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F…ing insurance
Warning! My potty mouth comes out of storage for this one.
We got the official fuck-off letter from the other guy’s insurance company the other day. I can’t say I wasn’t expecting it, but it was still a bit maddening. The dude had the minimum amount of insurance required by law, which apparently dates back to when a dollar was still a lot of money… back when change wasn’t spare.
If you know me at all, you know one of the issues I care about is healthcare. If you know my liberal leanings (my heart swoons for “social” medicine), then guess how much sense it makes to me to rely on someone else’s car insurance for healthcare. Accident attorneys are free to keep their comments to themselves. Yeah, our policy provides some coverage, and everyone is required to have a minimal amount of coverage to cover their own injuries (in Florida), but why should any part of the healthcare industry involve auto insurance? Maybe it makes a lot of sense to you, but it’s a fucking mystery to me. (No, not really – but it feels good to swear every now and again.)
I have this sneaking suspicion the health coverage from auto insurance is among the worst. If that’s true (it is in my case, but my situation may not be representative), I’d really like to know what percentage of healthcare spending is attributable to car accidents. Maybe that’s why auto insurance gets thrown in the mix. How much love do you think health plan administrators or employers (those folks that pay most of your premiums) have for the money losing, unpredictable nature of car accidents?
That would work out well, eh? Take a chunk of the system – possibly some of the more expensive parts – and outsource it to the hinterlands of auto insurance, where people are more likely to be un/under-covered, thereby footing more of the bill themselves. It’s a win-win for the insurance industry! Woo-hoo! Three cheers for private fucking insurance!
Yeah, some of this is sour grapes. We could have paid more for auto coverage so our health in and out of the car was equally protected. We could have paid closer attention when our manic agent on speed was going over the policy. When we read it, we should have asked more questions. Then we would have known “stacked” referred to more than the work at my office (or the hired help at a certain kind of restaurant). But here’s the question of the hour: why the fuck should we have to? Toss out the old “you’re not entitled to healthcare” line, and so help me….
Surely this is a system that isn’t ideal for doctors either. It’s like we’ve got two different healthcare systems – one for sick people, and another for accident victims. I’ll wager that doesn’t make the paperwork any easier. And it gets better. Most of the folks caring for Cheryl are holding the bills until the insurance company knows what the whole claim will be. Who knows when that day will come? In the mean time they’re eating their costs (and I’ll bet them are some tasty costs). And when judgement day finally comes (and we find out our share) at least one of us may need more healthcare.
It’s just one more fuck-you very much from the private (for profit) healthcare system.
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INCOMING!
By the time you see this, I’m sure it will be all over the news – but I can’t not post this.
In a sign of lingering anger over the war that will define the Republican president’s foreign policy legacy, an Iraqi journalist shouted in Arabic “this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog,” and hurled his shoes at Bush during a news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Well they’re throwing something, just not flowers… or at his feet, from the look of it (unless the dude’s got really bad aim). Does the man get half credit? Maybe one third?
If Bush wanted to write a better legacy for himself, he probably should have stayed home. I think this photo sums it up beautifully. Is there any chance it could be used as his official White House portrait?
Yeah, I know. It’s not nice to kick a guy when he’s down… or in this case bent over.
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Listen to me?
At least the kids are listening.
I’d swear I covered this a long time ago, but judging from Beth’s reaction to this telling, I’m guessing I didn’t. A couple months ago Beth asked me why we recycle. I told her.
Now Beth wants to recycle everything she can. When she can’t, she wants a detailed explanation why not (which usually isn’t sufficient). She figured the next part out on her own: it’s better not to use stuff wastefully in the first place. Now she’s telling me when I’m using more than I need. “Dad, don’t get out that spoon, I can make due with this fork. We shouldn’t wash more than we have to.” (Beth doesn’t even do the dishes, though it brings up an interesting idea….)
I’ve heard this before, and you might have too, but it bears repeating: “we don’t inherit the planet from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” No matter what you think about the environment… no matter what you think about climate change, resource depletion, pollution, or over-population… think about your kids. Think about what happens to them if you think the status quo is just fine, you do nothing to change it, and you’re wrong.
There are many reasons why I’m proud of Beth, but I’m especially proud she understands this. I’m happy to let her hold me to my responsibility… to her and her generation.
A blogging friend of mine started a new web site devoted to taking action on climate issues. There’s a focus on Canadian politics, but the issues are universal and there’s some good advise for everyone. Beth and I invite you to take a look (click the image to the right). You’d do well to take her advise. If there’s anyone who embodies stubborn and determined, then that someone lives in my house.
Don’t make her check my server logs.