The Emerald Rose

Since I began paying into Social Security, then Medicare every week from my paycheck, (not counting the health insurance for my own family, dental and vision, etc. etc,) well I figured I put in about $350-400 THOUSAND of my money! At first it was a reasonable thing to to , considering you would be taken care of after you stopped working , but pretty soon it seemed like the “token” deduction, but it seemed to exceed the cost of my families health insurance about 25 years ago, and obviously that gap has grown even more!

I’ve always never really complained about it,….and then came 2009, and I filed for social security at 62 1/2, at which time 2007 had come around. I can safely say that I was ready to have the system I paid into since I was 14 years old to take care of me. About the only problems I ever had was an ear ache, the flu, or a cold. Everything else I could walk off, shake off , or drink away, or chicken soup myself to get back to health. BUT in 2009 I went to one of those “health screening” deals at the local church, as part of getting fully checked out getting ready for retirement. The next phase would be the financial planning aspect of it, since that would be the next logical step,…..but God threw out a “gotcha”!

One thing then another the “health Screening” exam by my own Pyhsician, upon whom I had explicit trust, led to results that after a lot more deeper tests and all had me in Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola on a Sunday night in April of 2009, taking cold showers( there was no hot water) with an antibacterial “soap”, designed to kill any and all germs on me, and I had to do another shower at 4:30 AM as well. Then at 5am the “Guy” came in ” to prep me” for an open heart “CABG” (Coronary Artery By-Pass Graft) procedure) Essentially a triple bypass because I was a walking time bomb of clogged heart arteries!

All went well, I’m still here, and my Surgeon gets the “Seamstress of the Century” award!!

But then the “Medicare Stampede” kicks in for you. You become a “valued commodity” (within the confines of the “Medicare guidelines”, of course!)  You are a quick source revenue building block for every Doctor, Specialist, Hospital, and “Lab”,  the world over. Only two questions are asked, EVER! 1) “May I see your Medicare card, please ?”, and then 2) “Do you also have a supplementary Insurance Card as well please?”. They are your ticket to the medical care special,….they charge the government pays.

No more “Co-pay” if you have the right “supplemental” insurance, AND if you happen to get the “Perscription card”,…..well free medical prescriptions! This is truly the land of milk and honey.

Question, folks! How do you stop the golden goose from laying gold egg? Put the government in charge of “regulating” golden geese and gold eggs! The geese get malnourished, and start dying of “unknown causes”, and the golden eggs start shrinking in size to only as big as mini Cadbury eggs. Of course the Government, driven by the stupid Senate and House of Representatives will propose a five year study on “Goose food” to determine if the cause is dietary in the “Golden Egg” situation, additionally the CDC (Communicable Disease Commission) agreed to fund additional studies at 8 figure prices to determine why the Golden Geese are failing as a species, and the American Wildlife Federation is proposing a full moratorium on the capture and retention of Golden Geese from the wild, and establishment of them as an “endangered species” and a protected area to be determined to be the entire country of Canada, which the United States will annex and establish the 51st state, and grant all Canadians except “Quebecers” who must return to France since they “love the French culture more than Canada”

But in reality folks, is that not how government handles the problems? Now back to my favorite subject,…..the care and handling  of ME!. Aspirin used to be good, 39 cents a bottle for 100 of them, but of course then came the government, (and the dreaded Pharmaceutical companies). THEREFORE, it is decreed that Aspirin is now bad, and Tylenol, Alleve, Ibuprofen, and things of that ilk are far better for you. Name me a person over 65 who is advised to NOT take aspirin, but 81 m.g. “Baby aspirin” (25% of the strength of a full aspirin at 325 m.g.), but you can augment it with any of the other aforementioned pills!!

Guess I am just a total “conspiracy” theorist, but I have had a back ache and after a couple dozen X-rays by “Orthopedic Specialists” it’s recommended I have cortisone injections in my lumbar region, to which I said “Please pound sand Dude”, and the alternative offer was “a special orthopedic brace” (Be aware Insurnace will cover both, but I opted for the lesser of two evils, the brace. ) so next month I’ll see how much they charged Medicare for it, Then compare it to the cost of a “Tommy Copper” shirt or a local drug store type favored by Brett Farve. (The results will probably be earth shattering, but what do you expect!

I am officially changing the age old adage of , “….the Lord give the, and the Lord taketh away!” It will forever be known as “The Lord giveth, through the government, but the Pharmaceutical taketh away via the outrageous price.”

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The Gulf Coast Curmudgeon – Mr. Guinness

January 26, 2018