Healthy, no longer wealthy, but wiser-all in blue jeans!
I occasionally have a peek into CNN, that news channel from over there!
Today I watched the most powerful Nation on earth try to explain the "misere" in their health system.
Now - if this report had been on a Russian or Cuban TV station, I may have been sceptical, but it wasn't, it was on CNN.........!
Seems that 62% of Americans (the rest are probably made up of Politicians, members of the Pharma Industry or illegal immigrants) have enormous problems with their Health Insurance, or paying for it.Half of them are not just grossly UNDER-insured, they are not insured at all!
Medicare, the almost National Health System, appears to be the best available, but to be accepted by them is not at all a simple matter.
You have to be a receiver of welfare checks (I suppose our form of Social Benefit)
at which time you're OK.
If you work, particularly self employed, you've had it! Assurance upwards of $20,000 a year, and if you've already suffered from some kind of serious illnes, then a lot higher - if at all!
Maybe I understand now why the Americans eat so many "junk" foods, after they've paid their Health Assurance, they can't afford anything else.
Government (so says CNN) is involved to a small degree, but not enough. Seems that every future President, Congressman/woman, Senator, goes into the matter on the Campaign trail, but once arrived seems to "forget" the issue.That reminds me of Politicians in Europe and elsewhere in the World.
In Europe, we simple peasants know that the Politicians see the Health Insurance issue as a blight on the horizon, one they would dearly like to get rid of, but we (and they) also know that the politician who says he/she will cancel the State Insurance Programmes will never be elected, and if he/she gets elected, and then abandons the System, that Politician also knows he/she can make other arrangements for the future, after the one and only legislation period he/she will ever have!
At the moment, in France, the "modern" image of Sarkozy is bewildering many French (and others). Does modern mean, necessarily, the wearing of jeans at Cabinet meetings, or when receiving State visitors? Could you imagine a Gen. de Gaulle, a Mitterand, even a Jaques Chirac trotting down the stairs of the Elysee to welcome the Queen of England - dressed in denim jeans? Doubtful, I think, but maybe it's progress. Personally I beleive that Mr Sarkozy, with all his emotional problems, has already realised that this will be his one and only period of Government!
Problems, problems - women, women!
Well, in some 6 years time (if I'm unfortunately still alive) I'll come back on the matter, and say "told you so!"
If I'm not there, then it's probably because someone, somewhere has tampered with the Health System - AGAIN!
Today I watched the most powerful Nation on earth try to explain the "misere" in their health system.
Now - if this report had been on a Russian or Cuban TV station, I may have been sceptical, but it wasn't, it was on CNN.........!
Seems that 62% of Americans (the rest are probably made up of Politicians, members of the Pharma Industry or illegal immigrants) have enormous problems with their Health Insurance, or paying for it.Half of them are not just grossly UNDER-insured, they are not insured at all!
Medicare, the almost National Health System, appears to be the best available, but to be accepted by them is not at all a simple matter.
You have to be a receiver of welfare checks (I suppose our form of Social Benefit)
at which time you're OK.
If you work, particularly self employed, you've had it! Assurance upwards of $20,000 a year, and if you've already suffered from some kind of serious illnes, then a lot higher - if at all!
Maybe I understand now why the Americans eat so many "junk" foods, after they've paid their Health Assurance, they can't afford anything else.
Government (so says CNN) is involved to a small degree, but not enough. Seems that every future President, Congressman/woman, Senator, goes into the matter on the Campaign trail, but once arrived seems to "forget" the issue.That reminds me of Politicians in Europe and elsewhere in the World.
In Europe, we simple peasants know that the Politicians see the Health Insurance issue as a blight on the horizon, one they would dearly like to get rid of, but we (and they) also know that the politician who says he/she will cancel the State Insurance Programmes will never be elected, and if he/she gets elected, and then abandons the System, that Politician also knows he/she can make other arrangements for the future, after the one and only legislation period he/she will ever have!
At the moment, in France, the "modern" image of Sarkozy is bewildering many French (and others). Does modern mean, necessarily, the wearing of jeans at Cabinet meetings, or when receiving State visitors? Could you imagine a Gen. de Gaulle, a Mitterand, even a Jaques Chirac trotting down the stairs of the Elysee to welcome the Queen of England - dressed in denim jeans? Doubtful, I think, but maybe it's progress. Personally I beleive that Mr Sarkozy, with all his emotional problems, has already realised that this will be his one and only period of Government!
Problems, problems - women, women!
Well, in some 6 years time (if I'm unfortunately still alive) I'll come back on the matter, and say "told you so!"
If I'm not there, then it's probably because someone, somewhere has tampered with the Health System - AGAIN!
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