Let’s talk about a real grand bargain! One in which the budget deficit is reduced, benefits and services aren’t cut, health care cost growth is slowed, and the America’s families have an improved quality of life. (Checklist each of the goals.)
A single medical condition is responsible for 1 out of 8 to 10 dollars spent every year on health care: Diabetes. Its costs are multiplied by its complications: nerve damage, blindness, limb loss, hormone imbalance, personal care, tests, deaths. Its current costs are estimated to be between $80 and $100 billion annually. Eighteen federal departments spend more than the budget for the Department of Education on diabetes education and related costs.
The good news? Diabetes is a chronic condition that can treated–and eliminated!–for many patients by diet and exercise! Diet and exercise could reduce national health care costs as much as $60 billion annually, $600 billion over 10 years in today’s dollars. We only spend 1/20th of diabetes-related costs on prevention. We could give cash grants to patients for meeting their metrics (and annual bonuses!) and still save enormous sums!
Not one mention in debate or at press conferences ever applies purpose to our problems. Power is the object of debates for its own sake. Solutions that we hold in our hands are ignored. Medically–and politically– we are going blind as a result of chronic conditions.
~walter, you know it isn’t about health care. It’s all about the money. GOP much more than the Dems but even then it’s still about the money and re-election. Dem policies are still much better for most citizens. Not much will change until we get money out of politics. All that money is such a no win for American people. Or a huge national disaster, maybe on the scale of another Yellowstone super volcano. One is overdue according to past eruptions and the seismologists and geologist are keeping a close eye on it. Does any other civilized modern country on the planet allow all the corporation money in politics, PACs, Super PACs, and donations in their elections? Do they say money is speech? I’ve not heard of one. Maybe that’s what makes America feel exceptional now. We have enough super wealthy to buy our government and it appears they have done it with elections at all levels. I’m feeling a lot less exceptional lately.
But western MT is still a great place to live. But we’ve got all the citizens we need for now. Our streets are clogged, the main ones pretty much all day, every day. 80k is enough. Not sure anyone would have enough to pay me to live in NYC or LA, or any other high populace area. Ican be in the mountains by myself in 15-20 minutes. One area is designated Wilderness. Jobs sort of suck but there are always the min wage ones.