Plans to cut the national debt and repeal health care reform miss the main issue. We can’t pay our bills without people.

Dead people don’t make money, spend money, or pay taxes. Business and public policies in the U.S. kill people.

Policies Force Tough Choices

Some policies overlook bad working conditions; rules that help workers stress their employers.

Even fair employers cut jobs when the costs of regulation and paperwork run too high. These costs can kill or delay the dreams of entrepreneurs who want to create more jobs.

People who don’t have jobs can’t buy goods and services. When demand falls, tax proceeds drop and public employees lose their jobs.

Workers who keep their jobs work more hours. Longer hours leave less time for relaxation, personal business, and family.

Overwhelmed couples feel unable to give children the time and money they need and have smaller families or no children at all. Some seek abortion to protect unborn children from stress that never ends.*

Stress Kills

Uncontrolled stress increases the death rate by 40%, says a study by the late Hans Eysenck of the University of London. But most stress-related chronic illnesses, like heart disease, are expensive because they kill people slowly.

Conditions related to or aggravated by stress cause 70-80% of all doctor’s visits, says “Healthy People 2000,” a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The report also says the $200-300 billion spent on job-related stress each year includes absenteeism, productivity losses, and insurance claims. Private insurers or public programs pick up the tab when someone retires with a long-term disability.

Local, state, and federal governments increase taxes, and businesses increase prices to cover the costs. These bills decrease cash flow and cause more stress for all.

The costs of a slow death are much higher than the costs of a slow life. The national debt and health care costs will plunge when we make choices that reduce our stress. Without dramatic changes, a shrinking number of people will be left to split the bills.

* Note: The above statement was about reality, not my personal beliefs on abortion.

© 2011, Unmasked Communications™. All rights reserved.

There are several books on this subject. One is titled Disability Workbook for Social Security Applicants. Others include How to Get SSI & Social Security Disability: An Insider’s Step by Step Guide and Nolo’s Guide to Social Security Disability. Though I have not reviewed these books, each has received very good reviews from satisfied readers. For more information or to purchase these books, click the product links below.

© 2007 – 2010, Unmasked Communications™. All rights reserved.

I thank God that I was blessed to regain enough health to do something with my life. Everyone is not fortunate enough to just move on with their lives without disability benefits. Sometimes it takes several years to find adequate care and get better, as it did in my case. Sometimes access to quality care comes too late in the course of an illness, through lack of funds or lack of knowledge, and leads to permanent disability or death. I’ve heard tales of people who were approved for benefits after death.

The financial fallout can be devastating. Friends and acquaintances of mine have lost their homes or come dangerously close. That’s not the kind of stress you need when you’re sick.

Just think about how much money the government wastes in retrying cases with legitimate claims–paying people to process the endless forms that accompany a claim, sending applicants for consultation with medical professionals who often know little about the illness they are evaluating, paying administrative law judges who know little or nothing about medicine. Why would anyone submit themselves to the stress of this process and the humiliation of being called a malingerer or hypochondriac over and over without a legitimate claim?

Those who win that grueling battle rarely do so without hiring a lawyer, and the lawyers receive 25 percent of the claim. A former blogger and friend of mine has a wonderful solution. Instead of penalizing the claimant, make the Social Security Administration pay the lawyer for turning down a legitimate claim. That would give the government incentive to speed up needed reforms.

© 2007 – 2010, Unmasked Communications™. All rights reserved.

This bill is being criticized because it leaves the door open for coverage of children who are eligible for private insurance. However, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this criticism is unfounded. Opponents of the bill also are proposing tax deductions or credits to purchase private insurance. The CBO estimates that this proposal primarily would benefit people who are already insured.

The most significant aspect of this bill is that it provides for preventive care. This means fewer emergency room visits, which are more expensive than preventive care, and fewer disability payments for unmanaged chronic conditions. Keep in mind that currently taxpayers are liable for many of these costs. Wider availability of preventive care can also decrease the child mortality rate.

In all fairness, when looking at the government’s track record, concerns that this program will be mismanaged are not without merit. Take some comfort in knowing that the bill provides sources of funding, and that as citizens of this democracy we have some say in how our tax dollars are spent. Let’s make sure this program is well-managed. See my responses to the Dx: Unknown blog post on a similar topic for more information.

In the meantime, complete fill out the online form to save the lives of our nation’s children!

Fatima Hyder edited this post.

© 2007 – 2010, Unmasked Communications™. All rights reserved.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is defined as six months of unexplained fatigue accompanied by at least four of eight other persistent symptoms: impaired memory and concentration, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns and post-exercise malaise.

Researchers believe the prevalence of the illness is much higher than previously thought.

To read other CDC findings along with opposing views, visit the New York Times Web site.

© 2007 – 2010, Unmasked Communications™. All rights reserved.