One of them is not reading the paper.
"Aging population tests individuals, communities; Economy triggers struggle to survive across Appalachia" by Dan Sewell | Associated Press, February 26, 2012
MT. ORAB, Ohio -Retired state employee Donna Robirds’ daily battle is being played out across the Appalachian region, which stretches through 13 states from northeastern Mississippi to southern New York. A part of the country that has long lagged behind the rest of the United States economically finds itself on the leading edge of a national trend: The number of Americans 65 and older is increasing, and many are struggling as government services are being cut in a rough economy....
But I noticed Israel, Wall Street, and the wars are always well taken care of.
And I thought this economy was on the move and growing for the last three years. I mean, that's what my AmeriKan media has been telling me so wtf gives here, Globe?
Appalachia has long been plagued by isolation; poor roads, sewer systems and other infrastructure needs; lack of education; and the decline of coal mining, manufacturing, and other key industries. The region has low per-capita income (less than $30,000 in 2009, 18 percent lower than the nation’s), low college graduation rates, an exodus of young working people, and high rates of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, along with poor access to health care....
The aging population means more demand for health care, economic help, transportation, and home help....
Translation: You're a burden so why don't you just die already so that taxpayer money can be freed up for debt interest payments and corporate handouts to well-connected individuals?
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"Rising costs of cancer treatments squeezing budgets" by Marilynn Marchione | Associated Press, February 26, 2012
Patti Tyree was afraid that cancer would steal her future. Instead, the cost of treating it has.
She had hoped to buy a small farm with money inherited from her mother. But copayments for just one $18,000 round of breast chemotherapy and one shot of a nearly $15,000 blood-boosting drug cost her $2,000.
Bills for other treatments are still coming, and almost half of her $25,000 inheritance is gone.
“I supposedly have pretty good insurance,’’ said Tyree, 57, a recently retired federal worker who lives near Roanoke, Va. “How can anybody afford this?’’
Forty years after the National Cancer Act launched the “war on cancer,’’ the fight is not just finding cures and better treatments but also being able to afford them.
New drugs often cost $100,000 or more a year. Patients are being put on them sooner in the course of their illness and for a longer time - sometimes for the rest of their lives. The latest trend is to use these drugs in combination, guided by genetic tests that allow more personalized treatment but also add to its expense.
It is not just drugs: Radiation treatment is becoming more high-tech, and each leap in technology has brought a quantum leap in expense. Proton therapy is an example - it costs twice as much as conventional radiation and is attracting prostate cancer patients despite a lack of evidence that it is any better.
The financial strain is showing: Some programs that help people pay their bills have seen a rise in requests, and medical bills are a leading cause of bankruptcies.
Now if we had a good, decent, single-payer.... how long have I been typing that sentiment, sigh?
“Patients have to pay more for their premiums, more for their copayments, more for their deductibles. It’s become harder to afford what we have, and what we have is becoming not only more costly but also complex,’’ said Dr. Michael Hassett, a cancer specialist and policy researcher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
I noticed pharmaceutical and health conglomerate profits were pretty healthy though.
Insurers also are being squeezed by laws that require coverage and restrict premiums. And the burden is growing on Medicare, which in some cases pays for treatments and tests not shown to benefit patients.
Why have costs escalated so much? To some extent, it is the price of success....
As old as I get I never seem to like being insulted.
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