Dear Crabby,
I am starting to get really worried about our health care here in the United States. It seems like we were promised great, affordable, easy-to-use health care and now all we hear about is that the website doesn’t work and the politicians aren’t sure what it will even cost. I have quite a few years left to go and I am a little concerned about what is happening. What do you think?
Sincerely, Late To-the-Game
Dear Late To-the-Game,
In some ways I feel like I am talking to the chicken that walked into the kitchen and asked, “Hey if people aren’t eating beef anymore what are you going to serve?” If you are just now beginning to feel concerned after four years of media debate and scrutiny over The Affordable
Care Act of 2010, or “Obamacare” as it is called on the street, you are certainly a bit late to the game. But honestly, I am not sure you have missed much yet either. Many people promised it would be in full effect for all of 2014 and as far as we can tell it is not. The website crashes daily I am told and people sign up, but not much happens after that. The traditional Blue Cross is still available, contrary to the hearsay that it would not be. A good friend of mine that is still working did tell me that his company recently brought in a team of health care professionals to give all employees a mandatory physical and have all the results shared with the employer. They were told that there would be “incentives” to get the numbers in the proper ranges. To me this only implies that there will be “penalties” for those whose numbers are not where the health care professionals deem they should be. I said that I thought that was a violation of privacy for the company to demand that. They said they were told it was “optional” and that if they no longer wanted health care provided by the company they could opt out. It seems like a slippery slope we are headed down when a corporate entity, or the United States Government for that matter, starts to document whether or not our “numbers” are in the proper ranges or not. Last time I looked the politicians “numbers” were not looking so good as far as national debt and unemployment went, not to mention property values or jobs lost to foreign countries! I think more people like you are beginning to notice that things are looking scary and will start showing their concern through voting and voicing their opinions. My thoughts are that the younger people should do their best to take their health care into their own hands as much as possible. This is my typical “Do what I say, not what I did” speech! Take your numbers into your own hands before the employers and politicians can penalize you for them and get yourself healthy. Besides, I need more of you working and paying into the Social Security fund until my time is up! So good luck and let me know if you find out anything in your research!
Sincerely, Dear Crabby
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