The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    Prez redeems his sorry ass: Announces VA Friends and Family Medical Plan. Single Provider At Last

    By jollyroger on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 7:11pm |

    Yes, we are officially in fantasyland.

    That said, if you remember when GEICO was only for actual  government employees, and when the Slovenian Community Credit Union required appropriate ancestry, you will perhaps be amused by a single provider plan which could, I think, result from executive vigor (if only we had a vigorous executive...) with no tiresome legislative hoorah-ing.

    Thusly:

    The VA medical system (now very well thought of, believe it or not...) announces that it will sell access, at the underwriting cost plus 10% (the profit to be used to reduce premium cost to actual veterans) to anyone who is a family member of a veteran, or a friend of one (as shown by the ability to provide the name of a veteran, dead or alive).

    I bet this would put the parasitic health insurers (you give them your dollar, they pay your doctor 80 cents and  require several full time office assistants just to fill out their forms--creating value how, exactly?) in the ground in a quick hurry.  I think they call it competition, or the free market, or something.

    Plus, as the number of actual veterans dwindles, facilities are closing imposing real hardships and reducing the economies of scale which would be restored by opening up the system to "Friends and Family"

    Kind of like GM used to do when they offered employee discounts to any fool with the jones for a hummer...

    Comments

    Can this be true? If so, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, perhaps, for those of us three or more years too young for Medicare, but unemployed and now off Cobra's list. Is this real? Or just an idea?


    by wws on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 8:20pm

    My sister-in-law works for VA. I'll have to ask if she's heard about this. I suppose I'm eligible due to my Dad.


    by Donal on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 8:48pm

    Donal & wws:

    Appears to me that this is a proposal for the president to execute his executiveness.  It's written in jolly-speak, so you have to read carefully:

    you will perhaps be amused by a single provider plan which could, I think, result from executive vigor (if only we had a vigorous executive...) with no tiresome legislative hoorah-ing.

     


    by artappraiser on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 8:55pm

    Oh, pooh! ArtA, I was sold as well. What a beautiful idea! No wonder it can't be true. You could have let us go on believing until after Christmas...

    by CVille Dem on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 10:29am

    It's a great idea.  But if this becomes reality we have to hammer the question home: why not the rest of us, too?


    by Michael Maiello on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 2:40pm

    I often miss things in reading, but this may answer it, Destor:  "...or a friend of one (as shown by the ability to provide the name of a veteran, dead or alive).  (Hint, hint...clue, clue...)  ;~)


    by we are stardust on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 2:54pm

    Attention is drawn to the opening line of the post:

     

    "we are officially in fantasyland"  Alas,.

     

    NB:You need no longer be a government employee to buy insurance from GEICO.

    Non Slovenes bank at the Slovenian Credit Union.

    For those unable to dredge up the name of a veteran, I believe John Kerry served.  Or, you might like Ike (precious blood of the Sweet Baby Jesus, how I miss those old marginal tax rates...)

    For those with a taste for irony, George Armstrong Custer is a qualifying veteran, but you might not want to cite him as a friend.

    For that matter, Benedict Arnold is a qualifying veteran.  The list is endless.  Myself, I think I'll call upon Bill Sherman to get me my benees; he knew how to tour the south.

    Anyway, you get the idea.

    The odd thing is, this is a completely revenue neutral idea--in fact, it actually makes money, imposes no mandate, no penalties.  It''s just the good old free market.

    I bet the parasites, er, health insurers, and their Repugnant running dogs (Mitch M, this means you) would find some bizarre objection,  nonetheless.


    by jollyroger on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 7:44pm