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.
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
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.
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! :)
Take care,hugs!
(sqeezing out of talking politics!;D)
I'm so happy for you.....Peter
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.
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 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. : )
About tax and insurance in your country...I Know nothing about it.
:)
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
Oy! to health care situation in the US.
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.
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.
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.
Glad to hear the good news, the power of prayer is very strong. So baking mom any tasty treats this weekend?
Happy Sipping!
Dezel
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.