The last nurse assessor for the nursing home my father is in recently said that she is going to put everything in her children’s names when she turns 50 (she is 44) due to what she has witnessed with folks losing their homes, savings and integrity after they have spent a lifetime paying into the present system. Tens of thousands of seniors in these systems with no allies or support. Micheal Moore where are you?

4 – Abramoff, Cunningham – they’ve slow walked everything to where statutes have run and evidence is destroyed – - – either by the targets or by DOJ and the Exec branch in its race to cover molten breats and fleshy asses.

Thanks for snapping me back to reality Mary, as your posts always do (I always read everything you do here for long time now, and really appreciate it). I imagine I’ll need a few more “snappings” in coming months, as I haven’t entirely purged my sense of “hope” and “change” quite yet… am working on it though.

When your crown jewel is sending Safavian to jail for a golf trip, shame is extinct.

yep, that definately helps my purge acceleration… thanks.

And like you, I’ve observed that people with family members in one of the health care professions do seem to be able to find their way through the maze more adeptly than people without that kind of guidance.

Which underscores what a great point you make about Ombudsmen.
Wow… anyone know how to get that idea to Obama’s administration…?

Oh-hoooo! I know women in their 50s and 60s with about 35 years of ‘professional experience’ under their belts now going to bat for their frail, elderly parents. Anyone who is elderly in this nation needs a personal advocate. That often turns out to be a child, niece, or nephew. It’s at least a part-time job, and during periods ramps into F/T.

if they’re anything like my aunt, we’re in good hands (she fits the profile perfectly)

during my brief glimpse into the maze, my aunt was the only person who understood what was happening, and how to insist on better treatment

most of the time, my aunt was the person who provided the “better treatment” for my mother. but when the doctors started having their discussions, and when the insurance companies started figuring costs, my aunt was the only person at my mother’s side who understood the options the doctors and insurance companies didn’t tell us about

My aunt has pretty much helped everybody in the family at some point or other (she’s an RN)

I don’t participate much in health care debates, but I do suggest that everyone have an independent advocate-service provider, either personal or professional. I’ve always had access to a person who gave me independent opinions about my medical conditions and helped with treatments, and it makes a world of difference (I’ve had some nasty burns and wounds over the years)

so I figure that what we need is a universal health care plan where everybody has access to an “Ombudsman” or some non-doctor and non-insurance agent advocate

is that a part of anyone’s plan ??? (cuz my aunt is gonna be busy takin care of me an Grandma)

I have only one quibble. Filenes Basement (the original store on Washington St., Boston) is no bargain anymore–or else it’s a bargain in the derogatory sense of that term.

Traditionally in this store (maybe it is different in the spin-offs), all the price tags are stamped with the date they are placed on the floor for sale. If the clothing sits unsold for several days, the clothing qualifies for 10% off, then 25% if more days pass, etc. After more than 30 days (or thereabouts) that same clothing would qualify for over 75% off the ticket price or else it would be given to “charity.” And thus shopping at the original Filene’s basement was always a hunt for a bargain.

Several years ago I stopped shopping at the original Filenes basement, because I witnessed two employees (apparently under orders) methodically working through the wall of mens’ ties and removing to the back room any ties qualifying for a discount greater than 25% off. A different crew of workers was doing the same in the mens’ shirt bins.

It was a scam. So I left in disgust, but not before doing one more thing.

Stretching across the wall of the mens’ tie racks, above eye level, was a row of dress shirts matched up with a tie, the pair propped up for display purposes –but each with a valid price tag from a month earlier.

Like an angry leaping lemur I travelled the wall and collected two Armani ties, $20 each. I could have grabbed more, but beauty being in the eye of the beholder some things are too ugly to be a bargain, even at 75% off.