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Ranchers.net

I'm going to throw out something here and I hope it doesn turn into namecalling mess....I am a conservative/libertarian thinking person on most issues- but one issue right now that I think the Dems have the step up on- is that they both have pretty thorough Health Care and Health Care Insurance plans.. I think both plans could go further toward things like limiting medical tort, and nationwide contracting with pharmaceutical costs like Canada does-- but at least they have something...I've heard little from the Repubs- and the pharmaceutical plan they passed for Medicare was an albatross of a disaster.....

And to me this is one of the top issues of the voters in this election- it was even one of GW's top campaign issues (another that he never carried thru on)...And I think if a candidate wants to win-- he has to have a sound plan...

I always hear folks screaming about how important it is to do away with the Death Tax- as so many people lose their farms/ranches/business's because of it....I have been involved with foreclosesures, attachments, and executions against individuals and business's for almost 40 years now...I can only think of one or two situations where a place/business was lost- or had to sell some of the property in order to cover the Death Tax--BUT I can think of hundreds that have sold/had taken by courts some or all to cover unforseen, or uncovered health care costs....Most knowledgeable business/farms/ranchs have theirselves covered against the inheritance tax thru family corporations, undivided partnerships, etc. etc.

Probably the number 1 issue I've seen over the years that breaks up farms and ranchs is D-I-V-O-R-C-E...And I ain't even going to touch that one on how to solve it :roll: But the number 2 reason is health care costs, inability to get, or plain absence of health care insurance, or running out of insurance- or refusal of insurance companies to pay....
And it gets worse by the day- as health care insurance cost rose by an average of 10.6% last year alone......The number of court cases involving health care bills have risen probably 10 fold in the last few years....Here in this county alone it went from 70-80 filings a month to over 200 last year...

I used to think this was a state by state issue since all the insurance coverers were mostly state affiliated- but in the last few years the Administration has allowed these insurance companies to merge and comingle to the extent the states have little control on them anymore...And to have a good health care plan its going to involve putting pressure on the strongest corporates and lobbies in the nation- pharmaceutical, insurance, medical equipment, doctors, trial lawyers, etc. etc....It will take a united nationwide policy to solve it......

And over the years- more and more of these insurance companies are getting snidlier...If you have a health care and/or accident policy thru outside farm employment- look it over carefully....Many are carrying a rider that says they will not cover you if performing "other employment"- and they consider any farm or ranch work as "other employment"- so if a cow kicks you and you lay in the hospital in a coma for a month- that bill will be coming out of your pocket.....

Maybe that will be the good thing if the Dems control all of D.C.- if nothing else is....
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