GiveBackAmerica

I spent last weekend celebrating a wedding with many of my old college friends.  This is a great group of guys who have stayed close well after our college years (I'm 35 yrs old now).  Our biggest debate of the weekend was politics.  Specifically, we debated (they yelled at me) about healthcare.

Now to preface this, I'm very liberal on many social issues and conservative financially.  Capitalism is wonderful and often leads to peak efficiency.  Individuals and companies are incentived to grow and prosper.  Now on the other hand, most of my friends are conservative both socially and financially.  The main difference is that I believe everyone in our country should be ENTITLED to:

1) Healthcare

2) Housing (a basic roof and nothing more)

3) Food (it doesnt have to taste good, just do the job to survive)

4) ACCESS to education (we can't force feed you, you need to want it) 

5) Equal opportunities (we need to strictly enforce this)

Healthcare was the big debate. Let's do a quick summary.

 Universal Health Care PROS:  Everyone will be covered and there will be no gray area, nobody falls through the cracks.  It's not all about $ and without our health we have nothing.

Universal Healthcare Cons:  Government is extremely inefficient and ruins anything it controls, long lines for service that you have little say about, Drs. shouldn't be limited on salary, if you take the profit out of healthcare then drug companies have no incentive to research new drugs that help mankind (sad but very true), profit drives medical community and Drs. to offer better service (incentive), when you sum it up it's just the taxpayer picking up the universal healthcare tab with HUGE INCREASE IN TAXES while the gov infringes on capitalism and tells me they can handle my money better than i do.

See on paper it seems to clearly favor private healthcare.  There must be a better answer.  Overall, I love capitalism and private enterprise.  I think our system is great for the rich, poor and most of the middle class.    I still cant help feeling empathy for the working poor (middle class) that get "unlucky" with health issues and gets CRUSHED by the system. 

Whats the answer to save this unfortunate group?  Maybe set a cap on medical bills you are responsible for if you have adequate coverage?  Force the insurance companies to cover ALL MEDICAL RELATED COSTS and stop denying claims?  Offer affordable guarenteed health policies where everyone has access to education?  Is it fair that a person BORN WITH type 1 diabetes has to pay through his teeth for coverage for his entire life?  I'm feel for people that were dealt a tough hand and get crushed by the system as a result.

Someone please give me suggestions and help me see this more clearly.

Craig

Posted by Craig at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Something has to change with the healthcare in our society.  "Medical Insurance" - The rich will always have it, the poor will always get it for free, and the middle class is at the mercy of the system. 

It's really simple, if you're rich you just buy your own private insurance and all is good.  Any cost above and beyond what insurance covers, you just write a check.  If you are really poor (no assets and no desire to have any) then its also simple.  You just walk into a hospital and you will be treated for free.  It also doesnt matter what procedures you have done, since the state will be picking up the entire tab of your hospital stay.  Now the key is, you do have to be poor with no assets for the hospital to go after.  This is not desireable but's it's a harsh reality.

Now the real crime in the system is the way the working middle class is treated.  If you are fortunate enough to have med insurance, then you may soon learn about copays, deductables and non covered procedures.  Even with insurance, these additional costs can bankrupt a working class family.  Imagine the single mother who loses her job and med insurance.  She cant afford to pay for it on her own (who can?) and must go without.  She gets very sick and the medical bills begin to pile up.  Because she has assets (equity in house), she is personally responsible for these bills.  Her credit gets ruined and she is bankrupted.   

When it comes to healthcare, if you are not the very rich or very poor, then you are probably part of the working poor.  Because no matter how comfortable you feel with your middle class nest egg, rising healthcare costs can wipe you out at any time (even if you have insurance).

I'm just venting.  I get upset thinking about these things. 

Posted by Craig at 12:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was just reading Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's blog (www.38pitches.com) and it got me thinking about the relationship between athletes and philanthropy, because Curt is an avid supporter of charities that deal with ALS.  Although some athletes participate in charitable activity because they are forced to by their teams or leagues, I believe most contribute because they truly enjoy it.  Also, many athletes understand that they have been truly blessed to be in the position that they are, and that helping out those less fortunate than they are is a very easy decision for them.

Athletes in this country are role models to millions of children, and these children will take notice to the charitable work that the athletes do.  Helping children realize the importance of helping out those in need at a young age is very important, and athletes have the opportunity to achieve this.

There are two organizations listed on our site that were started by star athletes.

The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism

The Foundation's mission is to aid financially disadvantaged families who need assistance in caring for their children with autism; to fund education and research into the causes and consequences of childhood autism; and to serve as a clearinghouse and communications center for new programs and services developed for individuals with autism

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation is dedicated to providing funds to nonprofit charitable organizations who strive to positively impact the lives of children in need. The Foundation understands that many nonprofit organizations with limited name recognition and limited budgets are making the most impact in their communities and regions. It is our goal of The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation to provide funds to these organizations in an effort to offer support for continuance of positive programs for children in need.

Both of these athletes do an excellent job with their foundations.  To support either of these foundations simply by shopping online, click the link below to visit our homepage.

Posted by Rob at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I remember growing up and being consumed with trying to accomplish "GOALS".  You are supposed to get good grades - get into a good school - and get on a good career path.  It all seems so simple, what could possibly stand in my way?

Throughout our youth and young adulthood, some people would always say "it's all for nothing without your health".  Although I heard them, I never listened.  Actually, I never gave much SERIOUS thought to it.  Then in my mid twenties, I began experiencing health issues.

It's amazing how you go from giving zero thought about your health (taking it for granted), to having it consume 100% of your thoughts.  Some people are fortunate enough to learn this lesson at an old age while others are born with challenges that never afford them the luxury of taking their health for granted.

Posted by Craig at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April is recognized throughout the world as being Autism Awareness Month.  During April, you will see many television news specials and reports, magazine features, and newspaper articles covering autism.  I find it fascinating that there is still much that is unknown about autism, with all the research tools we have available to us today.  Also, it is very interesting that many people disagree on a number of points dealing with autism, and how it should be classified.  We feature many organizations that are autism related, and whatever your beliefs, you should be able to find one that you can support.  To see a list of our autism related charities, visit our homepage, then choose autism from the drop-down "Cause" menu on the middle of the page.  As always, if there is a specific charity you would like to see listed on this site that isn't already, please let us know.

Posted by Rob at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)