Inadequate health coverage unfairly punishes

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

Every time you go to a boat show or marine supply store, you see it... the suffering on the faces of folks who see all these wonderful marine products on offer, but their health insurance will not cover the costs of vital equipment. So they continue with backbreaking work like raising the anchor without a windlass. We don't talk about it much, but I'm sure we all know people whose boats don't have roller furling... not even for the jib! There are folks out there sailing with horribly outdated navigation equipment, and plenty with no autohelm... imagine having to have somebody man the tiller or wheel at all times when underway! Some don't even have depth finders (well except the keel - that always finds one particular depth every time you reach it... oops). And who is so heartless that he doesn't feel the pain of sailors who have to crane their necks and bend their backs into uncomfortable positions so as to see to navigate because they can't afford sails with transparent windows sewn in for visibility? And how many people get skin cancer because their cockpit has no bimini to shade them from harmful UV rays? I estimate that fully 40% of yacht owners struggle financially as a result of government's policy not to require their health insurance to cover maintenance and equipment upgrades to their boats.

 

Annually, It can cost anywhere between 10 to 25 percent of the initial cost of a boat to maintain it in safe and serviceable condition. Over the course of a ten year ownership of a modest $100,000 sailboat, bare minimum maintenance costs can easily exceed another $100,000.

 

When a sailor buys a boat, he expects to be treated equally, to not have the government create untenable burdens that impede his yachting success. He expects his insurance should live up to the American way ...to meet all of his yachting needs.

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

OH.... pardon me, please. I should have posted this in issues and politics.

 

[Papadaddy]

I am writing my COngressmen and demanding that the government supply me with affordable car insurance. And I want gas and oil changes covered by insurance with no co-pay. I mean, have you seen the price of a gallon lately? And it's going to get worse. An oil change is preventive maintenance and it will prevent catastrophic bills later on. It's only right that they be covered!!! Transportation is a basic human right and it is unconscionable that I should have to pay for it out of my pocket. I mean, i have BILLS to pay...smartphones, satellite TV, Starbucks lattes every day! Just yesterday I had to pay $45 for a mani=pedi and that didn't even include nail art! This economy SUCKS. I demand relief from the Government. YOu can't get any car repairs done any more without costing an arm and a leg. I'm voting for CHANGE!

[JoeBob]

There's a guy mowing the grass next door wearing an Alabama t-shirt.

 

I am offended!

 

And his mower is loud and kicking up dust.

 

I pay taxes, dang it; so I want the US Army to send me a sniper to shoot this sum-gum.

 

And that sniper better have a silenced rifle, because loud noises disturb my gerbil.

[CalicoPenn]

Bad news for you yacht and sailboat owners. As part of a new emphasis on wellness, only certain types of boat will qualify for inclusion in health care insurance, namely Kayaks, Canoes and Rowboats. Any boat with a power source other than human labor, ie sail or motor, will be ineligible. An eligible boat will be made ineligible if the owner adds a sail or motor of any size, including electric trolling motor, and any benefits paid in the past will be revoked with re-payment to the US Treasury to be made within 30-days of conversion from human powered craft. Exceptions will only be made for those individuals who meet stringent disability guidelines (ie loss of limbs, paralysis, blindness) - obesity is specifically excluded as a disability, as is owning a boat in the first place.

 

To help those yacht and sailboat owners without windlasses, roller furling, autohelm, outdate navigation equipment, depth finders, bimini shades and transparent sails transition to a healthier boating lifestyle, the government will be offering a cash for clunkers program to remove these outdated boats from our waterways. The cash payment will be enough to cover the cost of one rowboat, one two-person canoe or two kayaks, your choice of style and color, and all the accessories needed to operate these boats. Owners will have to choose their purchase option at the time of clunker turn in. Also included in the payment is one case of SPF-30 sunblock and 2 tubes of Ben Gay to ease muscular distress which often occurs during the transition.

[packsaddle]

I'm ok with this Republican alternative:

 

Without adequate health care, no one can make full use of his or her talents and opportunities. It is thus just as important that economic, racial and social barriers not stand in the way of good health care as it is to eliminate those barriers to a good education and a good job.

Even though more Americans carry health insurance than ever before, the 25 million Americans who remain uninsured often need it the most and are most unlikely to obtain it. They include many who work in seasonal or transient occupations, high-risk cases, and those who are ineligible for Medicaid despite low incomes.

The comprehensive health insurance plan would offer to every American the same broad and balanced health protection. The benefits offered by the three plans would be identical for all Americans, regardless of age or income. There would be no exclusions of coverage based on the nature of the illness.

In addition, the plan would cover treatment for mental illness, alcoholism and drug addiction, whether that treatment were provided in hospitals and physicians' offices or in community based settings.

 

Certain nursing home services and other convalescent services would also be covered. For example, home health services would be covered so that long and costly stays in nursing homes could be averted where possible.

 

The health needs of children would come in for special attention, since many conditions, if detected in childhood, can be prevented from causing lifelong disability and learning handicaps. Included in these services for children would be:

--preventive care up to age six;

--eye examinations;

--hearing examinations; and,

--regular dental care up to age 13.

 

Under the plan, a doctor's decisions could be based on the health care needs of his patients, not on health insurance coverage. This difference is essential for quality care.

Every American participating in the program would be insured for catastrophic illnesses that can eat away savings and plunge individuals and families into hopeless debt for years. No family would ever have annual out-of-pocket expenses for covered health services in excess of $1,500, and low-income families would face substantially smaller expenses.

 

As part of this program, every American who participates in the program would receive a Health-card when the plan goes into effect in his State. This card, similar to a credit card, would be honored by hospitals, nursing homes, emergency rooms, doctors, and clinics across the country.

 

Every employer would be required to offer all full-time employees the insurance plan. Additional benefits could then be added by mutual agreement.

Comprehensive health insurance is an idea whose time has come in America.

 

There has long been a need to assure every American financial access to high quality health care. As medical costs go up, that need grows more pressing. The plan proposed today is, I believe, the very best way.

 

Seems reasonable to me....

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

"An eligible boat will be made ineligible if the owner adds a sail or motor of any size..."

 

hmmm.... I see a money making opportunity here... I want the govt contract to install, service, and monitor tracking devices to ensure that these vessels are always rowed or paddled upstream - to ensure no one is just riding with the current.

[JoeBob]

Hey Calico!

 

"obesity is specifically excluded as a disability, as is owning a boat in the first place.)

 

Are we saying that obese people can be their own boat?

 

;^)

[Papadaddy]

Pack...sounds good on its face. What is your source for that?

 

I think the Achilles heel is this, "Every employer would be required to offer this to all full time employees"...so instead of full time employees, he just hires part time...or goes out of business. We need to get away from this outdated model that healthcare is tied to employment. There is no reason that other groups can't bargain for insurance coverage, e.g., religious groups, fraternal groups (BSA?), employee unions, and other charities, such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, etc. The basic objection I have is the involvement of the Government, FORCING people and employers to do things. If cars become unaffordable, is it the Government's job to take over car dealerships?? No wait, bad example.

[packsaddle]

Richard Nixon. 1974. Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan.

I almost miss that guy.

[CalicoPenn]

I was guessing Teddy Roosevelt, but Nixon was my second choice.

 

 

Joe - I suppose that could be, though what I was really suggesting is that boat ownership is a form of mental disability since one would have to be somewhat delusional to want to own what is essentially a hole in the water that you pour money into.

[scoutingagain]

Couple of comments.

 

I go to boat shows to see what the 1% are buying. I'm one of the poor sailors still navigating with paper charts and a compass.

 

The big question Pack, does the plan cover birth control without a co-pay? I mean if a sailor's on his boat with poor navigational equipment, runs aground and finds himself with his significant other of childbearing age stuck for a while and doesn't want the risk of fathering another child, what's a poor sailor to do?

 

SA

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

" what's a poor sailor to do?'

 

In the words of the immortal Nancy Regan, "Just say no"

 

[packsaddle]

I guess the better question is..if the Viagra is covered why not the other pills? In 1998, within months of Viagra hitting the market, it was covered under health insurance plans. Do I need to quote Rush Limbaugh here?

 

Edit: I'll also add that those were the days of such Republican policies as wage and price controls, bombing countries that hadn't attacked us, the National 55mph speed limit, etc.

"gee, our old LaSalle ran great, those were the days!"(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[JoeBob]

Pack:

 

You're right! Viagra should not be covered either. Especially mandated Viagra.

 

Except maybe for sailors, who may need Viagra if they lose their mast in a storm...