Trump: Don't worry, and try not to die, unless you're a Democrat

Dealer1 inquires of poor old DonDiego:

"I'm assuming you have rejected Medicare because you don't want to be 'totally dependent upon the Federal Government for medical care!!!' "

Wht a silly question !

i. Unfortunately, enrollment in Medicare was not voluntary.  So poor old DonDiego had no choice in paying for it; it would be absurd to not accept whatever benefits he can now.

ii. And beyond that, after retirement, poor old DonDiego continued membership in a health insurance plan subsidized somewhat by his former employer.

By the way, one of the surprises poor old DonDiego encountered upon entering the ranks of "old-timers" was that many medical facilities will not accept new patients covered by only Medicare/Medicaid.  [A perceptive fellow might conclude this is, indeed, a defect of being "totally  dependent upon the Federal Government for medical care."]

When poor old DonDiego was diagnosed with cancer several years ago, he was able to seek appropriate treatment with professional physicians of his choice.  He is presently cancer-free; without the supplemental insurance who knows what resulte Medicare-Alone would've yielded.

Poor old DonDiego lives in the real world; he adapts as best he can to living life.

Live and learn, young Skywalker. 

In the "real world," many people live and have lived with inadequate medical care; some live and have lived with no medical care at all. Right here in the good ol' US of A.

I can understand why someone who is fortunate enough to have the funds and other resources to access our wonderful private health care system might prefer it to any real or hypothetical system of government-provided health care, on the assumption that such care would not be as excellent as that presently provided to people who have enough money to afford it.

Nonetheless, I am willing to accept a theoretical reduction in the quality and accessability of my health care (with all them inferior classes clogging up the waiting rooms at the local clinic) if that means that no one is unable to obtain such care. I doubt whether that reduction would, in fact, be real. But it's a risk I'm willing to take, because I consider anyone in this immensely rich country being unable to obtain health care a grotesque abomination and would be willing to sacrifice some tiny portion of my personal well-being to stop that from happening.

I also realize that there are tens of millions of people who wouldn't give one of their fingernail clippings to save the lives of a thousand persons.

What a silly response.  Look at what you paid into Medicare--my first full-time monthly check saw $4 withheld for Medicare.  I'm quite sure you have, long ago, gotten your money back.  So, Old Skywalker, it seems you are principle bound to reject further coverage and depend on the tender mercies of the likes of Blue Cross, United Health Care, etc. to care for you.  Please tell us what your premium is from those, oh so efficient, private insurances--that is if any would be willing to cover you.  Sucking on the government health care tit while continually bitching about government health care seems a bit incongruous.  Your adaptation to "life in the real world"" seems to require a good bit of hypocrisy.  Go forth and suck away, Old Hypocrite.

Better yet - Imagine if we had a properly funded pandemic response team instead of a subsidized stock buyback program for Amazon

Republicans sabotage our federal institutions with incompetance and lack of funding....and then point to their dysfunction.    Yet somehow they still spend more money than Democrats.      Weird, aint it?

She's not scared of no stinking virus.

"Republicans sabotage our federal institutions with incompetance and lack of funding....and then point to their dysfunction"

Great point! Very well put.
And they are doing the same thing with social security.

I can never tell whether Kevin is grateful or resentful for what we do have (medical care, jobs, food, utilities, interstates, microwave ovens, cars, clothes, on and on).  Kevin hammers on his idea of a massive "inferior class" left puking and dying in the streets because some of us utilize benefits we worked for to have those things sooner or later, whether top of the line or economy class. 

I paid the mandatory payroll deduction for Medicare eligibility during my working life.  Many people are now getting medical care thanks to the dues I paid even though my calculations directed me to sign up for other plans (for which I pay dearly still).  But that's how things work sometimes.  Everybody pays in some way for what others have.  Similar to paying for pregnancy care/labor and delivery and so on with my group insurance though I have never given birth.  I don't know  how many babies are alive and well and grown (and hopefully law abiding members of society) thanks to my contributions.  But I am thankful for my monthly annuity.  It isn't huge, but I earned it through hard work, excellent nursing care of Veterans and others that our GOVERNMENT paid me to do, and that the GOVERNMENT provided the brick and mortar facilities for, the equipment, the educated and dedicated physicians, the EMS workers who clean the place at night, the police who protect the ER nurses from assault by raving maniacs high on black tar herion and bath salts and other drugs they steal from other maniacs.  But I digress.

And may I say, how silly Kevin and Mark and others look politicising the coronavirus in the way they are doing.  Shows ignorance and refusal to seek legitimate information instead of garbage (and grossly faulty) tweets that link what's going on with the disease to a political ideation. 

The best  example is Republicans passing a law telling Drug companies to name their own price for Medicare prescriptions  and taxpayers will pay it.......and then they complain how Medicare is running out of money.

Dealer1 writes: "it seems you are principle bound to reject further coverage and depend on the tender mercies of the likes of Blue Cross, United Health Care, etc. to care for you.  Please tell us what your premium is from those, oh so efficient, private insurances--that is if any would be willing to cover you."  

How stupid !

Poor old DonDiego lives as best he can in the world in which he finds himself.  He suggests others do likewise.

Part I

Poor old DonDiego has paid into Social Security/Medicare because it was mandatory.  

He is now entitled to the benefits.  PERIOD !

Poor old DonDiego is not "bound to reject further [Medicare] coverage" .  He paid for it; he is entitled to it; end of story.

Had it been a choice, poor old DonDiego would've not paid into Social Security or Medicare.  But he was forced. So he will take advantage of the benfits which he has paid for to the maximum extent possible. 

In addition poor old DonDiego paid for, and still pays for group health insurance.  It is excellent coverage.  And when he married teechur he added her to a family-policy, because her former employer's retirement plan did not cover out-of-state residents.

The premiums which poor old DonDiego pays are none of Dealer1's business.

DonDiego sincerely recommends every individual consider the health care plans available to him and choose the course of action which he thinks works best for him and his family for a price which he can afford.

Part II

Dealer1 writes:" Sucking on the government health care tit while continually bitching about government health care seems a bit incongruous.  Your adaptation to 'life in the real world' seems to require a good bit of hypocrisy." 

[DonDiego supposes the appropriate word might be "duplicity" rather than "hypocrisy" although, in fact, niether applies.]

DonDiego opines that the Government "entering the health care field" has worked out largely as he had expected - i.e. compared to original projections the cost overruns have been phenominal and the efficiencies non-existent.

Nonetheless, or perhaps because of this result, poor old DonDiego recommends everyone do the best they can providing medical care for themselves and their families.

Part III

Something else for Dealer1 to bitch about:

It was a bit of a surprise when poor old DonDiego attained Medicare Recipient age that the medical facilities inevitably charge their covered fees to Medicare first, . . . and if they are not fully covered, the remnant is requested from the private insurer.

The things one learns as one grows old.

DonDiego thanks his fellow taxpayers.

Amazing how you can rationalize anything away

-- even your much bragged about "principles."