A Thousand Words, Vol.1, Issue 19.

This week the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will hear arguments about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA/Obamacare).  Should the justices decide ACA is unconstitutional, then the impact will be devasting on many Americans who are insured through the Medicare program with its infamous, Republican-created "donut" hole for prescription drugs.


The benefits to Medicare recipients of the ACA/Obamacare vice the Republicans' plans to privatize Medicare can be seen here.


Related information:


Health Care Blessings of ACA/Obamacare.

Notwithstanding Republicans' Devilish Tactics, ACA Is a Health Care Blessing

In presenting this post on the issue of health care, I would like to begin with a passage from a study done by the Employee Benefit Research Institure (EBRI).

This [EBRI] article examines the impact that repealing PPACA [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] would have on savings targets [read costs] for health care expenses in retirement. The estimates suggest that retirees with high levels of prescription drug use throughout retirement would see their savings targets [costs] increase roughly 30-40 percent were the coverage gap reduction in PPACA repealed. 

To learn more about the EBRI report and retiree health care costs, please continue across the jump.

Quotation for Today: Return of the Social Security and Medicare"Sharks"

Just when you thought it was safe to "get back in the water," we discover -- via the quotation for today -- that the Social Security and Medicare "sharks" have returned to the waters off "Social Security Island"; apologies to Peter Benchley and the producers of the movie, Jaws.

Quotation for Today: Moral Hazard - A Dog Whistle

The quotation for today opens a discussion about the somewhat arcane economic concept known as "moral hazard" and how it -- by excusing greed and selfishness -- is used to pervert our sense of community.

Quotation for Today

“Because of it, our country is, at last, making health care a basic human right. It is a majestic thing.”

Donald Berwick, M.D.