Fair 28.0°F Fair [Forecast] :: Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Op-Ed

A page where people can oppose the publishers
Please visit these local CapeCodToday sponsors:
General Dentistry of Cape Cod, PC
Creating beautiful smiles is our business. We take great satisfaction in helping you maintain optimal oral health. Our practice is devoted to comprehensive and preventive patient care. Contact us for a free consultation. (Hyannis)
Impressions Home Interiors
A full service interior decorating company offering a wide variety of services including redesign, home staging and workshops. Located in Sandwich, MA, we have been serving homeowners and realtors all over Cape Cod and the South Shore since 2006. (Sandwich)

We aren't that Gull-ible

A sandspit tailor-made for healthcare reform

The Cape and Islands' demographics is tailor made for the coming healthcare reform. The area is densely populated with old crocks like me. Small businesses are as ubiquitous as the weeds in our gardens.

Our sandy chunk of the country rife with people requiring more medical treatment than average.


We are grateful that the big hassle back in 1965 that got us Medicare

We are grateful that the big hassle back in 1965 that got us Medicare was won by the "pro" side. They went through the same sort of scare tactics then as we see today. The lives saved and the volume of worry prevented have been a blessing to all who are on the program. I don't see anyone turning it down, even if it is a socialistic government-run healthcare program.

All our small business operators who have doubts should read the NY Times editorial of 8/13/09 "Health Reform and Small Business".

Most have 25 employees or less and an annual payroll of $500,000 or less, so they won't be mandated. Small employers will be able to join exchanges to get the same lower rates the big guys enjoy. The Congressional Budget Office, the NY Times, and Howard Dean's "Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform" all agree small businesses stand to benefit. A little research will give you the details.

Most American industries are at a competitive disadvantage because the bulk of our health insurance is employer based. In single- payer countries the government picks up the tab. And their people have better care than we do, according to the World Health Organization.

All of us old timers should prefer the public option, because we want to play it safe with supplements like Medex that kick in when the costs exceed what Medicare will pay. The private insurers, sanctified by reform opponents, have doubled their premiums in a decade. Without the public option nothing will stop them from doing it again.

All of us old timers should prefer the public option.

The medical industry's attempts to buy a bill that mandates coverage without a public option's protection is their pitch to win themselves an open-pit gold mine. Our premiums

When there is talk about comparing the rate of increase in health insurance premiums with the much slower gains in wages, we know who gets shafted. But what about us retirees on fixed incomes? We are vulnerable, but the opponents and the stallers in both parties don't seem to care. But we ancients vote, and will remember which politicians worked for us, and which were too interested in the appalling amount of cash the special interests use to make them virtual employees.

Richard C. Bartlett. Cotuit

3 comments
Blog posts and comments are entirely the thoughts and ideas of the people who write them and in no way represent the views of CapeCodToday.com, eCape, Inc., or its employees or owners.

08/21/09 @ 1:56 pm
CC Rockhopper [Member] writes:
Only fools walk where vipers lurk to strike and steal from mindless wonderers seeking handouts as they chose to surrender all they have because of their blind ignorance
08/21/09 @ 8:35 pm
Monponsett [Member] writes:
They should make it like UNICEF or whatever that is, and each of is is responsible for the healthcare of one immigrant. If he dies early or is perhaps murdered... you're off the hook.
09/21/09 @ 5:47 pm
Richard [Member] writes:
Hi, Dick

You should have said we aren't all that gullible. The other two replies here show that some of us clearly are.
Please visit these local CapeCodToday sponsors:
Thomas D. Brown Real Estate
Extensive listings of homes for sale throughout the lower and outer Cape Cod area. Many feature waterfront locations. Also many vacation rentals available. (Truro)
Bonkerz Party Zone
Open Year Round! Open Every Day! Tons of things to do for kids ages 2-12. Air conditioned and great for birthday parties. Snack bar, moonbounce, giant webbed playset and much more! (Yarmouth)
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR COMMENTORS & BLOGGERS: CapeCodToday now requires a one-time validation of your account email. When logging in or registering for the first time, you will be emailed a link to click that will validate your email and complete your login. The link in the email must be clicked in the same session when you are logged into the site for security purposes (i.e. retrieve the email right away and do not close your web browser).

This is a one-time-only process (or if you change the email on your account), and will help CCToday keep out the spammers. If you cannot validate your email because it is invalid, and you are a legitimate user, feel free to contact us and we will update your account to your current email.

Please Login or Register to leave a comment. There are 4,992 registered commenters!

CapeCodToday requires readers register an account with us in order to post comments. Become a trusted commenter and receive the benefits of posting instantly throughout the site. It's quick and easy!

Please note: If you are a CapeCodToday registered blogger, you can use your blogger login. Your login for the blogs is separate from your CapeCodToday main site login (if you have one).

Previous/Next posts in this blog

About This Blog

oped3An op-ed is a piece of writing, expressing an opinion. The name originated from the tradition of newspapers placing each columns on the page opposite to the editorial page. Thus the term "op-ed" is simply a combination of "opposite" and "editorial." The difference with this one, however, is that you can reply immediately by commenting below.
Walter Brooks, Editor & Publisher
Maggie Kulbokas, Managing Editor

- site sponsors -


CCT Blog Tools

Login to comment or manage your blog:

Username: 

Password:     

Become a CapeCodToday Blogger!

Are you passionate about your community? Do you blog or at least harbor thoughts of doing so?

If so, CapeCodToday.com would like to host your blog on our CapeCodToday weblog publishing platform.

Blog Newsfeed

CapeCodToday uses standard web "newsfeeds" (RSS) to automatically update the latest blog entries in your browser or newsreader.

Use any of the links below in your newsreader or web browser to get "Op-Ed" postings delivered to you, or use the RSS icon in your browser's address bar.

RSS 2.0 Atom 0.3