State Of My Family Union - Anali's Response

Good news! My mom left the hospital today and hopefully she will be fine! Thanks again for all the comments and prayers! They worked! I told my mom about all your comments and it really helped her spirits.

And on another note, I watched part of the State of the Union address. As usual, I disagreed with most of what Bush said, but I did hear about a proposal that piqued my interest. I was very lucky with my mom that she has good health insurance. She got the best of care at one of the top hospitals in the world. I felt very much relieved, but so many people cannot get that type of care.

I do have good health insurance, but I struggle to pay it every month. I have to buy it directly from the insurer and pay it all myself, about $700.00 a month. It's almost a rent payment! The cost of health care in this country is insane. I have been wishing for a tax deduction for all of the payments that I'm making. Since I don't itemize, it has not been an option that I am aware of. Bush's healh care proposal could actually help me. Although, I heard that part of this proposal could hurt a lot of people by adding employer provided health care benefits to taxable income. That would be very bad. I wonder how this will turn out.

Comments

Lotus Reads said…
Anali, I am so pleased your mom is better now and was able to leave hsopital. Thanks for letting us know. I feel so relieved that for the most part health care is free in Canada...I am going to follow the link you included in your post and read up a little on Bush's health care proposal. I, too, wonder how this will turn out.
karmic said…
Glad your mom is ok and for letting us know.
The part of the health care proposal that would let you deduct your premium is one which a lot of people have no trouble with.

It has been suggested before that employer provided benefits should be taxed and it has not gone any place.
Buying health insurance is not liek shopping for cereal. Health saving acct are bull, cos all they do is benefit younger healthier ppl and threaten to create a class of ppl who are out of the genereal insurance pool and thus cause incresed premiums.
I think the US will eventualy move to a single payer model, perhaps soemthing along the Canadian model.
Health care should be a basic human right.. but heck what do i know? ;)
Sorry about the long comment.
amisha said…
hi anali,
hurrah for your mom! so happy to hear it!
the healthcare thing... i don't know. i would like to see, instead of the tax deduction (which my employer offers through the savings account), real government-paid health insurance for *all people*. my parents struggle badly to pay their healthcare now that they're retired, and wish for socialized medicine, and yet vote republican...??? i am so, so lucky that i have good healthcare through my job, but every time i pay for a prescription or something i can't help but think about what would happen if i didn't... especially if i had kids... i just can't believe how we have let this enormous segment of the population fall through the cracks. argh. sorry abou the rant-- this is one of the issues that gets me most worked up! :)
FH said…
Hey! That was a great news Anali!:)) Good for her,she fought back to health and all our our prayers must have helped!:))
Take care,hugs!
(sqeezing out of talking politics!;D)
wheresmymind said…
I'm sorta glad I missed the SOTU address...more blah blah blah that I wouldn't agree with
Peter N said…
Anali, I'm so happy that your Mom is on the short road to recovery. As for Bush, yess, he did come up with a few things, most notable being the health plan, one that would appeal to everyone. But he is a President in trouble, and every U.S. service person's death in THIS conflict is a waste. And it makes me so sad.
I'm so happy for you.....Peter
Suldog said…
Excellent news about your Mom! Glad to hear it!

May I ask why you don't itemize with such an obvious chance for a deduction as your insurance costs? It would seem, at least on the surface, to be an easy way to recoup a bit of your loss.
Nance said…
anali--glad to hear that your mother is better. i'll save the politix for another time when good wishes aren't the top of the order. hope your mom continues to improve.
suttonhoo said…
sooooooooo glad to hear that all is well -- well, except for your insurance premium. ouch.
Lisa Johnson said…
lotus reads - Thank you! I'm relieved too. The Canadian health care system is so much more fair than here in the US. Something has to give. The system is breaking.

sanjay - Thank you for the good wishes for my mom! And please don't apologize for the long comment. I agree that health care should be a basic human right. How can we live in such a rich society and let so many people go without even having regular check-ups? It's criminal.

amisha - My mom was so excited to leave the hospital too! Now, she needs to rest at home. And that definitely is not a rant! : )
Health care is one of the biggest issues this country has to deal with. I think it will be a big factor in the next election.

asha - Thank you for the prayers! And no political discussion is required! ; )

wheresmymind - It's all recapped on the news for the most part, but I was a bit curious.

peter n - I'm so glad too! What's happening in Iraq is such a tragedy. There is no victory there. Too many lives have been lost and will continue to be lost. I don't understand how he can even think any sort of win is possible with all that has happened. He has different definitions of "win" and "victory."

suldog - Thank you! I rent, so I don't have a mortgage interest deduction. Itemization gives me less of a deduction than the standard one.

nance - Thanks! She's on her way!

suttonhoo - Thank you! The premium is pretty painful. : (
I'm REALLY glad to hear your Mom is doing better. I'll keep you both in my prayers!

I make myself watch the S.O.T.U.

I used to do it so I could count the number of verbal mistakes Bush made. Now I just count the number of lies and the number of double-speak comments and then I multiply them by the number of times the congress stands and applaudes. I divide that by the number of times they show Laura Bush; then I multiply that by the number of times he mentions September 11th; then I finish by adding the number of times George Bush and Dick Cheney drink water simultaneously.

The next day I go play that number for a dollar straight in the Maryland and DC lotteries. : )
Gunfighter said…
Glad to hear that your mother is well, Anali!
jac said…
Thank God for your Mom's health.

About tax and insurance in your country...I Know nothing about it.
:)
Margie said…
Hi Anali
So very glad your mom is out of the hospital...
The state of health insurance in this country is awful..
I will check out your link about what Bush has planned...
I think he is actually the worst president in history!

Take good care!
Margie
Sai said…
Glad to know you mother is doing well!

Oy! to health care situation in the US.
vasilisa said…
I'm sorry I haven't been doing my blog rounds, and didn't know about your family... I'm so happy your mom is doing better.

As for health care, I heard it's very expensive in US, but I had no idea you have to pay so much insurance! I'm honestly shocked.
Lisa Johnson said…
the thinking black man - Thank you for the prayers! I need to watch the SOTU the way you do next time! I've noticed a number of people have mentioned drinking games while watching too. I guess that says it all.

gunfighter - Thank you! It is such a relief!

jac - I definitely do thank God! And don't worry about not knowing about tax or insurance here. Neither does our president.

samuru999 - Thank you Margie! If Bush could actually do something to help with health insurance, then he could at least have done one thing right.

sai - Thank you for the good thoughts! Oy is right!

vasilisa - Boy oh boy! I just read that you've been quite busy! Good luck on choosing a name! And the insurance premiums are crazy. I never thought I'd be paying this much either.
Anonymous said…
Definitely Glad to hear about your mother doing better :-)

As for this whole health care thing, I swear I’m eyeing a piece of property up in Prince Edward Island. It seems like Uncle George is trying to give a break to Big business to help decrease their burden. Health Care insurance and the whole medical / pharmaceutical industry are a bunch of gangsters.
Dezel Quillen said…
Hello Anali,

Glad to hear the good news, the power of prayer is very strong. So baking mom any tasty treats this weekend?

Happy Sipping!

Dezel
Lisa Johnson said…
dj black adam - Thank you! I wonder how many people actually leave and move to Canada? I forgot the name of it, but a few months ago, I read a blog written by a guy who actually went and did it. He was very happy. All I can say is keep the passport up to date. We have two long years left.

dezel - I read a book about prayer a few years ago, where they scientifically proved it works. It's amazing.

Am I cooking? You have no idea. Since my mom, really needs to rest and not be up cooking, I'm trying to help out. I baked a chicken pot pie last night. A lasagna is in the oven as I type. And it's my mom's birthday today, so I am getting ready to put together her cake and bring all this to my parents tonight. Ironically, I'm doing so much cooking right now, I don't think I'm going to have time to blog about it. We'll see.
jac said…
That is one of the best joke of this year, Anali
Lisa Johnson said…
jac - The year is young my cousin! : )

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