Revolution Watch----Medical Care Changes

The local news paper showed up today with an all-to familiar headline---"Reduce Workforce". In reading thought the piece the usual suspects are mentioned, reduced patient usage, reduced insurance reimbursements and the sequester initiated by the federal government. In truth, the Ministry Medical organization is a big operation but still 250 full time jobs in a field that was supposed to be secure from layoffs due to increasing numbers of duffers, coots, blue hairs and codgers---my people, that is something of note.

So why are revenues and patient usage being reduced when the local population has not decreased? I found that to be a bit odd but thinking back a couple off weeks I recalled going to the local facility (and it is through Ministry), registered Ann for a comprehensive test. WE then then found out for the first time that they wanted the co-pay right then and there---no bill a month from now. I didn't think much of it because we have the money and it was not huge. What did get my attention is had this been a big deal, say for $10K or more they would have demanded the money in order to let you in. Bingo.

There have to be a lot of folks out there that could not come up with the money and if their credit cards are maxed out, they might well be shit-out-of-luck. Do the potential customers then stay home, thus not using the facility, thus not adding to the revenues and thus dying like our friend Big Al did because he lacked funds?

To top it off, many people are losing their insurance all together or having it cut back in coverage, all adding to this rather fast race to the bottom. Does this mean folks will not take care of themselves? Will this be like third world nations were the poor, or sorta poor just go without and become cripples or die?

In the mean time, jobs are lost, good paying jobs possibly, and then those people can not contribute to the economy either and maybe loose their coverage. So what it looks like, as we move into the continued austerity (sequester),  is a snow-balling affect. However, I am a tad struck by the need to decrease our standard of living and the basic needs of citizens. Odd that the rich are getting richer but the middle class is getting poorer. Stock market is going up like crazy---oh, that's right, only the rich have stocks. This damn revolution is getting ugly.