Two sides of death

Heaven and Hell

Thomas Paine was a deist, which is the belief in a God who created the universe but does not intervene in its functioning. He was an opponent of organized religion and Christianity, but he believed in a deity that was evident in nature. I am an agnostic, somewhat similar to Paine, and, in lieu of Christianity, I have a different opinion about the hereafter. Here is more Paine...

Paine believed that those who spent their lives trying to make others happy would be happy in the afterlife. He also believed that the wicked would be punished.

My opinion of the hereafter is a place where there is a huge chain-link fence to affinity, with one side bright, cheerful, upbeat and festive. The inhabitants reside in paradise, a blissful utopia that sees its residents in the prime of existence with no physical problems.

The other side dark, raining, sleeting, snowing with regular bouts of oppressive wind and engulfing surges of water. The occupants are all chained with a length that only allows them the room to get to the fence and wish they had led a better life.

There is a watchdog and it is his job to come up with methods to further torture those on the dark side. Like the denial of food and drink, forcing the bottom dwellers to disrobe in the cold, rain and snow. Making these poor souls walk on hot coals to get to the food and drink they are allowed.

Donald Trump will destroy democracy

These are two very specialized ideologies, but meant to be a simplification of the unyielding difference between right and wrong. We have lost our way in this determination today, particularly on the political scene. We have an incoming Oval Office lunatic that has threatened to jail Jan. 6 committee members and his enemies in general; He wants to deport 11 million immigrants and doesn't care if there are U.S. citizens caught up in the process; He has focused on unqualified and incompetent people to fill his administration.

There is more, much more, and the downside of it all is that Donald Trump wants to destroy our democracy and replace it with an autocracy. And, unfortunately, some of the American public, and it must be a relatively large portion, has turned into apathetics. They want someone to make their decisions, and for the life of me I will never understand how they want to trust Donald Trump with this task. The next four years could prove a reckoning and this includes Trump and all his minions.

Donald Trump's new administration of criminals

People who left Trump White
House first admin.

Donald Trump could not have done any better in assembling a gang of criminals for his administration than if he had conducted his recruitment in a prison. To begin with, Trump, himself, has been indicted in four cases, convicted in one and penalized in several civil lawsuits. Political scientists Austin Sarat and Tom Dumm, in a Salon article republished by RawStory, say...

"There is, of course, nothing wrong with giving people second chances after they have paid their debt to society," the pair wrote. "But everyone Trump has nominated or appointed thinks they owe no debt to society. Each of them contends or is portrayed by Trump’s transition team as a victim of a political prosecution or a left-wing smear campaign."

• First, there is former trade adviser Peter Navarro who will return to the White House after serving a prison sentence for contempt of Congress.
• And then there is his son-in-law, Jared Kushner's father, Charles Kushner, who will be ambassador to France, despite his own criminal convictions.
• Although there is no litigation, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth was picked to be defense secretary, in spite of multiple charges of misconduct.
• Again with no litigation, former Rep. Matt Gaetz had to withdraw as attorney general nominee due to accusations of his sexual trysts with minors.

The authors bring up the competence of the nominees and while Navarro and Gaetz are questionable, and Kushner is most certainly borderline, Pete Hegseth's nomination as

Pete Hegseth

Defense Secretary is beyond ludicrous. There are lots more who are somewhat dubious but don't necessarily carry the baggage of legal problems. Are you ready for this?

• Marco Rubio does not have the strength to be Secretary of State.
• Pam Bondi would trash the Attorney General's office with her spoken vendetta of Donald Trump's enemies.
• There are screams all over the medical community from doctors and scientists that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will destroy medicine as we know it today.
• And Kristi Noem as the Secretary of homeland security is another one that keeps you rolling in the aisles with laughter.
• Tulsi Gabbard, as Director of national intelligence, is highly questionable since she doesn't really know if she's on our side or the side of the Russians.
• Dr. Mehmet Oz has a fascination with Medicare advantage, in lieu of its rival so his nomination as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator could jeopardize regular Medicare.
• Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy heading Department of Government Efficiency is a total joke. Two morons for the job and Ronald Reagan couldn't make it work. Donald Trump sure as hell won't be able to.
• Stephen Miller as Deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser worries me a lot. This man and his ideologies are just plain scary.
• Kash Patel as FBI director is in the Pam Bondi mode; would rein the department with his rage against Trump enemies.
• here is one who appears qualified for the job, Susie Wiles, as White House chief of staff. And if she can hold Donald Trump down, she will deserve our applause.

It will be interesting if all, or at least some of these nominees are approved by the Senate, just how long it will take for the axe to fall on the first one.

Who is to blame for Brian Thompson's murder?

Police closing in on Brian Thompson shooter

First up would be the shooter, whom authorities believe they have found. You might think that is sufficient to explain the taking of a person's life but you would be wrong. Remember, this person had positioned him or herself in wait for Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, for the purpose of killing him. It would appear that the shooter didn't know Thompson, thus, there was some other objective in what he did. The people have spoken in social media with an opinion that Thompson deserved what he got.

Vox says it all in its headline, "The deep roots of Americans’ hatred of their health care system." The article by Dylan Scott reports there is significant evidence of the fact that the way the country provides medical services is costly in both money and human life. Not only the lives of patients but now a life of the CEO of the largest health insurer in the U.S., UnitedHealthcare. The public is more than justified in its anger when a company who could save your life uses AI for a reason to let you die. Vox goes on...

"On the same day as the shooting, news that a different insurer would restrict coverage for anesthesia during surgeries went viral, serving as a kind of cosmic confirmation of this line of thinking."

This was withdrawn almost immediately with the murder of Brian Thompson. It was a stupid decision to arbitrarily restrict anesthesia time in surgeries, to save money, of course, with no consideration whatsoever for the needs of the anesthesiologist, who, in fact, has the responsibility for the patient. Here's another blunt comment from Vox...

"Put every aspect of this tragic episode together and you have the rotten core of American health care. The cruelties of the US medical system and the ongoing blame game between the private industries that profit from it have left patients angry and confused — and looking for someone, anyone, to blame, fairly or not."

Luigi Mangione, suspected
Brian Thompson murderer

Scott thinks the only way to solve the problem is to confront all the industry offenders who are responsible for this aggregate of failures. The author also harks back to the days when medicine was much simpler. The participants were allies, not fighting each other constantly for profits. He also explains, "prices have continued to spiral upward, accelerated by the aging of the baby boomers and by important but costly advancements in medical science." Conversely, guess we couldn't do without any of this.

Obamacare was a strike against the private insurance industry, but since its enactment, Republicans have tried non-stop to kill the program. With only a mention now, but worth considerable coverage in the future, big pharma was caught off-guard by Biden's recent Inflation Reduction Act. We'll see the full effect in 2025....

"a provision allowing for Medicare to negotiate prices with drugmakers, which would lower costs and allow the program to cap seniors’ out-of-pocket costs."

And I have never seen a blame game carried out with the intensity of that in the medical insurance industry. Here are the sordid facts...

• Hospitals blame drug companies (for charging high prices that they must pass on to payers) and insurers (for restricting benefits and leaving patients exposed to uncovered bills)
• Drug companies blame insurers (for charging patients high out-of-pocket costs for medications) and hospitals (for exploiting technical programs like 340B to artificially boost their profits); they also blame the pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) who coordinate among drug manufacturers, plans, and pharmacies
• Insurers blame hospitals and drug companies (for charging too much money for their services and products, which patients bear through higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs)
• Patients blame everybody (for the high costs they face and the hassles of navigating this complicated system).

I can only hope that this murder will not take the same course as does those in gun violence...here today, gone tomorrow.

 

Will Brian Thompson's murder end a corrupt insurance industry practice?

Doctors without authority

Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare was murdered and drew headlines like this on WGTC...

"‘He was a serial killer’: Americans have no tears to shed for murdered CEO who denied patients life-saving care."

This may seem callous to some but it is a pent-up feeling for years of those deprived of their rightful medical care. WGTC continues...

"UnitedHealthcare is the kind of insurance company that scams people, but we hardly ever hold it accountable. Well, some people on the internet haven’t forgotten about the company’s past."

Social media is screaming how UnitedHealth has the most denied claims in the industry and they do it by using AI. The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations reported, "the nation’s insurers have been using AI-powered tools to deny some claims from Medicare Advantage plan subscribers," according to YahooNews.

There's more...

"The report found that UnitedHealthcare’s denial rate for post-acute care — health care needed to transition people out of hospitals and back into their homes — for people with Medicare Advantage plans rose to 22.7% in 2022, from 10.9% in 2020."

There is also a lawsuit accusing Brian Thompson and other executives of UnitedHealth of insider trading related to an ongoing Justice Department investigation, according to YahooNews. Here's the scenario...

"Thompson, 50, was one of three UnitedHealth Group executives named in a class action lawsuit filed in May that accused them of dumping millions of dollars worth of stock while the company was the subject of a federal antitrust investigation, which investors say wasn’t immediately disclosed to shareholders."

Taking advantage of this privileged access to inside information is considered a breach of the individual's fiduciary duty. And if you're willing to break one rule, why not another, which, of course, was Thompson's initiation of the use of AI for the purpose of denying claims. A move that ranks UnitedHealth the frontrunner in that process. 

Neiscope says the public's reaction is incredibly dark, with one person cracking the following remark, "Our apologies, but bullet wounds are only covered under our Platinum+ package." Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch commented...

"Let's be clear: any act of violence or loss of life is a tragedy. But the internet's indifference to Thompson's passing — and gallows humor about the notorious deficiencies of the private insurance industry — are simultaneously ghoulish and illustrative of America's profoundly dysfunctional medical system."

The cost of medical care has gone up while the quality of care has gone down. But the epitome of it all this is there is now a company "whose business model depends on turning down payments for care recommended by doctors for their patients," according to ProPublica.org. (They sell this software to insurance companies). The name of the company is EviCore by Evernorth and they are owned by the insurance giant Cigna. Here's the scenario...

"A ProPublica and Capitol Forum investigation found that EviCore uses an algorithm backed by artificial intelligence, which some insiders call “the dial,” that it can adjust to lead to higher denials. Some contracts ensure the [insurance] company makes more money the more it cuts health spending. And it issues medical guidelines that doctors have said delay and deny care for patients."

There is no wonder the American people are furious over being conned out of the healthcare that is rightfully theirs. But when will the masses revolt against this wrong and others perpetrated by Donald Trump?                                         

Why hasn't Joe Biden issued blanket precautionary pardons?

President Biden has a list but this time it is a good one. It includes those who have actively opposed Donald Trump, and he is considering giving them blanket precautionary pardons. Daily Beast describes them "Trump’s biggest political foes," with a mix of Republicans, Democrats and former administration staff...

The main three are former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Adam Schiff, newly elected California Senator. There are more.

Here's a headline for you from Reuters: "Trump taps team geared toward retribution and remaking of government." A clearcut designation of loyalists who share Donald Trump's thirst for revenge. And, a promise to take away your democracy and turn it into a dictatorship. I don't believe the average person in this country wants to give up thinking for themselves and turn over their lives to an oligarchy. Only the double-digit Trump followers. 

And here's a kicker from Reuters: "Trump's team reflects preference for outsiders with disruptive mentality."

Kash Patel, Trum's current choice to head the FBI has bluntly "vowed to go after Trump's perceived enemies," according to Reuters. Listen to this from Politico..

"For years, Trump has peppered his speeches and social media posts with vengeful calls for his political opponents, his critics and members of the media to be prosecuted, locked up, deported and even executed. In the waning weeks of the 2024 campaign, he escalated those promises of retaliation to a fever pitch."

According to NPR, many of Trump's targets are lawyering up...

"It would be naive and foolish for anyone not to take this seriously," said Mark Zaid, an attorney who represents several people threatened by Trump. "We have to prepare as much as we can for what might be coming."

Zaid adds, although he is somewhat concerned, he hopes Donald Trump's vengeance objectives will not have to leave the country for protection.

Is this the kind of America you want to live in? For the anti-Trump group, it is an unequivocal no. 

Trump taking healthcare from most needy

 

Do you live in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah, or Virginia? There are three million of you who could immediately lose your health coverage if the Republicans cut extra federal Medicaid funding that's helped states to increase what you receive.. Here's the scenario from AlterNet...

"If Congress cuts federal funding, Medicaid expansion would be at risk in all states that have opted into it — even those without trigger laws — because state legislatures would be forced to make up the difference, said Renuka Tipirneni, an associate professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health."

There are forty other states and the District of Columbia extending this health insurance to 21 million people, a move that has brought U.S. uninsured rates to an all time low. In exchange, the federal government pays 90% of the cost to cover the expanded population. A lot of this does depend on politics at the state level. Here's another if..

"If Congress cuts federal funding, Medicaid expansion would be at risk in all states that have opted into it — even those without trigger laws — because state legislatures would be forced to make up the difference.

Republican states would no doubt oppose the above and let the program expire. The article points out that "Six of the nine states with trigger laws — Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, and Utah — went for Trump in the 2024 election.

"Conservatives oppose the ACA, saying "the program costs too much and covers too many people." Liberals say "the Medicaid expansion has saved lives and helped communities by widening coverage to people who could not afford private insurance." And here's an interesting fact...

"Nearly a quarter of the 81 million people enrolled in Medicaid nationally are in the program due to expansions." 

In other words there is a specific, established need here, but Donald Trump doesn't think it is necessary. I have come to the conclusion that the new Donald Trump administration is not necessary. 

 

MR. PRESIDENT: If you look frail, if you talk frail, and if you walk frail, you must be frail...

 

 

  ...too frail to lead this country for another four years. I know, we all know, what you are afraid of; the lunatic who could win the White House without a strong Democrat in the race. But, the American public has decided as reported by Politico...

"Biden’s slide in the polls since the debate puts him in a hole larger than all but two incumbents — who were both defeated for reelection — going back more than four decades."

Four Democrats have come out in favor of you dropping out of the race, while it's still time to prep a new candidate. Make no mistake, Mr. Biden, this is of extreme importance since the election is only a little over three months away. Some of the pundits say it is already too late. Axios reports...

"8.5 million watched Biden's ABC News interview."

 ...only 16.6 percent of the number who watched the debate. One might draw the conclusion that many voters have either made up their minds or just weren't interested. Neither is good for Joe Biden.

In the George Stephanopoulos interview, the President said he didn't need a cognitive test because he takes one every day.  David Axelrod in the New York Post...

“When George Stephanopoulos asked him (Pres. Biden) if he’d be willing to take a cognitive test, he said, ‘I take a cognitive test every day.’ Well, the fact is, that may be true, but 75% of the American people think he fails,” said Axelrod.

And what is astonishing is Mr. Biden denies he is losing to Donald Trump, again from Axios. From the West Coast, "Hollywood moguls want to replace Biden for America’s leading role," according to Axios...

"Several feel deceived by the White House and top campaign officials for keeping Biden's age issues a secret while they promoted his candidacy and donated millions."

An example...

"Abigail Disney, a longtime Democratic supporter, told CNBC she planned to stop any contributions to the party "unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket."

ABC News reports, "Wealthy Democratic donors sound alarm over Biden staying in race," and this is the call all over the current political spectrum. So why doesn.t President Biden answer the call and do the right thing? Now, when a new candidate can be groomed to beat Trump. The time is slipping away, if it isn't already too late. If I were Joe Biden, I would not want to go down in history as the one who helped in the destruction of democracy.

Please Mr. Biden, do it now.