Republican Words vs. Actions [] Medicare

Here is what the Mitt Romney Republican Candidacy actually means to the medical insurance program folks have been paying into for decades. He has failed to put concrete legislative proposals  and or a budget in place to fully examine; but the actions of the Republican lead House of Representatives and the actions of the Republicans as a minority party in the Senate leave absolutely no question about their plans.

We want to Protect today's Medicare Program:

Key Elements of Mitt’s Plan

• Nothing changes for current seniors or those nearing retirement (Untrue, as the existing Medicare Program participation is reduced, less folks are enrolled which means program costs are shared by less people and the costs associated with operating the plan will rise. Meaning higher costs, reduced services or a Republican Party who will use the consequences they created with their policies as an excuse to try to end the program).
• Medicare is reformed as a premium support system, meaning that existing spending is repackaged as a fixed-amount benefit to each senior that he or she can use to purchase an insurance plan (This statement runs counter to the intent and meaning of insurance coverage. Insurance is meant to take a "Large number of similar exposure units" [eg. retired senior citizens]: Since insurance operates through pooling resources, the majority of insurance policies are provided for individual members of large classes, allowing insurers to benefit from the law of large numbers in which predicted losses are similar to the actual losses.Less members higher costs or reduced services!)
• All insurance plans must offer coverage at least comparable to what Medicare provides today (Placing a private for profit insurance carrier between the patient and a doctor is NOT better than having a not-for-profit single-payer system. At the very least, private insurance companies are in business to make a profit for shareholders, policy holders are not for profit insurance carriers primary concern).
• If seniors choose more expensive plans, they will have to pay the difference between the support amount and the premium price; if they choose less expensive plans, they can use any leftover support to pay other medical expenses like co-pays and deductibles (Placing different levels of insurance for consumer choice is not a bad thing. Fact is, today's Medicare Program Standard Service Plan offerings are not available for the dollar value offered by the Romney premium support [VOUCHER Plan Proposed] payment. Vouchers will not buy an equivalent coverage to today's Medicare Insurance. And adjustments for future costs will NOT keep up with Medical Services Inflation. All participants in private insurance plans will likely loose 5% or 6 % of their full premium cost a year.)
• “Traditional” fee-for-service Medicare will be offered by the government as an insurance plan, meaning that seniors can purchase that form of coverage if they prefer it; however, if it costs the government more to provide that service than it costs private plans to offer their versions, then the premiums charged by the government will have to be higher and seniors will have to pay the difference to enroll in the traditional Medicare option (Who negotiates the fee for service payment costs, either the government or a private for profit insurance company. Costs would be dramatically reduced if there was one single-payer Medicare Program. This allows not-for-profit insurance administrators to spread the risk among all participants; therefore lower costs.)
• Lower income seniors will receive more generous support to ensure that they can afford coverage; wealthier seniors will receive less support (I'm from Missouri, the "Show Me State" show me the written legislation so the support structure for all participants can be reviewed and verified)
• Competition among plans to provide high quality service while charging low premiums will hold costs down while also improving the quality of coverage enjoyed by seniors (Unfortunately this is NOT true. Insurance carriers are exempt from some restraint of trade laws allowing them to participate in anti-competitive activities. We know private insurance has done nothing to hold down costs. Witness the private insurance history of escalating costs below). 

 If we want to protect the Medicare Program as it presently exists, we extend and offer the program to every citizen of the United states of America. This way, the folks can use the free market concepts to choose the best service provider no matter where they are located, no matter whether they belong to one private insurance carrier plan or not.

True free market enterprise in health care is one single insurance payer and unlimited choice to use whatever doctor, hospital or clinic you wish. You choose the best based on the reputation and ability to provide the best health care service.

Republican politicians have it wrong, they'll get over it!

• Escalating Health Care Costs

  Families, business, and state and federal budgets are straining under skyrocketing health care costs.
  
  Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have more than doubled in the last 9 years, a rate 3 times faster than cumulative wage increases.
  
  The United States spent approximately $2.2 trillion on health care in 2007, or $7,421 per person. This comes to 16.2% of GDP, nearly twice the average of other developed nations.
  
  Health care costs doubled from 1996 to 2006, and are projected to rise to 25% of GDP in 2025 and 49% in 2082.
  
  The proportion of spending attributable to Medicare and Medicaid in the health system is expected to rise from 4 percent of GDP in 2007 to 19 percent of GDP in 2082, making it the principle driving force behind rising federal spending in the decades to come.
  
  Health care costs add $1,525 to the price of every General Motors vehicle. The company spent $4.6 billion on health care in 2007, more than the cost of steel.
  
  As a result of these crushing health care costs, American businesses are losing their ability to compete in the global marketplace. Health care at General Motors puts the company at a $5 billion disadvantage against Toyota, which spends $1,400 less on health care per vehicle.
  
  The average cost of an employer-based family insurance policy in 2008 was $12,680, which was nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job.
  
  From 2000 to 2008, the percentage of employees with an annual deductible greater than $1000 increased from 1% to 18%. Among small businesses, more than one in three workers must spend at least $1000 out of pocket before their health benefits kick in.
  
  Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses.
  
  The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone.
  
  Eight in ten Americans are dissatisfied with the total cost of health care, and over half report paying for the cost of a major illness as a major problem.

Republican vs. American Values - The Record

 Let's review what Republican Party Policies gave to us from 2000 - 2008:

• Cut taxes for most citizens ended up starving government of adequate funding.
• Deregulated investment banking to bring unfettered free market principles back to business, created greedy investment banks that defrauded depositors by borrowing large sums of money from the Federal Reserve at extremely low interest rates, gambled on exotic financial instruments earning large fees and high interest rates for management while Federal Government Regulations protect depositors (FDIC Insurance) holding our government hostage to bail out these shysters.
• Created unbalanced Government Budgets which did not account for all actual government outlays (GOP never budgeted for off balance sheet expenditures like Middle East Wars) widening deficits.
•  Allow corporations to damage the environment and our financial system then prevent subpoena power to congressional oversight committees entrusted by our constitution to protect the people from such acts.
• Now, today call for further tax cuts and tax cut extensions due to the depressed economy brought upon the nation by the very same policies they call to action today.
• Create larger and larger government deficits with full knowledge that our citizens are aging will be cashing in on the insurance programs they paid for during their entire working life. GOP failed to properly budget for and fund these promises for an entire decade and today want the average citizen to believe we can't afford what the republican's purposefully created with deficit spending.

In short the activities which caused our problem today were imprudent tax cuts made by those who always talk about our job creators (Republicans, where are the jobs?). And when our government officials ought to have been planning to secure the benefits citizens paid for their entire working life rather they were offering corporate socialism to the job creators (no jobs) and fighting unpaid for wars. The campaign slogan of the Romney/Ryan ticket is "Bring America Back".

For 10 years Republican Policies were catering to the wealthiest of our nation taking the middle class in America to its knees; sending millions of ordinary citizens into bankruptcy, family's onto food stamps and into the welfare and medicaid social safety net systems. When President Barack Obama took over in 2009, the worst had not yet peaked. His policy shifts were good, have had the effect of ending the carnage.

3 years is insufficient time to dig America out of the "largest Republican hole" every created in the modern era, Especially when the Republican controlled House of Representatives never negotiated in good faith. When the Republican Senate minority used the cloture or  filibuster rules in every way possible to be sure AMERICA and therefore Barack Obama "never received a win". The Republican party's number one priority was to see that Barack Obama was a one term President.

The policies presented today by the Republican Party are a heavier dose of what were were provided during the years 200-2008. The Republicans want you to believe the correct course for America is to offering more tax cuts and deregulation (and to have average people sacrifice the benefits citizens have already paid for their entire life knowing the security they will need in their retirement years.


MEDICARE/MEDICAID:
Taxes Paid Years in Advance for Services Rendered at Retirement.

• 30 year old paid these taxes for at least 10 years
• 35 year old paid these taxes for at least 15 years
• 40 year old paid these taxes for at least 20 years
• 45 year old paid these taxes for at least 25 years
• 50 year old paid these taxes for at least 30 years
• 55 year old paid these taxes for at least 35 years
• 60 year old paid these taxes for at least 40 years
• 65 year old paid these taxes for at least 45 years

Tell the entire Republican party that their words which twist the truth are unacceptable. Tell then that you know when the GOP uses euphemisms to distort the truth. Tell them that the standard marketing done with Frank Lutz which tells the GOP which words to use to mislead average American citizens won't work this time around. The tax cuts for job creators did not create jobs, the deregulation lead to shenanigans and skulduggery all which hurt millions of people and created enormous debt.  

Tell the Republican party they will never get away with their budget proposals on Medicare, Social Security and their attempts to erase the American standards set for America's social safety net are a recipe for failure.


Tell your elected official the Republican Parties solution for our countries economic problems are unacceptable to you as a citizen of the United States of America.

Who Can Negotiate Health Care Costs?

You, your family, your doctor, your hospital, or is it the government and/or an insurance company.

Today received a bill for diagnostics (Standard Blood Work Tests) a routine set of tests for any citizen going to a physician for an annual check-up.

The Lab standard charges were $766.85.
The Insurance Company Health care Plan Negotiated Costs Approved at $96.25.

An uninsured person in in my locale pays almost $800 and an insured person pays almost $100.

You can not negotiate, your family can't negotiate, your doctor has no ability to negotiate (he signs insurance company agreement or is not an in-network healthcare provider choice in the network he did not agree with) so that leaves the private for profit insurance company and/or the government negotiating for you.

So who has your best interests at heart, a not-for profit government program like Medicare or your private for profit insurance company?

Citizens either pay full fare (uninsured) citizens pay private Insurance company negotiated rate (they differ) or citizens pay the government not for profit rate that every insured pays.

Imagine, the Republican party does not want to have the Medicare, Veterans Healthcare Services or Government Insurance Pools competing against the Healthcare Insurance Industry negotiating pricing with healthcare providers.

Further, the Republican party wishes tens of thousands of citizens to remain uninsured, do you now understand why?

Support a single payer system, one negotiation with payment of fair price to healthcare providers so healthcare professionals earn a healthy living, allowing every citizen health care coverage at the same cost.

GOP Political Euphemism (s) - Fast Facts #7

The Ryan Budget was created with much input from the Heritage foundation and has been put forward by the #GOP as their own.

Ryan's budget plan includes a measure creating a voucher-like system to replace the our current medicare program for future retirees to purchase subsidized health plans from private insurance companies.

At the end of the month of May Senator Mitch McConnell said that Medicare spending is being discussed in budget negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House. "Medicare is on the table," McConnell said at a news conference.

Running away from their original statements of "we are saving Medicare from going broke" no really, "we are preserving medicare", the new Republican Party Line is Medicare is broke, everyone agrees and is on board that Medicare has to be changed so anything which will be done will be done by agreement.

Fact is the Republicans, eager to move the economic discussion away from their budget plan and its unpopular Medicare overhaul back to the more comfortable ideas like lowering taxes and getting rid of burdensome regulations on businesses.

Just another in a long line of political euphemisms used by the GOP, a party with ever changing litmus tests.....

Ryan described President Obama's budget proposal as "rationing" Medicare, countering that the program needed support and solutions, "not government."

Accept responsibility for your deeds.

Remember, for more than 11 years we have reaped the benefits of GOP tax cuts and tax cut extensions. Some by GOP majorities, some by GOP negotiating compromises from ill equipped (for negotiating) Democratic majorities.

Thank you GOP, men of many words, few facts , but many words.

GOP's $34 Trillion in Costs Transferred to Seniors

Representative Ryan’s $30 Trillion Medicare Waste Tax


This is in addition to the shortfall I've already demonstrated here:

Ryan's Vouchers Purchase a Private Insurance Plan

Ryan's Vouchers Purchase a Private Insurance Plan

Example of the Ryan Voucher (Coupon) Program trying to purchase an actual Private Insurance Program from a State Managed Plan.

Who is the Health Reinsurance Association (HRA)?

The Connecticut Health Care Act of 1975 created the Health Reinsurance Association (HRA) to make available to eligible individuals in Connecticut a comprehensive health care plan designed to help meet medical costs of non-occupational injuries and diseases.

HRA is a non-profit association comprised of all private insurance companies and PPOs that provide health insurance in Connecticut.

Rates for the PPO Plan Follow:

60-64 year old male health insurance costs $1,829.01 a month times 12 months or $21,948.12 a year. If the Paul Ryan Budget in the "Path to Prosperity" Medicare voucher or coupon pays the equivalent of $15,000 a year. The citizen is short a minimum of $6,948.12 each year for the rest of his life. (If the Medicare voucher or coupon is equivalent of $11,000 then the citizen is short $10,948.12 each year for the rest of his life. )

Add his annual deductible of $1,500 to his voucher deficiency and he is now out of pocket at least $8,448.12 per year each year for the rest of his life. (If the Medicare voucher or coupon is equivalent of $11,000 then the citizen is short $12,448.12 each year for the rest of his life). Remember that this plan only covers 80% of in-network charges. So your also out of pocket for 20% of every charge above and beyond your annual deductible.

There is a 12 month waiting period for preexisting conditions.

Out of Pocket Maximum- Only out-of-pocket expenses for covered services count toward the out-of-pocket maximum.

• In-Network $7,500 per Individual
• Out of Network $15,000 per Individual

Annual Deductibles- The amount you pay out-of-pocket for covered services before the plan begins to reimburse you.

• In-Network $1,500 per Individual
• Out of Network $3,000 per Individual

Physicians Services In-Network Out of Network

• Office visits 80% after deductible 60% after deductible
• Inpatient surgery 80% after deductible 60% after deductible
• Outpatient surgery 80% after deductible 60% after deductible

Hospital Services

• Inpatient 80% after deductible 60% after deductible
• Outpatient 80% after deductible 60% after deductible
• Emergency Room 80% after deductible 60% after deductible
• Skilled Nursing Facility 80% after deductible 60% after deductible
• 120 day maximum 120 day maximum
• Occupation/Speech Therapy  80% after deductible 60% after deductible

Think I'm kidding - Full details found here!

Tell Mr. Paul Ryan, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 1st district that his plan is NOT in the best interest of any American Citizen!

Approaching $9,000.00 less in assistance than present medicare program provides. (If his Medicare voucher or coupon is equivalent of $11,000.00 then the elderly man is approaching a $14,000.00 shortage each year for the rest of his life).

Tell the GOP Their Plans are Unacceptable

 Let's review what the George W. Bush Presidency with Republican Congress (6 of 8 years) did for America from 2000 - 2008:

• Cut taxes to starve (GOP Perceived Big) government.
• Deregulate to bring unfettered free market principles back to business
• Create Government Budgets which do not account for all government spending (GOP never budgeted for off balance sheet expenditures like Middle East Wars) widening deficits.
• Create larger and larger government deficits with full knowledge our citizens were aging and therefore would be cashing in on the insurance programs the people paid for during their entire working life. (GOP failing to properly budget for and fund for an entire decade)
• Allow corporations to damage the environment and our financial system then prevent subpoena power to congressional oversight committees entrusted by our constitution to protect the people from such acts.
• Now, today call for further tax cuts and tax cut extensions due to the depressed economy brought upon the nation by the very same policies they call to action today.

In short the activities which caused our problem today were imprudent tax cuts when our government officials ought to have been planning to secure the benefits citizens paid for their entire working life rather than offering corporate socialism and fighting unpaid for wars should now be corrected by offering more tax cuts and the sacrifice of benefits by citizens whom have already paid for the benefits of the insurance plans for their entire working life.

MEDICARE Premiums Paid for Service to Be Rendered at retirement.

• 30 year old paid insurance premiums for at least 10 years
• 35 year old paid insurance premiums for at least 15 years
• 40 year old paid insurance premiums for at least 20 years
• 45 year old paid insurance premiums for at least 25 years
• 50 year old paid insurance premiums for at least 30 years
• 55 year old paid insurance premiums for at least 35 years
• 60 year old paid insurance premiums for at least 40 years
• 65 year old paid insurance premiums for at least 45 years

The George W. Bush temporary tax cuts have been in place over 10 years and business had so much certainty we created a depression, we created no jobs, we lost great value in the dollar, our standard of living for the Average American dropped, some of us went bankrupt, lost our house and our savings.


Tell your elected official the Republican Parties solution for our countries economic problems are unacceptable to you as a citizen of the United States of America.

Insurance Concepts

The whole concept of insurance is that you will take individual risks and spread them among many people so that if they actually occur, one will not be overwhelmed. One can either pay a $100,000 surgery bill once or pay a few hundred dollars a month in level premium; essentially spreading risks over a longer period of time.


Insurance is all about spreading risks. Risk doesn't mean that something will happen but that there is a chance of happening. We all individually have a risk or chance of a major illness. Our behavior, life style, and genetics may affect that risk but it is never zero and rarely 100%.

Just to review, Insurance, including health is used to take individual risks and spread over a large number of people and a longer period of time. Instead of paying $100,000 one month (which would bankrupt many people), one may pay $800 monthly. We take out the peaks of medical costs and make it more manageable with a stable monthly premium. The health insurance carrier is essentially the entity that manages the incoming monthly premium and outgoing medical reimbursement for all the people in the risk pool.

Coverage of any particular issue is decided by the insurance carrier who writes the policy. An insurance policy is an adhesion contract offered on a "take it or leave it basis" (you don't get to negotiate over the terms), the insurance carrier makes coverage decisions.

Free market?

GOP Obamacare Replacement Programs

Vouchers: So the GOP wants to eliminate traditional Medicare, most of Medicaid, and all of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), converting these health programs largely to vouchers that low-income households, seniors, and people with disabilities could use to help buy insurance in the private health insurance market. The very marketplace which already costs Americans 2 times more than any other industrialized nation in the world. And even though we spend twice as much we do not have better outcomes for our citizens.

Health Insurance Voucher Program: so someone born today at the ripe old age of 60 could expect to receive about 25% or one-quarter of the benefit when compared to the resources allocated to today's Medicare programing. Which means the vouchers that citizens receive will come no where near to satisfying the cost of any reasonably priced health care plan at the time when citizens need it most.

Ending Tax Deduction for Employer Based Health Care Programs: So employer based systems would no longer be favored leaving many millions of citizens without employer based programs. The problem here is the GOP is proposing a refundable tax credit or voucher of $2,300 for individuals and $5,700 for families. Low-income families with children (but not low-income individuals or couples) would be eligible for additional assistance — $5,000 for families with incomes up to 100 percent of the poverty line, declining to $2,000 for families with incomes between 180 and 200 percent of the poverty line. The tax credit could be used to help buy any “qualified health insurance plan.” People eligible for Medicare would not qualify for the credit. Again here goes the GOP sending individual citizens to the very marketplace which already costs Americans 2 times more than any other industrialized nation in the world. And even though we spend twice as much we do not have better outcomes for our citizens.

Tort Reform: So when medical professionals are negligent and cause harm to you, the patient, they do not have to pay damages based on an actuarial determination of what you actually lost today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life plus pain and suffering. GOP wants to cap damages.

It get worse and the GOP is unwilling to be straight with the American People, so you will be hearing more from me.

Health Care Costs in America

Our Health Costs Sure Place Our Life Expectancy far Above the Rest

We Repealed Health Care

And We Did Not have to Wait For The Supreme Court Ruling!

Spreading False Medicaid Facts - Are You Afraid?

The bold italics words below take you to two sites which offer misleading statements about payments vs benefits for our Medicaid Program today. Click to see who falls short on facts.

What you pay for Medicare won't cover your costs

Rise of the Center's "Simple Math Explains Why Social Security and Medicare are Leading us Into Bankruptcy"

Lets us look at all the facts: $43,100 or $89,000 annual average salary provide a similar outcome, let us look at the facts for a couple earning an average of $89,000 per year.

A couple earning $89,000 a year are required to make annual payments of $3,250 per year as a tax to secure medicaid benefits when they are of retirement age. A couple paying Medicaid tax of $3,250 a year for 35 years totals to just under $114,000 in contributions.

I project their working life at 35 years before retirement and give them an annual compound interest rate of 5% on the money paid in each year until they retire and want to collect on their Medicaid insurance benefits. After 35 years of payments with the annual compound interest rate of 5% they have a running balance of $308,218.05 in payments and interest earned on their account.

The value would be $480,718.74 if the annual compound interest rate was 7%

At this point the couple starts to draw from their running balance in the Medicaid bank. But remember they continue to earn an annual compound interest from retirement through their death. So the $308,218.05 invested @ 5% annual compound interest for next 20 years during retirement leaves this couple a future value of $817,794.24, fully covering their anticipated Medicaid expenses during their lifetime.

Remember the AP article written by Ricardo Alonso-zaldivar, Associated Press – Thu Dec 30, 11:15 am ET states:

"But they can expect to receive medical services — from prescriptions to hospital care — worth $355,000, or about three times what they put in."

"Consider an average-wage, two-earner couple together earning $89,000 a year. Upon retiring in 2011, they would have paid $114,000 in Medicare payroll taxes during their careers."


Knowledge is power!

Contain Health Care Costs

The United States spends an estimated $2 trillion annually on health care expenses, more than any other industrialized country; some argue that the USA spends two-and-one-half times the average of other economically developed countries in the world. And unfortunately our outcomes are NOT better and our life expectancy does not exceed.

Did you realize that we enjoy the company of Mexico and Turkey as the only industrialized countries without some form of universal health care coverage?

And that we are spending more than 16% of our gross domestic production on medical costs; some solutions:

Cost Containment Ideas:

• Require transparency in physician historical record: Include publication of law suits, insurance claims and associated settlement payments.

• Support and encourage better individual choices

• Focusing on quality and transition to accountable payment systems

• Paying for better care, not more care, supporting improvements with better evidence.

• Invest in better information and tools

• Aggregation I: Restructure non-group and small-group health insurance markets and coverage subsidies

• Aggregation II: Establish a public option which provides opportunity for real consumer driven competition and requires employer driven option to compete in a free market based environment.

• Aggregation III: Better pricing and market leverage, governments should evaluate whether to aggregate their purchasing power. This includes (to be allowed by law) formation of health care insurance pools, intergovernmental agreements for procurement of prescription drugs, partnerships with private sector organizations, or local government participation in state master agreements.

• Aggregation IV: Can be achieved simply by using fewer insurance carriers or vendors to deliver benefits.

• Vendor Management: (This includes such steps as (a) audits of claims to ensure that carriers or third-party administrators pay benefits according to plan rules, (b) verification of enrolled participants (“positive re-enrollment”), and (c) coordination of benefits.)

• Individual Health Management: ( Wellness programs, Disease management (for at-risk employees or employees undergoing initial treatment), Financial incentives for behavior /lifestyle modification, Patient education on health care matters, Greater cost awareness-make all provider costs “visible” to participants (e.g., providing incentives to employees who discover inaccurate billing)

Ideas?

Deficit Reducing Health Care Reform Bill

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, Public Law 111-148); and, following that, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872)



On March 20, 2010, CBO released its final cost estimate for the reconciliation act, which encompassed the effects of both pieces of legislation. Table 1 (on page 5) provides a broad summary and Table 2 offers a detailed breakdown of the budgetary effects of the two pieces of legislation. CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting both pieces of legislation will produce a net reduction in federal deficits of $143 billion over the 2010-2019 period. About $124 billion of that savings stems from provisions dealing with health care and federal revenues; the other $19 billion results from the education provisions.

Want more information click on the links below:

An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Correction Regarding the Longer-Term Effects of the Manager's Amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Simple fact is the CBO - Non-Partisan arbiter of projection of cost of implementation of government regulations says deficit reduction if fully implemented over 10 year period and beyond.

Last thing, GOP can factually say heath care costs rise with "Obamacare"; the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)" but the usage is deceiving.

They can say this and be correct because health care costs rise no matter what.

The fact is that health care costs rise with or without the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)" but the REAL FACT is that with the passage of "Obamacare" health care costs rise slower; therefore the regulation COSTS AMERICA LESS and INSURES MORE PEOPLE!

Moving forward: Now let's establish real cost control by wrestling our health insurance oligarchy from their hiding place behind the thinly disguised Grande Ole Party (GOP) "PLATITUDE" named free market system out and into the light of day!

Sarah Palin Silent on Health Care Death Panels

Facing a billion-dollar-plus budget deficit, the Arizona legislature cut out all state funding for transplantation retroactively!

This leaves citizens who were told they had a chance at life having the promise revoked by letter without warning. The Republican legislature not only acted as a death panel; it chose to balance the budget on the backs of the poorest of its citizens.

Not a word of protest from GOP wind bags like Sarah Palin, who first sounded the death panel false alarm about Obamacare; a defender Newt Gingrich? Mitt Romney? House GOP leadership?

Charles Grassley who led the propaganda charge in the Senate when it came to accusing the Obama Administration of intending to create a health care death panel stand silent as well.

It is interesting to observe the stony silence of the senator from Iowa as well as that of his colleagues when a very real death panel has reared its ugly head in Arizona.

Please read my "#NOLABELS" piece so that we all might understand how any citizen of this country can remain blind to such hypocrisy.

The time for change has come!