "musings" increasingly convoluted and incoherent? Is there an actual point or argument to be found here?

OregonGuy said...

(Laughs out loud.)

Anon-

This is a weblog. It's Daniel's web diary. I have one, too. I write to please myself, no one else. There are times when my remarks are intemperate. There are times when my remarks are incoherent. More probable, there are times when my "musings" are convoluted.

When I work, I make sure that these failings are absent the final work product. The freedom of a web diary is that such failings aren't a necessary evil. What is more important to me is to get the raw gut of a writer. Often times I read and leave. Sometimes, like this time, I'll leave a comment.

When I cruise through my morning list of weblogs I often stop by here. Sometimes I get a little mortar for the wall. Sometimes not.

You would do well to sit back and relax. If I want polished writing I'll grab a book. If I want to hear someone's take on a current topic, I'll hit the weblogs. Opinions can be messy things. So can sex. But that fact probably won't deter anyone.

Anonymous said...

Bloggers are so fucking full of themselves.

Most political-type blogs written by a lone individual are little more than an opportunity for cape wearing morons to showcase their enormous egos.

Listen to Oregonguy:

"when I work"
"final work product"
"the raw gut of a writer"

Raw gut of a writer? ROTFLMAO. This gives you a big clue of the inflated sense of importance their very own blog can give a certain type of person who, out in the real world is probably a little bit of a pipsqueak, hence the cape (and probably tights too).

Only the vast, wide open space of the internet is large enough for their egos. When they're at home their ego takes up so much space they have to go outside just to change their mind (and adjust their tights).

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:57-

What the hell are you talking about? Don't try to make an argument where there is none. I think Daniel is as big of an idiot as the next guy, but I think oregonguy hit it on the head. Plus, you never know. He could be a professional writer (I write for a living myself).

Anonymous said...

Anon 157: If you don't like what the various and sundry bloggers are posting here and on other similar sites, why do you bother reading them? No one is forcing you to log into the various blog sites so maybe it would be better for your peace of mind and your obviously convoluted sense of purpose if you would give up your constant ranting against just about everyone has to say here.

We would all be better off, would you not agree?

I didn't think so.

Oh well - - - - -

Anonymous said...

Daniel, quick question here, I think I may have missed something: When was the last time you bitched about the cost to American taxpayers of the war in Iraq?

Anonymous said...

Anon 529:

You seem to assume that Anon 157 is one person. You accuse he/she of "constant" ranting. How do you know it's constant. Maybe this is the first time they have ever posted a comment. Or do you really think Anon is just one person? LOL.

Anonymous said...

And I agree with Anon 157. You are full of yourself. And you are a pipsqueak, I've seen you live and in action.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I think Anon IS one person. Which means that Daniels bleego is visited by exactly 6 people. Which means his bleego isnt very popular at all, it's just the same 6 people visiting many times a day. Unfortunately, every time they visit, it creates a "hit" which makes it look like this bleego is WAY more popular than it really is. Oh well...Im sure Daniel is aware of it.

Anonymous said...

Given that we appear to be on the brink of a severe recession in the wake of nearly a decade's worth of conservative fiscal policy-making, does it make any sense whatsoever to believe that conservative opinions - be they articulated by W or Miglavs - about fiscal matters have any merit whatsoever?

It seems the proof is in the pudding.

No doubt, though, that the right will somehow pin this mess on liberals, even though the store's been "minded" by the Republicans.

Anonymous said...

OK, Anon709: So Anon 157 is more than one person, according to my naysayers. Are all the other Anons that are supposedly linked with 157 all in the same room consolidating their ideas that are against just about everything posted here. But then we should wonder how big that room is to hold that many Anons. And how many people named Anon 157 does it take to type the group consensus handed down by all the other Anon 157s? Probably all of them.

Your assertion that Anon157 is more than one person is just plain dumb.

Anonymous said...

Hello? Did I say Anon 157? No, I said Anon. As in any person who visits this blog and uses "Anonymous." Anon 529 clearly assumes that Anon 157 "constantly"
rants. How does Anon 529 know this, when Anon 157 clearly is anonymous. How does Anon 529 know when Anon 157 is posting? If anon 529 doesnt know which anon is ranting, how does he know Anon 157 does anything "constantly?" He doesnt! Get it?

Anonymous said...

If Daniel got rid of the ability to post using Anon, this blog would consist of 5 or 6 regulars. Daniel won't get rid of the "Anon" option because he knows if he did, the truth would be revealed. Anon is indeed, two or three people who visit this blog over and over and over again artificially pitting one anon against another or artificially whipping up assorted posters within the space of one day, making it appear that this blog is one of Oregon's most popular. Daniel knows if he takes away the "anon" option, that his blog hits would immediatley slow to a trickle.