pirana

It's actually a relatively small part in the big picture, but is being whittled away as carriers are taking their products directly to consumers. Similar to travel agents, insurance agents will increasingly be forced into niches. The big houses will always be there to do consulting and lobbying for the GM's, 3M's, & Honeywells of the world; but the corner office in the small town type of agent will be vanishing shortly. The typical administrative burden for a plan is about 10% of total costs. In many places these are becoming mandates (not a bad thing). Eliminating insurance companies as a way to relieve that assumes that the government will be able to do it for less (no way - no how). Also, it would represent a one-time hit, failing to address that health care costs have been going up 4 to 10 times the cost of living every year for the last 20 years running. The not-for-profit plans are not the ones getting fat off of the rising cost of health care. I can't speak for the for-profits like Kaiser. Things are for the most part as streamlined as affordable technology allows. Those that are lagging are either scrambling to catch up, on their way out, or merging to create scales of economy that work. More health care providers competing for patients is a treacherous path. It has been proven that excess capacity pushes costs up. In most major markets there is excess capacity. When every facility wants to be in the big boys club and own every new and incredibly expensive diagnostic toy available, the result is that patients are terribly overcharged. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

BINGO! (At least as close to a Bingo as this thread has gotten so far). " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

It's strange that the left leaning crowd just does not get the value of competition. When Sen Wellstone was still alive and doing his best to hassle everyone remotely tied to health care, he kept telling us the business needed more open competition. Then out of the other side of his mouth came the demand for universal care administered by the government. In MN there are 3 big competitors, and a couple smaller ones. (Many of the nations really big players stay away because of the requirement to be not-for-profit in order to do biz here). So the running joke became that Wellstone thinks 3 carriers is not enough, but 1 is just right. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Point Break wasn't presented as a documentary. Mr Moore is very aware of the perception, and makes quite a bit of effort to present his information as factual. If we are supposed to see Sicko as having as much fact as a Get Smart episode, then that would be saying that Mr Moore is a bumbling fool and pretty much anything he gets right, he gets right only by accident. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

How did you have insurance and then suddenly not have insurance? Did you miss paying a bill? Did your employer miss it? How long you had it and how much you paid isn't really relevant; how it went away is the issue. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

From what I've read about 911 and Columbine, he does lie. Some brush it off as just a little exxageration taken under the auspices of artisitic license. To me, presentation of information known to be false is lying. And based on my definition, he does cheat with his information. Telling part of the story, just the part you know will appear to support your cause and get people's undies in a bundle, is cheating. It is certainly manipulative, insincere, and deceiving - with the intent to do so. I've only seen a couple exceprts, but it doesappear he is at his manipulative best. In just the couple minutes I saw, he threw out 3 or 4 items that were at the least intentionally deceptive, at worst lies. I know health care financing very well, been in it for 23 years. I will hold full commentary until I see the film, but from the bits I've seen so far, it appears to be yellow journalism at it's best (worst?). There are real solutions. They are unfortunately mired in the quagmire of partisan politics and the resultant polarized masses. The biggest problem is that there is so much to be undone before fixes can even be attempted. The primary offenders are large corporations and their lobbies. They have spent decades building loopholes and exceptions for themselves. Dirty little secret #1: Insurance companies are not calling the shots. Almost all companies of any size are now self-insured. That means they make every decision, down to minute detail, on how the plan is administered. What's covered, who's covered, appeals decisions, procerdural exceptions, cost, . . .everything. In most cases they hide this as much as they can, letting the insurance company play the bad guy role. The worst part of this is that they have managed to exempt themselves from so much that an extremely disproportionate burden falls on the fully insured crowd - made up of individual purchasers and small business (typically with 2 to about 300 employees). " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Chuck Norris once tried to woo a kashmir goat that reminded him of his favorite sweater. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I'm on bonus time, but not due to skydiving. I was hit by a car while delivering newspapers on a bicycle (age about 10), got hit by a motorcycle while riding a bicycle about age 12 or 13 - that was a very bad one, the guy was doing at least 90 MPH and I was incredibly lucky), fell 40' out of a tree at age 12 - an ER Doc told me 80% of people who fall over 20' to a hard surface die), got broadsided by a pickup while riding a motorcycle at about age 18, caught myself cartoon style on a treelimb just as I was about to fall 200' down a steep cliff when I was 25. There are a few others, so many I have forgotten some, and a few I can not tell about due to statutes of limitations. The running joke is that now that I have discovered the relatively safe sport of skydiving, and cast my other misadventures aside, I can probably look forward to living to a nice ripe old age. If could just stop smoking. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

The most amusing off landing for me was a 4-way into a farm about 8 or 10 miles from the DZ. Missed it by THAT much (holding up fingers showing a 1/8" space). We had went up in a Cessna and the clouds moved in, ceiling at about 4K. The pilot is being really patient and flying us around looking for a hole. We find one and we can see the freeway, but no other references. So we know we are somewhere on an east-west line with the DZ, but no idea how far up or down the line. The senior jumper among us says "Let's go, OK!?" We all nod and start climbing out. The amusing part was that just as he is starting the climb out, he turns to the pilot and gives him a 10 degree left correction. I don't know what made him call out the correction, but that still makes me smile. A fellow pilot giving the jump pilot a 10 degree heading change, when we are 10 miles from the DZ. Maybe he is into perpendicularism and just wanted to exit at a right angle to the freeway. But the story is not over. We come out of the clouds and notice that the town we are near is not our town. We pick a place to land, near a farm, and all set down safely. Before we even land though, the farmer and family, as well as the neighbors across the road already have out lawn chairs and are taking this in as free entertainment. IIRC, the neighbor said she got the call before we even landed. They were very friendly, and I think we were their event of the season. While waiting for a ride, we had sodas, got a tour of some chainsaw art, viewed the family photo album, etc. They offered beer but we were hoping to make another jump. We figured we'd probably end up in their tiny town paper because they took pictures and called friends, a few who came by to visit while we were still there; but we never bothered to see if that happened. Anyway, just a good clean fun story. And I never tire of giving Mr. Anderson a hard time for "Ten left and cut" when all he could see was the tops of clouds. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Just how many big DZ's are there in Quebec? A few, several, or many? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

There is a very good chance that I land off more than anyone else at our DZ (as a percentage of total jumps). About 550 jumps, easily 2 dozen off landings. Before anybody goes ballistic on me, let me explain. We have very safe outs in all directions. I am very familiar with all of them. I really really really cherish having my own space on opening. I am more confident in my ability to successfully react quickly to an emergency than I am in trusting everyone else to provide lots of opening space. I will readily trade 500' (or even 1000') of altitude for the chance to track farther away from everybody. My throw-out is almost always between 2500' and 3000'; usually closer to the 2500. I will, without hesitation, take it to 2000' if there is still anyone anywhere near me. The result is that I land off far more than the average jumper. (Especially when I am the unlucky one to be tracking away from the DZ). I am very aware of the implications of tracking farther and taking it lower than the average person. I have had a couple minor incidents (pilot hesitations) and am very satisfied with the speed and awareness with which I've went to my handles. I guess the bottom line is that I consider having lots of opening space as more important than throwing out above 2000'. (And just to be clear, 2500' and above is my usual). " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Well, did you post it knowing it was not a serious or supportive study of the effect you were citing? The other one barely supports your position. For one, it does not give much hard data. I could not find information on comparative or control groups. The statement about elevated levels of depression and suicide do not say how elevated above other groups. Just guessing, but with confidence, that suicide and depression are higher for moms than childless women. Should we ban childbirth? I remember reading that the highest suicide rate in the USA is among dentists. Should we ban becoming a dentist? I noticed that study had some positive outcomes in the lives of women that had abortions. The whole premise seems vague and wishy-washy. If there was a study that showed that women that had an abortion had triple the suicide rate as women that had a child, and accounted for other factors then I would agree that such information should be provided to women seeking abortion. It still is not a reason to remove the choice though. I'm surprised nobody has even mentioned skydiving. A study would very likely find that jumping out of a plane dramatically increases the chances of accidental death. Should skydiving be banned for that reason? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I'm curious about why you think it would be OK for abortion laws to vary between states. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

They are not Barbarians. More like Vandals, maybe Visigoths. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Because he's an old world, old school, conservative Christian good old boy who does not have a grasp of modern realities. Next question please. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Thank you. Didn't realize I hadn't made it clickable. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

nope, and the government shouldn't pay for it either Did the government pay you to marry your wife? Does she know about this? How do you know they didn't have to pay her 10 times as much? It's all becoming clear to me now. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Did you check the methodology for that survey? The study group consisted entirely of women that had self-identified theirselves as having a problem with having had an abortion. Makes it pretty much meaningless in any discussion about what percent of women regret having an abortion. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I take it you would only survey those still living. But seriously, that would be a hell of a lot of interviews. A statistically valid representative sample would probably suffice. My guess would be that the number might be huge (as subjective as that term is - some extremist might say 1 is too many), but that the percentage is far below majority. Strictly anecdotal, but the majority of women I know that have had one do not regret it. Some do, but that is hardly a reason to ban abortions. Many people regret getting married. Should we ban marriage? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I wonder if it is possible to determine the moment a fetus is capable of conscious thought. Given current knowledge of brain activity, it would be easy to set a conservative latest date for abortion that would not be harming a being that is conscious or has ever been conscious. Probably somewhere around 10 to 15 weeks. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Way to go. You do realize this is going to show up on somebody's platform or another. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I agree, abortions should be allowed to be done on a person up to (on average) the age of 27 years old. Some limited to quite a bit before that, some can pretty well be aborted through their entire life. You been hanging around too many freeflyers? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Thought some engineering minded folks, as well as others, might find this interesting: http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/news/news_wtc.cfm " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Forced to choose amongst those option I take allowing a woman the option to choose for herself. The longer answer is that in The World According to Don, abortion would be legal for anyone for any reason up to the average age of sentience. This would be easy enough to establish by examination and studies of brain wave activity. At the point where the fetus is capable of conscious thought, when it is likely (or even highly possible) to be aware of itself and surroundings, then it is a conscious human being and should not be terminated. Before that it is no more advanced than the embryo of a non-human animal. Strictly personal opinion - the only kind I have. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley