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friends who might live in the same city and keep them apprised of possible oxygen needs.
Put simply, if Grandma's oxygen should happen to run out in Buffalo during one of that city's famous blizzards, be prepared to fire up the old four-wheel drive SUV or mush your way across town in three feet of snow to deliver some needed tanks of oxygen or generator parts because your friendly government will not supply those needs anymore.
We shouldn't be surprised at this cruel twist of Medicare. After all, this new rule will save some money even if at the cost of a few lives. Industry estimates predict 20% of oxygen users will have no recourse but to give up oxygen use. Maybe Grandma can just practice holding her breath.
All these measures are driven by the Republican's mantra of tax cuts for the wealthy. They are just reducing certain areas (like Medicare oxygen) so that they can continue to spend more on other programs in addition to the 110 billion dollar tax cut they are giving to the top 2% wage earners over the next 5 years.
Now it's time for a pop quiz. Ready?
For 33 points each, how did our three members of the House of Representatives vote on the oxygen cutoff? The bonus question is what is a vote like this called?
Time's up. If you said all three congressmen, Fortenberry, Terry and Osborne voted for the oxygen cut off you get an A+. "Compassionate Conservatism" was the correct bonus answer.
In three years when people run out of oxygen will Operation Rescue sit outside hospital rooms lighting candles? Will Congress convene in a special session? Will George fly home from his fake ranch to sign emergency life support legislation? Will the Roberts-Scalia-Alito-Thomas-Kennedy Supreme Court intervene? Will Hannity endlessly parade priests and fundamentalist preachers on his show?
Meanwhile, back at the fake ranch, George is tuning up for his state of the union address, a tortuous exercise for both him and the viewing public as he stumbles his way through a long teleprompter speech. In it he supposedly will trot out the only health care solution the Republican party can imagine, health care savings plans or tax credits for insurance expense.
The fatal flaw in these plans is that there are actual families that cannot afford to pay for health care in the first place or have anything left at the end of a pay period to save for health care.
I ran across a small businessman in Butler County recently who had 16 employees. His small company provides health care to employees at a cost now exceeding $1,300 per month per person. He will soon have to eliminate health care for his employees. How many of them will be able to afford their own health care? We now have over 44 million Americans uninsured for health coverage with the number growing every year. The Japanese recently elected to build an auto plant in Canada rather than the U.S. because even with higher taxes in Canada to help pay for universal health care, it was far less expensive than building a plant in America and provide health insurance for employees.
For the growing number of Americans unable to afford health care but are lucky enough to reach the age where they can qualify for Medicare, should they ever need life saving oxygen at least they know they could live up to another 36 months before the feds turn the shut-off valve.
Such is the quality of health care in America according to the 109th Congress.
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