Collie’s Word on the Health Insurance Monopoly

monopoly |məˈnäpəlē|

noun ( pl. -lies)

1 the exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service : his likely motive was to protect his regional monopoly on furs.

• [usu. with negative ] the exclusive possession, control, or exercise of something : men don’t have a monopoly on unrequited love.

• a company or group having exclusive control over a commodity or service : areas where cable companies operate as monopolies.

• a commodity or service controlled in this way : electricity, gas, and water were considered to be natural monopolies.

2 ( Monopoly) trademark a board game in which players engage in simulated property and financial dealings using imitation money. It was invented in the U.S. and the name was coined by Charles Darrow c. 1935.

ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: via Latin from Greek monopōlion, from monos ‘single’ + pōlein ‘sell.’

Since the 1940’s Health Insurance Companies have enjoyed benefits of exemption from Federal Antitrust Laws that virtually every Corporation in America must abide by.  Two Healthcare Giants dominate coverage for the general population in 40 states. Those who shout FREE TRADE in the marketplace while claiming Healthcare Reform is disguised socialism might want to take a hard look.

If I could get the same healthcare that all government employees and the military are entitled to;  If I and millions of Americans willing to pay for affordable healthcare could be eligible for membership in the government insurance pool (composed of private competitive insurance providers), where NO EXCLUSIONS are allowed…Just doing this would transform healthcare.

Tell me, please. Why isn’t this possible?

I am a Border collie.  I think in Black and White.

Tell me what I’m missing here? How is this idea communist medicine?  What are the subversive elements?  We pay. We compete in a fair and balanced marketplace, on a level playing field for all providers.  Every American gets access to the same healthcare that government employees, including members of Congress and the military are entitled to right now…. Show Me the Commies!

We need fair and equitable healthcare Today.  When you see all the debate and rabble rousing going on, ask yourself, who is making the noise?

Commit to being informed.  (follow the money)  Do not give up your rights just because the big guys are running things. Start making some noise of your own! Don’t be complacent.  Don’t be resigned.   Act up!   Speak up!

Bark for affordable healthcare!

Contact your Senator, your Congressman, the White house, Insurance Providers, Special Interest groups.

(there are links to several resources on our blogroll)

Join others in your community as they engage the healthcare debate.

Take it to the streets!  Let your voice be heard!*

Don’t stop barking until we get affordable healthcare!

very truly yours,

Babe T. Border collie

*p.s. We bark every night at 10p.m. PST on Word of Dog,

global internet radio

Defining Affordble Healthcare: An Old Idea With Real Possibility

A picture of health. The Devil is in the dirt.

prevention |priˈven ch ən|

noun

the action of stopping something from happening or arising : crime prevention | the treatment and prevention of AIDS.

PHRASES

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure proverb It’s easier to stop something from happening in the first place than to repair the damage after it has happened.

I love my work, and I am good at it.  As a service dog my primary responsibility is to be alert to advance warnings of my partner’s endocrine disorder.  Thing is we both love to do other stuff.  I am fond of goose chasing in particular.  I cleared geese from a prominent golf course in Portland, Oregon for nearly a year.  We chased geese from one half hour before sunset until the job was done come rain or shine.

What we did not know that were were being exposed to a toxic recipe of various herbicides and fertilizers and fungicides.  Our path took us across three miles of golf course every day.  We had no idea of the health risks until I began getting tumors.  First on my legs, and then, a very rare cancer was found in my lungs.  A tumor nearly the size of a grapefruit. This cancer is so rare most vets never see it.

Histiocytic Sarcoma was once seen only as a genetic disorder in the Bernese Mountain Dog.  Now this cancer affects many breeds, among them Golden retrievers, Flat Coat retrievers, Shelties, German shepherds, and dozens more.

After reviewing the scholarly studies, I was horrified to learn that many commonly used herbicides give rise to histiocytic sarcomas in dogs and lymphomas in humans.  Some herbicides, like Casoron damage the olfactory bulb, resulting in loss of the sense of smell on inhalation. My partner lost his sense of smell on the golf course. The cost for my surgery, chemotherapy, and my partner’s healthcare arising out of our exposure exceeds $20,000.00 so far.  This could have been prevented.  Had we known, and had YOU the public been informed about the health risks of these and many more environmental toxins, some in our own homes right now, the total savings for our healthcare system, more over, for our personal savings accounts is incalculable.

I am a Border collie, so don’t take my word on the math, but affordable healthcare, which includes prevention in all of its forms, could bring the price tag down by many billions of dollars. WE KNOW that a healthy diet reduces the risk for cancer and heart disease.

We KNOW that routine exercise promotes better health.  We KNOW that environmental toxins are suspect for enormous increases in certain cancers and  birth defects,  including Autism Spectrum Disorder, which has increased nearly 100 per cent in just the last 20 years.  There are huge multinational corporations who deliberately obfuscate (as in cover up) the public health risks of herbicides, fertilizers, and other agricultural chemicals for the environment.  (p.s. That includes you.  You ARE the environment)

Get educated.  Get involved.  Use the common sense and curiosity God gave a DOG.  Go online.  Study the scholarly reports.  Do an inventory of household chemicals you use.  Re-evaluate the foods you eat.  (Try reading the labels.)  Cook for your self!  Buy local produce. Learn about nutrition, and the benefits of  organic foods. (i.e. no chemical fertilizers or artificial agents used in their production)

Be open minded enough to receive new information, even if this may require you to make major changes in your lifestyle.

And don’t forget to go for regular walks.  Just be sure that if that place is a golf course or a public park, to be informed about the maintenance practices there.

If you don’t know, for Dog’s sake, wipe your feet!

very truly yours,

Babe T Border collie.

Bark with us on the air! Visit the Word of Dog internet radio Broadcast.

To learn more about our Goose chasing experience, my cancer and ongoing recovery, or even if you just want to get the inside word on the daily life of a service dog

Visit our home blog and explore the stories there.

On your side, when it comes to affordable healthcare.

Affordable Healthcare Word for the day.

seize |sēz|

verb

1 [ trans. ] take hold of suddenly and forcibly : she jumped up and seized his arm | she seized hold of the door handle.

• capture (a place) using force : army rebels seized an air force base.

• assume (power or control) by force : the current president seized power in a coup.

• (of the police or another authority) take possession of (something) by warrant or legal right; confiscate; impound : police have seized 726 lb of cocaine.

• take (an opportunity or initiative) eagerly and decisively : he seized his chance to attack as Delaney hesitated.

• (of a feeling or pain) affect (someone) suddenly or acutely : he was seized by the most dreadful fear.

• strongly appeal to or attract (the imagination or attention) : the story of the king’s escape seized the public imagination.

• formal understand (something) quickly or clearly : he always strains to seize the most somber truths.

2 [ intrans. ] (of a machine with moving parts or a moving part in a machine) become stuck or jammed : the engine seized up after only three weeks.

3 (also seise) ( be seized of) English Law be in legal possession of : the court is currently seized of custody applications.

• historical have or receive freehold possession of (property) : any person who is seized of land has a protected interest in that land.

• be aware or informed of : the judge was fully seized of the point.

4 archaic Nautical fasten or attach (someone or something) to something by binding with turns of rope.

PHRASES

seize the day make the most of the present moment. [ORIGIN: see carpe diem .]

PHRASAL VERBS

seize on/upon take eager advantage of (something); exploit for one’s own purposes : the government has eagerly seized on the evidence to deny any link between deprivation and crime.

DERIVATIVES

seizable |ˈsizəbəl| adjective

seizer |ˈsizər| noun

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French seizir ‘give seisin,’ from medieval Latin sacire, in the phrase ad proprium sacire ‘claim as one’s own,’ from a Germanic base meaning ‘procedure.’

If you are commited to afforddable healtcare, Just do the RED words.

Do these things, join in the transformation of health care in America

We can Make it SO!

very truly yours,

Babe T. Border colie

The Collie Report: A Dog’s Word on Healthcare

Laying Low today, but still barking for healthcare!

A new word for you:

bankrupt |ˈba ng kˌrəpt; -rəpt|

adjective

(of a person or organization) declared in law unable to pay outstanding debts : the company was declared bankrupt | he committed suicide after going bankrupt.

• impoverished or depleted : a bankrupt country with no natural resources.

• figurative completely lacking in a particular quality or value : their cause is morally bankrupt.

noun

a person judged by a court to be insolvent, whose property is taken and disposed of for the benefit of creditors.

verb [ trans. ]

reduce (a person or organization) to bankruptcy : the strike nearly bankrupted the union.

ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Italian banca rotta ‘broken bench,’ from banca (see bank ² ) and rompere ‘to break.’ The change in the ending was due to association with Latin rupt- ‘broken.’

I have a rare cancer Border collies shouldn’t get.  Histiocytic Sarcoma.  I got it after exposure to herbicides known to cause this lethal disease.

After multiple surgeries, and the chemo, I am still defying the odds.
So far, my partner has spent over $20,000.00 on medical costs.
What’s he gonna do? I am his service dog!  Without me to keep an eye on him he’d have checked out a long time ago.
That money came from savings… his self insurance fund, because policy exclusions make any realistic coverage for his endocrine disorder impossible.  His condition is stable for the moment, thank God.  (We’re both into preventitive healthcare)
Even so, we are just one crisis away from bankruptcy.

Every year millions of Americans, your friends and neighbors, face bankruptcy because they cannot obtain affordable healthcare.

I’ve had a good run.   In fact, so far, I am the longest living dog with Histiocytic Sarcoma.

Today has been a rough patch.  I don’t feel so good.

And I am worried.

I would like to be around to see my partner get decent health coverage.

Nevemind Us Dogs…

If you people can’t get it together we are all screwed.

I gave my word. What about you?

Commit yourself to being a part of the solution!

very truly yours,

Babe T. Border collie

Ps:  Visit these links to learn more about our experience with cancer:

The Longest Living Dog

Life, Death and Possibility

Discover what it takes to be a service dog at

Christopher Kliks’s blog…

Browse for stories in the Word Cloud

*Get the Low Down on Histiocytic Sarcoma in Dogs.

The Collie Report: New Word on Healthcare

The Naked truth on Healthcare.

We just looked up a new word:

This is exactly as the definition appears in the New American Heritage Dictionary:

exclusion |ikˈskloō zh ən|nounthe process or state of excluding or being excluded : drug users are subject to exclusion from the military.• an item or risk specifically not covered by an insurance policy or other contract : exclusions can be added to your policy.PHRASESto the exclusion of so as to exclude something specified : don’t revise afew topics to the exclusion of all others.DERIVATIVESexclusionary |-ˌnerē| |ɪkˈskluʒəˈnɛri| |ɛkˈskluʒəˈnɛri| adjectiveORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin exclusio(n-), from excludere‘  shut out’ (see exclude ).

Yesterday I was listening to a call in radio talk show in Portland. Oregon.   Mark and Dave were talking about this insurance guy, Joe I think his name was from Ohio who got some press for shouting He had enough of this crap  from the presidnet about how the insurance industry is only out for the big bucks.  He said that in “Thirty five  years of selling insurance policies in Ohio, his company had NEVER dropped a single claim or client after discovery of a health condition.”

Will good for you Mister Joe the Insurance guy.

I just want you to know that when this topic was discussed live on the radio in Portland, (KEX 1190) The phones were ringing off the hook.

EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING had a nightmare story to tell about how their insurance companies not only DROPPED them mid trauma (or shortly after) but even billed these people for the entire sum of their treatment after the fact.  In each case the excuse was some obscure or ill defined detail which could be interpreted as a “Pre-existing Condition“

Explain this, Joe from Ohio.  Please explain to me  how on a reltively conservative radio talk show, Every Single Caller shared the personal experience of being

dropped on account of the EXCLUSION dance.

Now I am just a Dog, so I may not be smart enough to get this, but Something Smells like a dead carp here.

Insurance companies admit they pay people just to look for ways to get out of providing coverage.  Assurity experts, I think they call them.

I am not at all assured by this process.  Is this Health Insurance or  Health Lotto?

I swear.  Sometimes I think I’d  stand  a better chance of getting affordable healthcare if  I bought a Powerball ticket and hit the jackpot.

Even Doctors admit that exclusions are routinely used to cut costs by eliminating the people who need health care the most.

Hey!  Got an idea!

Instead of looking for ways to undermine an insurance claim, why not REWARD people for being proactive in their healthcare?  Why not push PREVENTION?  Why not give incentives to patients who get well instead of sending them into bankruptcy.

Just a thought.

very truly yours,

Babe T. Border collie.

ps: just found another word:

assure |əˈ sh oŏr|

verb

1 [ reporting verb ] tell someone something positively or confidently to dispel any doubts they may have : [ trans. ] Tony assured me that there was a supermarket in the village | [ trans. ] “I quite understand,” Mrs. Lewis assured her | [ trans. ] they assured him of their full confidence.

• make (someone) sure of something : you would be assured of a fine welcome | she assured herself that he was asleep.

2 [ trans. ] (often be assured) make (something) certain to happen : victory was now assured | [with clause ] their influence assured that the report would be tough.

• chiefly Brit. cover (a person) with life insurance.

• secure the future payment of (an amount) with insurance.

DERIVATIVES

assurer |əˈʃʊ(ə)rər| noun

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French assurer, based on Latin ad- ‘to’ (expressing change) + securus (see secure ).

A Call to Action! “No more fooling around.” Let’s Watch the President Tonight!

We are inviting you to see what President Obama has to say to the joint session of Congress.

Tune in Tonight  at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard  Time

Join in the  CONVERSATION!

Me and my Human, we agree...When it comes to Healthcare... You are either ON the Bus or you are OFF the Bus .

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

Follow this blog.   Join us as we explore the bottom line.

Beginning with the key words DEFINED!

(We are using the New Oxford American here)

Get into the healthcare game and have a say about your well being.

Join us in making a difference…

Be a part of creating affordable healthcare!

Get on the horn with YOUR government!

(If our Blogroll is not visible on the right side of this page, just click below:)

The Collie Report homepage. Check links to YOUR government.

Tweet the White House. (see twitter links) The conversation is happening as we speak!

Get your Butt online and BARK Now!

Defining the Will of the People when it comes to healthcare!

initiative |iˈni sh (ē)ətiv|noun1 the ability to assess and initiate things independently : use your initiative,imagination, and common sense.2 [in sing. ] the power or opportunity to act or take charge before othersdo : we have lost the initiative and allowed our opponents to dictate the subject.3 an act or strategy intended to resolve a difficulty or improve a situation; a fresh approach to something : a new initiative against carcrime.• a proposal made by one nation to another in an attempt to improve relations : diplomatic initiatives to end the war | [with adj. ] a Middle Eastpeace initiative.4 ( the initiative) (esp. in some U.S. states and Switzerland) the right ofcitizens outside the legislature to originate legislation.PHRASESon one’s own initiative without being prompted by others.take (or seize) the initiative be the first to take action.

It is time You and I took some initiative, instead of like, just letting Others blather on and on in our Name.

Bark with us!  Bark at 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.  Bark at 10 p.m. your time.  In the mean time, we invite you to get into the center of this issue!

Learn something new about health care in this country each day.

Commit to taking just one simple action a day to play your part in reinventing affordable healthcare!

Your life depends on it.

very truly yours,

Babe T. Border collie

The Collie Report: This Healthcare Debate is Going to the Dogs!

Mad as Hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!

Here’s the Deal. This whole national healthcare legislation logjam? It a sham. I can’t make heads or tails of it. We have allowed our representatives to engage in carnival barking and obfuscation (the art of rendering an idea unclear or unintelligible) over an issue We ALL Agree is a train wreck about to happen. The engine is OFF the Tracks, and we, the people…ALL of us; The United States of US, are being dragged along on a runaway train that is heading straight for Armageddon. We aren’t even traveling first class! When it comes to affordable healthcare most of Us are riding along with the luggage in the caboose. But we’re all gonna crash together just the same!
Hell. Even a Dog can see that.
Dogs know all about dogfights. This is a dogfight. We are supposed to be about the business of fixing a damaged system that costs more than it delivers, while failing to serve those that need it until they are too sick to take care of themselves and end up in an emergency room.

Most all of us agree that we willing to pay a REASONABLE price for healthcare. Eleven hundred dolars a month for a family of 3 is obscene. Five hundred dollars for a single man over fifty (with exclusions) is pure insanity. Forget it when it comes to MY Heathcare… Insurance for an old die hard Scottish Northern Border collie? Unobtainable.

When your only option is to go to the county hospital when you are on your last legs, who do you think ends up paying the bill? If you happen to be insured, and exclusion clauses allow denial of treatment, or worse, enable Insurance companies to revisit a claim after the fact, and sue for the entire bill based on any number of obscure “pre-existing” conditions, Who do you think pays for that?
How obscure are the pre-existing conditions? Read your policy and be afraid. If you have one.

My companion has an Endrocrine disorder. Any condition arising out of, or in any way related to the endrocrine system is not covered. Outside of falling off a cliff at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday during the full moon, My guy has no coverage. Oh, if he falls because he passed out or something…all bets are off.

This issue is not about the red states and the blue states, This is not about the communists versus the global Illuminati. It’s about Homo Sapiens agreeing to find common ground in the name of what is best for Everyone living Now, and for generations to follow.

I don’t know about you but I AM MAD AS HELL.

I Watch my companion and his friends barely getting by with minimal healthcare and they are mostly wage earners, just one accident away from a financial meltdown.

It affects me too, frankly, because I am a Service Dog. How can I do MY job if you people do not do yours?
Get. Involved. Take charge of your healthcare future. Learn about the issues. Participate, question, and be Heard!

Don’t be lead like lambs to the slaughter!
Bark!
Bark for affordable healthcare!
Here are some ways you can make a difference:

Commit to being INFORMED. Discover for yourself What is SO on Healthcare. Do not take “let me get back to you” for an answer. Do not allow verbal slight of hand or other distractions (“But what about the terrorists?) to stop you. Get the facts.

Communicate YOUR concerns to those in government:
Call or email your congressman, your senator, the White House.
You can communicate with the ENTIRE U.S Legislative body! Did you know that?

How do you contact them?
Hello? Do I have to spell it out? You are viewing this blog so you must know something about the web.
Learn to use Google.
If you are a dog, You will be amazed. (try “hot to trot on four legs with lots of fur, but no health insurance” for starters)

Here are some suggestions: (just roll over them with your mouse for a preview or click to visit)
The Us Congress
or

The Us Senate
or

The White House

Communicate with others in your neighborhood. Exchange stories.
Volunteer. Go to Hospitals, care facilities, and get the INSIDE picture!

Most of all. Be part of the Solution!
If you are not BEING part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.
I know. I was like that myself once. Wandering aimlessly, no particular opinion on anything, useless, untouchable.
NOW I am a Dog with a a Job My work transforms the lives of others I meet, and that makes all the difference.
You can make a difference too.
Fixing our health care crisis is a Do-able thing! We only have to Choose to Make it So. We went to the moon and back! (Well, not me, exactly, but you know what I mean)
Together we CAN make affordable healthcare a reality, where Everybody gets a fair shake. We’re not talking handouts here. But scraps that aren’t worth paying for is not a fair shake.

In the future, I will be talking about definitions. Just to clear the air. Definitions of certain words like:

Exclusions
Preventative Medicine
Rescission
Competitive Insurance Pools (like any employee of the US government gets access to for example)

I’m learning about all this stuff, and I am a dog.
So don’t tell you can’t learn along with me.
Follow our blog. Comment on your experience.
Get in the game!

very truly yours,
Babe T. Border collie.

PS: Tonight at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time I am sticking my head out the window of our tiny riverside apartment in Portland, Oregon and BARKING for affordable healthcare.
We are inviting ALL canines and humans to to join in. Let our voices gather and be heard.
Together we can raise a ruckus that will get the attention of those sleeping DOGS in Washington!

Tonight. 10 p.m. And EVERY night until affordable healthcare happens, we are barking.
“I am Mad as Hell and I’m not gonna take it ANYMORE!
Affordable Healthcare NOW!”
Listen to the Word of Dog internet radio Broadcast and hear Us bark around the world!
pss:
I live all the way across the country from D.C. Three thousand miles away to be exact.
So I need a LOT of barkers. Drag your human with you.