Another Monday

Another horrible shooting. I can't help but feel that the politics of hate in this country have contributed.  It's not all guns; it's words, too.  The Westboro Baptist protests at funerals (and tweeted after the Sikh attack in Wisconsin "God sent another shooter.").  The birthers.  The all-out hatred (not just disagreement) of our President.  The extremes on the health reform law.  The harsh words about gay marriage.  It's as if hatred has become an accepted part of our culture.  We have to stop.

Since about half of the states have not moved towards setting up an Exchange (a marketplace where you can shop for and buy insurance), the federal government finds itself in the unexpected position of building exchanges in the remaining states.  In Missouri, there's a ballot referendum that would prohibit the state from setting up an Exchange.  I really don't get this.  All the Exchange is is a place where consumers can compare, shop for and buy health insurance, while also enrolling in Medicaid and applying for subsidies.  The insurance sold on the Exchange is private insurance, just like we have now. 

And once again, the GOP wants to replace insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions with grants to states to create or shore up high risk pools.  Once again, treat us as different, as pariahs.  Once again, force us to pay twice as much for health insurance -- which is the same as offering nothing to many people -- and wait 6 months without insurance to get coverage.  Once again, we would have lifetime limits on benefits while the rest of America would not.  I could go on.  This is not a tenable option, as they would know if they ever seriously listened to people with pre-existing conditions.

A study shows that lying can harm your health.  Both mental and physical health declined when study participants lied.  Hmmm.

A colon cancer patient explains the genetic link to colon cancer in his family.  Should your family be tested?  Check it out.

Swine flu is being passed from pigs to humans.  This is no joke.  Think before attending that state fair this summer.

Jesse Jackson Jr. is hospitalized due to depression.  I've been interested in the coverage of his now 7 week absence from his job.  First, several of his colleagues -- Dems -- demanded to know what was going on.  Now, we hear that he collapsed at his home due to debilitating depression -- and I want to know what makes one depressed person able to put one foot in front of the other and somehow cope while another collapses?  And I marvel at the difference between how we react to physical illness and how we react to mental illness.  If he'd had appendicitis and surgery, I doubt we'd be reading much more than a litle blurb about it.

Remember my experience with US Airways?  Well apparently, Alaska Airlines refused to accommodate a patient with Parkinson's disease.  They claim he never said he was disabled.  I very definitely said I was disabled, and in my case, that was considered a behavior problem by a fight attendant and by the passenger next to me, who said "maybe you shouldn't travel." 

And that's it for this Monday morning.  Have a great day!  Jennifer