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US Budget Mess & Continued Health Care

Forums General Melanoma Community US Budget Mess & Continued Health Care

  • Post
    CKasper
    Participant

      I was watching the news yesterday evening and was shocked to hear that part of this budget hold up is due to certain riders the House of Representatives is attaching to the budget.  One of the riders is to abolish Medicare.  The House is also asking for trillon dollar cuts to medicaid.

      I was watching the news yesterday evening and was shocked to hear that part of this budget hold up is due to certain riders the House of Representatives is attaching to the budget.  One of the riders is to abolish Medicare.  The House is also asking for trillon dollar cuts to medicaid.

      Medicare is paid by everyone through a separate tax, its our Social Security /Medicare tax.  So each one of us pays into this system which is suppose to be a very well run system.  However there is a movement to privatize Social Security or to get rid of it.  Its our money and our entitlement and the House or Representatives shouldn't be messing around with it.  I don't know how many of you are receiving treatment through medicare or medicaid, but these two sources of health care for folks who do not have regular insurance is in jeopardy. 

      If you are a person receiving health care through one of these programs, please email your congressman and senator urging them to stop the gutting of these programs.

      We have two wars, and another possible one in Libya where we are spending billions monthly and they want to gut medicare and medicaid.  I know many people who are on Medicare and I don't think its right.  Its our money and its our entitlement.  Let them find another area in which to cut. 

      C

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        nickmac56
        Participant

          If there is a government shutdown the NIH will not treat any new patients, but will continue existing ones. We are uncertain about what this means for my wife, who is scheduled to meet Rosenberg's melanoma team at the National Cancer Institute next week for an assessment. Flights and hotel already booked. There is enough stress with this already. There process at NCI is pretty interesting if anyone wants to learn more at http://cancercabanaboy.blogspot.com/2011/04/alright-plan.html

            nickmac56
            Participant

              We are scheduled for an initial assessment at NCI next Thursday. Following is what I received in response to a query. This completely sucks, especially as my wife is not on anything currently and can't be for the thirty days prior to treatment. Given that adoptive cell therapy takes time to grow the cells in the lab, any delay puts things more at risk. 

              As far as the shutdown: Things are changing hourly. The last we heard was that the Clinics will be closed and we will not see new patients during the shutdown. We will likely start seeing patient immediately once the government reopens. If you would like to delay your visit until we get word that the government is reopening we can accommodate that. Please be aware that there will be no one in the office during the shutdown and we are legally prohibited from checking our work emails during the shutdown. We are expecting to have a meeting with Dr. Rosenberg later today to get more information about how we will be affected and I will pass on any information that I can.

              nickmac56
              Participant

                We are scheduled for an initial assessment at NCI next Thursday. Following is what I received in response to a query. This completely sucks, especially as my wife is not on anything currently and can't be for the thirty days prior to treatment. Given that adoptive cell therapy takes time to grow the cells in the lab, any delay puts things more at risk. 

                As far as the shutdown: Things are changing hourly. The last we heard was that the Clinics will be closed and we will not see new patients during the shutdown. We will likely start seeing patient immediately once the government reopens. If you would like to delay your visit until we get word that the government is reopening we can accommodate that. Please be aware that there will be no one in the office during the shutdown and we are legally prohibited from checking our work emails during the shutdown. We are expecting to have a meeting with Dr. Rosenberg later today to get more information about how we will be affected and I will pass on any information that I can.

              nickmac56
              Participant

                If there is a government shutdown the NIH will not treat any new patients, but will continue existing ones. We are uncertain about what this means for my wife, who is scheduled to meet Rosenberg's melanoma team at the National Cancer Institute next week for an assessment. Flights and hotel already booked. There is enough stress with this already. There process at NCI is pretty interesting if anyone wants to learn more at http://cancercabanaboy.blogspot.com/2011/04/alright-plan.html

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