I was at a house warming not too long ago. The host of this party said one of the dumbest things to me, and I had a very very hard time keeping my know-it-all (yes I know I can be a know-it-all, but I swear I know I don't know everything) mouth shut and not correct him in his own home. Man it was hard! Know why? Once I paraphrase what he said I hope you'll understand.
It went down kind of like this:
Some guy-"Hey George*, we're out of your famous margaritas!"
George-"Oh! I'll take care of that right now! Oh (poo)! I'm out of ice cubes." George starts running the HOT water from the tap to make ICE CUBES. Then he says something like this... "Did you know hot water freezes faster than cold or room temperature water and cold water boils faster than hot water or room temperature water?"
Oy! My brain about exploded with the illogical nonsense that just came out of that man's mouth! I'd heard such silliness before, but only from silly people that you wouldn't expect to know better. Like those girls that spent high school hanging out at the mall and the guys that thought they were great. Those people saying something like that...well, I'm just not too surprised when that happens. But this guy is a smart one. I was shocked. Shocked I tell you!
His reasoning for why this is the case? The water molecules have to work harder to get from one extreme to the other. And I guess that would be true, if the molecules had any intention of being hot rather than cold and vice versa. Thing is, they don't. They just want to be themselves. That's they're one and only intention. They don't care if you want them to freeze or to get so hot they start dancing around. They're totally zen about such things. Just let it happen-that's their motto! So, they're just not going to work any harder to be hot or cold.
The truth is, the only thing doing extra work is the heat/cold source. In the case of boiling ice cubes (doesn't that even just sound silly?!), that will mean an extra few pennies on your energy bill. That's because it will take more time to go from one extreme to the other. In the case of freezing boiling water, you'll have to wait longer for the ice cubes for the famous margaritas. Basic physics people.
2 weeks later, my hero's The Myth Busters aired a debunking of this craziness. On an unrelated note, they also explained in a different episode exactly why I close the toilet lid when I flush.
*Name has been changed to protect the identity of this usually intelligent person.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Health care reform
A big thing to tackle for a mere receptionist that loves make up I know. But hey, it effects me in a big way. So I'll throw my opinion filled hat into the ring. Ready? Let's get started!
It's all about the money honey!
As the President illustrated last night, insurance companies find all sorts of nifty reasons to not pay for the care you'd expect. You expect to be covered for care needed when you get sick because you pay these companies a good chunk of your hard earned change every month. The thing is, they're for profit corporations, so any time they have to pay out big bucks for life saving care, it hurts their bottom line. Stock holders hate it when the bottom line isn't as great as it perhaps could have been because lives where being saved. Nope. It's all about the money. Anyone that tells you any different is the real liar.
Zero regulation=Super duper profit margins!
Ok, so zero is a bit of an exaggeration. There is a modicum of regulation (mostly state) set up to rein these big boys in. Clearly, what is currently set in place is ineffective at best. Now, I am by no means the biggest fan of big government regulation you'll find. I think MOST people can make common sense choices if given the opportunity and information to do so. Adding a layer of government red tape where it is not warranted seems to just muck things up. But, when people are denied benefits they have dutifully paid for, someone with clout needs to step in. The dreaded government giant needs to stomp his foot and say "No more!" We're not talking about people that bit off more than they could chew because they wanted a bigger house than they could afford here (don't EVEN get me started on that!). We're talking about hard workers who pay into a system they hope they'll never need but know a safety net is the smart decision to make. That safety net must be there should they fall (both figuratively and in the most literal sense possible).
The Uninsured Issue
This one is a tuffy. I've been uninsured. It's a scary place to be, let me tell ya! I was uninsured for the same reason most others are. I was too old to be carried on my parent's policy anymore (did you know that if you're in college, most policies will cover a child until they're 25ish but if you're in vocational school-licensed Esthetician here!-insurance companies don't consider that "real" school and therefor do not extend coverage?), and I worked a part time job that offered no benefits to part time employees. This is a very common practice as it helps keep costs down and profits up (see above for refresher if needed). Others maybe working full time jobs, but do not make enough to spare the extra expense a heath insurance policy can bring. Many people know how tough it is to live paycheck to paycheck, with out ends ever entirely meeting. The uninsured (predominantly) fall into this category.
The if's/and's/or's/but's of coverage
We're talking the fine print now. This is where they find their excuses to limit, cancel and over charge. Are you a married woman of child baring age? Guess what?! Lots of policies would like to charge you a whole lot more than a single woman in the same health. Know why? Because if you're married, clearly you must intend on having children! Those things are EXPENSIVE to bring into this world darn it! That means you should pay much much more. Even if you've had your tubes tied, your husband went under the knife, you've got an IUD and take a pill every day just in case all other measures fail. Cystic acne when you were a teen? Policy should be canceled due to your pre-existing condition! Type 1 diabetes? Well, guess that's not entirely your fault (but probably a little-you probably did something to deserve it), but you'll still be paying more for that darn pancreas issue you've got going on. Broke your wrist playing football? Forget about any arthritis meds you may need in the future-it's your fault and you shouldn't get benefits because of it. Mental health issue?!?!?!?! You really think they should help you out with that? That is so totally your fault too! Suck it up, you really have only yourself to blame. All sarcasm and jest aside, this is the way it is for millions of people.
Oh what to do, what to do???
Regulate!
That's right. I said it. I'll say it again for good measure. REGULATE!!!!!!!!! I get the argument that comes up every time anyone wants to regulate anything. Free markets regulate themselves. Competition encourages fair practices. Yada yada yada and blah blah blah. Know what I say to that in this case? Bull flipping feathers! See if's/and's/or's/but's above. It's just not the case. Everyone needs health care. Everyone has to go to the doctor at some point in time. These companies know this. They make bank because of it. They know they can charge whatever they want and those of us that can afford the price tag will pay it. The rest will be a burden on the system carried by the rest of us. And I do not blame the uninsured for their circumstance-let me make that very clear. They have simply been priced out. That's not fair to any of us. Health insurers have proven they are not capable of self regulation. Therefor, we need to tell them what they can and can not do. Plain and simple.
Reform malpractice
And you were beginning to think I was a bleeding heart leftist commie weren't you? Nope. I just believe in common sense and decency. Common decency dictates that you don't give people the option to go bankrupt, live in pain, or die when you can help them. Common sense says that abuse of the system causes costs to everyone else to increase. An obvious abuse is in the realm of malpractice. Both the insurers that cover it and the people that see dollar signs if they get an infected incision because they don't follow proper aftercare or suffer an allergic reaction to a medication because they never told their doctor they were allergic to penicillin and eggs. Doctors pay a ridiculous amount for their malpractice insurance. And just like us, quite often, that policy doesn't pay out should they need it. They order unnecessary tests to protect themselves should they be sued. This drives up the cost of health care for all of us. We live in such a litigious society that doctors must pull a CYA or their livelihood could be easily lost. Now, don't get me wrong. If you're supposed to have your gangrened left foot amputated and wake up to find your right hand gone, sue that incompetent bastard! If you have a festering wound that won't heal because someone left a paper towel in your abdomen, take on that hospital! BUT, if you fail to tell your doctor about an allergy or other medical condition, THAT IS NOT THE DOCTOR'S FAULT! You have no one but yourself to blame on that. We all get to pay for those frivolous lawsuits. Doctors build their costs of doing business into their fees just like every other business. Part of the cost of doing business? That's right, malpractice insurance. So, if they're getting charged an outrageous amount for insurance they'll likely never need to use because of our sue happy nation, guess who REALLY pays that bill? You and me. No fun, no fun at all I say!
What should be done with all those people that couldn't afford insurance even if the companies decided to play a fair game of ball?
Don't worry, I'm not a heartless bastard. If there are people that can not afford insurance even after regulators beat the big bad insurance companies into shape, I have a solution! It's a safety net (for lack of a better phrase). It's based on a sliding scale. If they go in for treatment, they pay based on what they can afford. Period. End of story. If you make more than a set dollar amount, you would be expected to have an insurance. If you do not, it would be kind of like when you get into an car accident and were cited for no insurance. You'd have the opportunity to go out and get insurance. The insurance companies would not be allowed to deny you coverage based on the fact that you had to go to the doctor. Just like they can't deny you car insurance because you were in that accident. Perhaps they will charge you a bit more, but hey, you should have had that insurance in the first place! If you still think you don't need insurance, you pay the full cost of your treatment.
Now, I know I can't solve ALL the problems of the world, but I think these politicians should consult me a bit more often!
It's all about the money honey!
As the President illustrated last night, insurance companies find all sorts of nifty reasons to not pay for the care you'd expect. You expect to be covered for care needed when you get sick because you pay these companies a good chunk of your hard earned change every month. The thing is, they're for profit corporations, so any time they have to pay out big bucks for life saving care, it hurts their bottom line. Stock holders hate it when the bottom line isn't as great as it perhaps could have been because lives where being saved. Nope. It's all about the money. Anyone that tells you any different is the real liar.
Zero regulation=Super duper profit margins!
Ok, so zero is a bit of an exaggeration. There is a modicum of regulation (mostly state) set up to rein these big boys in. Clearly, what is currently set in place is ineffective at best. Now, I am by no means the biggest fan of big government regulation you'll find. I think MOST people can make common sense choices if given the opportunity and information to do so. Adding a layer of government red tape where it is not warranted seems to just muck things up. But, when people are denied benefits they have dutifully paid for, someone with clout needs to step in. The dreaded government giant needs to stomp his foot and say "No more!" We're not talking about people that bit off more than they could chew because they wanted a bigger house than they could afford here (don't EVEN get me started on that!). We're talking about hard workers who pay into a system they hope they'll never need but know a safety net is the smart decision to make. That safety net must be there should they fall (both figuratively and in the most literal sense possible).
The Uninsured Issue
This one is a tuffy. I've been uninsured. It's a scary place to be, let me tell ya! I was uninsured for the same reason most others are. I was too old to be carried on my parent's policy anymore (did you know that if you're in college, most policies will cover a child until they're 25ish but if you're in vocational school-licensed Esthetician here!-insurance companies don't consider that "real" school and therefor do not extend coverage?), and I worked a part time job that offered no benefits to part time employees. This is a very common practice as it helps keep costs down and profits up (see above for refresher if needed). Others maybe working full time jobs, but do not make enough to spare the extra expense a heath insurance policy can bring. Many people know how tough it is to live paycheck to paycheck, with out ends ever entirely meeting. The uninsured (predominantly) fall into this category.
The if's/and's/or's/but's of coverage
We're talking the fine print now. This is where they find their excuses to limit, cancel and over charge. Are you a married woman of child baring age? Guess what?! Lots of policies would like to charge you a whole lot more than a single woman in the same health. Know why? Because if you're married, clearly you must intend on having children! Those things are EXPENSIVE to bring into this world darn it! That means you should pay much much more. Even if you've had your tubes tied, your husband went under the knife, you've got an IUD and take a pill every day just in case all other measures fail. Cystic acne when you were a teen? Policy should be canceled due to your pre-existing condition! Type 1 diabetes? Well, guess that's not entirely your fault (but probably a little-you probably did something to deserve it), but you'll still be paying more for that darn pancreas issue you've got going on. Broke your wrist playing football? Forget about any arthritis meds you may need in the future-it's your fault and you shouldn't get benefits because of it. Mental health issue?!?!?!?! You really think they should help you out with that? That is so totally your fault too! Suck it up, you really have only yourself to blame. All sarcasm and jest aside, this is the way it is for millions of people.
Oh what to do, what to do???
Regulate!
That's right. I said it. I'll say it again for good measure. REGULATE!!!!!!!!! I get the argument that comes up every time anyone wants to regulate anything. Free markets regulate themselves. Competition encourages fair practices. Yada yada yada and blah blah blah. Know what I say to that in this case? Bull flipping feathers! See if's/and's/or's/but's above. It's just not the case. Everyone needs health care. Everyone has to go to the doctor at some point in time. These companies know this. They make bank because of it. They know they can charge whatever they want and those of us that can afford the price tag will pay it. The rest will be a burden on the system carried by the rest of us. And I do not blame the uninsured for their circumstance-let me make that very clear. They have simply been priced out. That's not fair to any of us. Health insurers have proven they are not capable of self regulation. Therefor, we need to tell them what they can and can not do. Plain and simple.
Reform malpractice
And you were beginning to think I was a bleeding heart leftist commie weren't you? Nope. I just believe in common sense and decency. Common decency dictates that you don't give people the option to go bankrupt, live in pain, or die when you can help them. Common sense says that abuse of the system causes costs to everyone else to increase. An obvious abuse is in the realm of malpractice. Both the insurers that cover it and the people that see dollar signs if they get an infected incision because they don't follow proper aftercare or suffer an allergic reaction to a medication because they never told their doctor they were allergic to penicillin and eggs. Doctors pay a ridiculous amount for their malpractice insurance. And just like us, quite often, that policy doesn't pay out should they need it. They order unnecessary tests to protect themselves should they be sued. This drives up the cost of health care for all of us. We live in such a litigious society that doctors must pull a CYA or their livelihood could be easily lost. Now, don't get me wrong. If you're supposed to have your gangrened left foot amputated and wake up to find your right hand gone, sue that incompetent bastard! If you have a festering wound that won't heal because someone left a paper towel in your abdomen, take on that hospital! BUT, if you fail to tell your doctor about an allergy or other medical condition, THAT IS NOT THE DOCTOR'S FAULT! You have no one but yourself to blame on that. We all get to pay for those frivolous lawsuits. Doctors build their costs of doing business into their fees just like every other business. Part of the cost of doing business? That's right, malpractice insurance. So, if they're getting charged an outrageous amount for insurance they'll likely never need to use because of our sue happy nation, guess who REALLY pays that bill? You and me. No fun, no fun at all I say!
What should be done with all those people that couldn't afford insurance even if the companies decided to play a fair game of ball?
Don't worry, I'm not a heartless bastard. If there are people that can not afford insurance even after regulators beat the big bad insurance companies into shape, I have a solution! It's a safety net (for lack of a better phrase). It's based on a sliding scale. If they go in for treatment, they pay based on what they can afford. Period. End of story. If you make more than a set dollar amount, you would be expected to have an insurance. If you do not, it would be kind of like when you get into an car accident and were cited for no insurance. You'd have the opportunity to go out and get insurance. The insurance companies would not be allowed to deny you coverage based on the fact that you had to go to the doctor. Just like they can't deny you car insurance because you were in that accident. Perhaps they will charge you a bit more, but hey, you should have had that insurance in the first place! If you still think you don't need insurance, you pay the full cost of your treatment.
Now, I know I can't solve ALL the problems of the world, but I think these politicians should consult me a bit more often!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Alright
I have decided that I do in fact have a life beyond the telephone system attached to my ear 9 hours of the day. Since that's the case, I also decided that life deserves its very own blog. And this is it. And there you go. That is all for today. Goodbye.
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