The firestorm that ravaged Sonoma County in October has taken a devastating toll on our community, with 6,800 structures destroyed, 24 deaths, and more than $3 billion in losses. More than 100,000 people were displaced from their homes, and countless numbers of people have lost absolutely everything.
While this disaster has been chaotic, the response should not be. With 34 years of experience in philanthropy, we know how to make strategic and impactful grants to support the well-being of our community. To date we’ve given out more than $200 million dollars to Sonoma County organizations addressing issues such as housing, hunger, economic well-being and mental health.
Recovery from these fires will take years, and we’re committed to this community for the long term. We have launched the Sonoma County Resilience Fund to address the mid to long-term needs of those impacted by these devastating fires. Learn more about the Resilience Fund.
You can quickly and easily support the nonproft Resilience Fund in the following ways:
Mail a check to Community Foundation Sonoma County, 120 Stony Point Rd., Suite 220, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Please indicate “Sonoma County Resilience Fund” in the memo line.
Our hearts may be broken, but our spirits are not. In the face of this destruction, we know that we will recover, as the resilient community that we are. Be safe, be well, and be strong.
Thank you for your generosity and commitment to Sonoma County.
Jim Nabors, who starred as Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and on his own sitcom before retiring the wide-eyed, countrified character at the height of his popularity, has died. He was 87.
Nabors died at his home in Hawaii on Thursday morning, his longtime partner told the Associated Press.
In January 2013, Nabors exchanged wedding vows with Stan Cadwallader, his partner of almost four decades, before a judge in a Seattle hotel room. Nabors met Cadwallader, a former firefighter in Honolulu, in 1975.
A native of Alabama, Nabors also recorded more than two dozen albums with a rich, operatic baritone voice that surprised those who were used to hearing him exclaim “Gawwwleee!” with a Southern twang on television. For many years, Nabors sang “Back Home Again in Indiana” during the opening ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500.
In the early 1960s, Nabors was a regular performer at The Horn, a cabaret theater on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica that showcased new talent, when he was spotted by Andy Griffith, who thought Nabors would be perfect to play a new character on his CBS sitcom. That would be Gomer, a dim-witted, affable mechanic at Wally’s filling station in Mayberry and a cousin of Goober (George Lindsey).
Nabors was signed for just one episode, which aired midway through The Andy Griffith Show‘s third season in December 1962, but Gomer proved popular, and Nabors went on to appear in 23 installments of the series. One of his signature phrases sprang from a discussion in which Gomer extolled the sophistication of Don Knotts’ Barney Fife: “Gawwwleee! He’s even been out with some nurses.”
Nabors’ run on The Andy Griffith Show culminated with the fourth-season finale in which Gomer joins the U.S. Marines. (The episode also served as the pilot for the spinoff sitcom.)
With Pvt. Pyle being hounded by tough but caring drill sergeant Vince Carter (Frank Sutton), Gomer Pyle, USMC aired for five years (1964-69) on CBS and was a great success in the ratings — always in the top 10 and No. 2 in its final season — before the actor decided to pursue other activities, which included hosting his own variety show.
“It got down to what you think you want to be: an actor or an entertainer. I want to entertain,” Nabors said in 1969, when he decided to retire Pyle’s gear. “I don’t think I’m much of an actor. The only part I ever played was Gomer. I’m the most surprised person around that I’m successful anyway.”
He then showcased his singing and comedic talents on The Jim Nabors Hour, which lasted two seasons and featured some of his Gomer Pyle co-stars.
The big-hearted Nabors never ventured far into movies, though he did perform opposite his pal Burt Reynolds in such fare as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Stroker Ace (1983) and as “Pvt. Homer Lyle” in Cannonball Run II (1984).
James Thurston Nabors was born June 12, 1930, in Sylacauga, Ala., the son of a policeman. He sang in high school and acted in fraternity productions at the University of Alabama. After graduating with a degree in business administration, he moved to New York and worked as a typist and answered phones at the United Nations.
“With my thick accent, people would try out different languages on me, never suspecting I was speaking English,” he joked.
Nabors returned to the South and worked as a film cutter for a TV station in Chattanooga, Tenn., then moved to Los Angeles — the climate was better suited for his asthma — and landed a similar job at NBC. At nights, he sang and spun tales as a Gomer-like character at The Horn.
Comedian Bill Dana saw him perform, and that led to Nabors becoming a regular on ABC’s The New Steve Allen Show. All the while, he kept performing in Santa Monica.
Nabors also showed up as a beatnik in Take Her, She’s Mine (1963), starring James Stewart and Sandra Dee. His voice was dubbed in the film.
In the 1970s, Nabors starred with Ruth Buzzi as time-traveling androids on the ABC series The Lost Saucer, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, and hosted his own syndicated talk show.
He was back as Gomer for the 1986 NBC reunion movie Return to Mayberry.
Nabors admitted that he had trouble watching Pyle‘s opening credits when the series was playing in syndication because many of the Marines with whom he marched were killed in Vietnam. (The Pollyanna sitcom never addressed the war.)
He first demonstrated his singing ability to TV viewers in 1964 on CBS’ The Danny Kaye Show, and on a Gomer Pyle episode that aired in November 1967, he sang “The Impossible Dream” from Man of la Mancha, which would become a concert staple for him. His 1980 album, The Heart-Touching Magic of Jim Nabors, went platinum.
Nabors sang “Back Home in Indiana” at the Indy 500 for the last time in 2014.
“I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t want to stay too long at the fair,” he said. “Everyone has been so incredible to me so many years. The first time I was here was 1972, so I guess most people have grown up with me.”
Nabors, who underwent a liver transplant in 1994, starred regularly at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Dome in The Jim Nabors Polynesian Extravaganza, which in the 1980s was one of the state’s top showbiz attractions. He lived in Hawaii for more than 30 years and had homes in Honolulu and Maui, where he had a macadamia nut farm.
Asked in a 2000 interview with the Los Angeles Times about why The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle continued to be so popular, Nabors said, “Television has become very cynical, even the comedy shows, and the cynicism from the young people just boggles my mind.
“In Mayberry, there was no illness. There was no war. There was no violence. There was no graffiti. We all had a good time, and we laughed a lot.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is opposing the latest Trump-Pence “tax” scheme. The bill was drafted in secret without meaningful public input and is being rushed through the Senate this week. Under the guise of this tax bill, some Republican leaders in Congress continue to play politics with people’s lives, using it as a vehicle to once again attack the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other vital health care programs.
“With provisions that undermine the Affordable Care Act and threaten programs critical to LGBTQ people, the Trump-Pence tax plan would have devastating consequences for millions of Americans,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The Senate must reject this reckless and desperate attempt to score a legislative victory at the expense of everyday Americans.”
The Senate version of the bill repeals the ACA’s individual mandate that requires all American’s to have health insurance or pay a penalty. This provision was at the heart of the Trump-McConnell failed effort to repeal the ACA earlier this summer. Repealing the individual mandate could result in 13 million people leaving the insurance market, immediately causing insurance premiums to soar and leave millions more priced out of access to healthcare. Furthermore, the revenue losses triggered by the bill are likely to result in future spending cuts to critical health programs like Medicare, Medicaid, global HIV/AIDS programs, the Ryan White Care Act, and other essential domestic discretionary programs.
Another provision that some Republicans are attempting to sneak into the final bill includes language that would undercut the Johnson amendment, allowing houses of worship to endorse or oppose candidates for public office. Such a change would allow candidates and political parties to pressure houses of worship for endorsements, transforming them into tools for their own political gain. HRC strongly opposes efforts to weaken to the prohibition on political engagement by houses of worship.
When Congress last considered tax reform legislation 31 years ago, they had 30 days of public hearings over six months. Then House members worked together for 10 months to produce a bipartisan package with 26 days of markup in committee. This time around, Republican leadership has allowed for a handful of hearings, limited public input, and barely enough time to review the hundreds of pages of tax code changes.
Lambda Legal and 28 other national, state, and local LGBT organizations sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee ahead of a vote today urging them to oppose the nominations of Leonard Steven Grasz to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and Mark Norris to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, stressing that their records “demonstrate that their appointments to the bench would cause grave harm to the LGBT community, as well as many other communities who rely on the federal judiciary to administer fair and impartial justice.”
In the letter, sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, the organizations set forth Steven Grasz’s “long history of targeting LGBT people,” and urge the committee to “heed the warning of the American Bar Association that Mr. Grasz is not qualified for an appointment on the federal bench because he is unable to put the law ahead of his personal beliefs and to administer fair and impartial justice to all litigants who might come before him.”
The letter notes that Grasz has “channeled his biased views into building a career of hollowing out laws designed to protect LGBT people from discrimination.” For example, Steven Grasz serves as the Director of the Board of the Nebraska Family Alliance (NFA) which has repeatedly targeted the LGBT community, including opposing “marriage equality, bans on conversion therapy, and anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people.” In his confirmation hearing on November 1, Grasz was given multiple opportunities by Senator Hirono to clarify and renounce his “‘deeply-held personal views’ and the positions of the NFA,” but repeatedly refused to do so. He also refused to answer Senator Feinstein’s questions about his views on so-called “conversion therapy,” (a practice designed to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity that has been deemed unethical by numerous leading medical associations), and refused to answer another line of questioning over whether or not same-sex parents were entitled to same rights as different-sex parents.
The letter also points out that at a 2013 convention in Omaha, “Grasz introduced a charter amendment to permit discrimination against LGBT people in employment.” He then agreed when asked by another convention attendee that the amendment would “create an exemption for business owners who don’t want to hire gays and lesbians to circumvent or do any end run around the city human rights ordinance.” Due to his deep and longstanding commitment to thwart, restrict and rollback the rights of LGBT people, the signatories to today’s letter believe that Grasz is simply “not fit for the job,” a lifetime appointment to the federal judiciary.
The letter also summarizes Mark Norris’s long record of targeting the LGBT community, noting that his “broader anti-civil rights record is so voluminous that it took the Alliance for Justice nearly 20 pages to summarize.” Among the most notable attacks on LGBT Americans was his support for “preemption legislation” in Tennessee that would prohibit cities in the state from passing non-discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. When Nashville enacted a nondiscrimination policy protecting LGBT people, Norris took the lead in pushing for the state’s preemption legislation, claiming that his efforts were “intended to balance the right of local governments and businesses to adopt anti-discrimination policies with the proper level of state oversight.” Notwithstanding these statements, Norris’ efforts were easily understood as an unveiled attempt to nullify nondiscrimination protections in one of Tennessee’s largest cities.
The letter also points to Mark Norris’s more recent attacks on the LGBT community, including his support in 2016 for legislation allowing mental health counselors to discriminate against LGBT clients, stating that it was “intended to protect the religious liberty of professional counselors.” He has also notably attacked LGBT youth, supporting legislation that prohibits teachers from discussing homosexuality in schools. Finally, throughout his career, as the letter outlines, Norris has routinely tried to undermine marriage equality and basic rights for transgender Americans.
Two other controversial nominees are on today’s Judiciary Committee agenda, although the Committee is not expected to vote on them today: Don Willett and James Ho are both nominees for the Fifth Circuit. Earlier this month, Lambda Legal brought together 34 other LGBT groups to oppose the nomination of Willett. The letter on Willett’s nomination can be found here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/legal-docs/dc_20171114_lgbt-groups-oppose-judicial-nominees
The Icelandic movie Heartstone arrives in the UK fresh from a very successful festival run, where it impressed audiences and picked up over 30 awards. That’s not bad for a movie from a country with a population of just 332,000 people. That’s about the same as the city of Coventry. Despite its size, it has a surprisingly thriving film industry, to the point where a large chunk of the population must spend at least part of their time making movies – and surprisingly good ones.
The film follows a group of teenagers in a remote fishing community. It’s a place where they’re left to their own devices a lot of the time, as parents are either absent or ill-equipped for their role in shaping young minds. The focus is Thor (Þór – Baldur Einarsson), who’s on the point where he’s frustrated his body is developing as fast as some of his friends, but he’s certainly becoming more interested in girls. His best friend is Christian (Kristján – Blær Hinriksson), with the two of them pretty much inseparable.
Set across one summer, Heartstone charts the duo’s evolving lives, as they move from boyhood into manhood and begin to look at the world in different ways. Thor pursues one of the teenage girls – unsure what to do, but increasingly keen – while becoming less tolerant of the bullying of his older sisters. Christian meanwhile has developed feelings for his best friend, but isn’t sure what to do about it or what his friend may think. His dilemma is graphically illustrated when his father gets into a fist-fight with a man who might be gay – this is not a place where it appears being LGBT is a possibility. But at least Christian has Thor. Or does he?
Director Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson has created a very delicate movie. It’s a coming of age film interested in the hard edges of the cusp between childhood and maturity, when the self-centred outlook of a child is forced to realise the effect they have on others, that life can be hard – and at times scary – and that being a carefree kid can’t last forever. It’s a film that has some extremely dark moments as it teases out the growing tumult underneath these remote lives.
I do wonder though whether a gay and a straight audience will view it slightly different. The focus is on Thor and his pursuit of a girl, as well as him dealing with changes he doesn’t really understand in his friendship with Christian, and the first pressures of adulthood. It’s seriously and delicately handled, with a real empathy for a young man trying to deal with the world despite having relatively little proper guidance.
However, to my eyes it is Christian’s story that is the stronger one, as he realises he’s gay in a remote community that isn’t equipped for difference or supporting people through emotional distress. Christian must deal with a homophobic, abusive father, as well as coming to feel that perhaps his unbreakable bond with Thor isn’t a steadfast as he’d assumed, and that he is ultimately completely unmoored. That leads to some very dramatic and dark events.
I couldn’t help but feel that this should be a film about Christian, both because his tale is more powerful and because towards the end by ignoring him and focussing on Thor, it bypasses some of the biggest issues it raises. However, I do wonder if I felt like that because I empathised with Christian so strongly (I know all about growing up gay in the middle of nowhere), and whether a straight audience would react differently.
By focussing on how Thor reacts to the events that have happened, it does undoubtedly have its own power – forcing the young man to face himself, his culpability and who he will be as an adult. It shows how a lack of thought or a small rejection can have massive repercussions for someone who’s struggling. Even so, I still wanted to find out what was happening with Christian more than Thor, but perhaps a straight viewer would feel differently – and considering the ecstatic notices it’s received at mainstream festivals from Venice to Toronto, it would seem they do.
Don’t get me wrong, the way the film focusses itself certainly isn’t a deal-breaker. It’s more a minor frustration amidst what is otherwise a beautifully told, and well-acted coming of age tale, that doesn’t shy away from some of the darker aspects of life. It is admittedly quite long, but this allows it to take the time to build its world – a remote life that is simultaneously very familiar and very alien. That twist on the ideas and themes of the coming of age film – where teens are the same as they are everywhere but facing situations very specific to the community they live – allows it to look at things with fresh and unsentimental eyes, but still with great empathy.
Overall Verdict: A powerful, sometimes shocking coming of age tale. Gay viewers may wish the focus wasn’t quite so much on the straight teen, but it’s still a careful, delicate and beautifully told tale of the trials of growing up.
Today, Hornet, the world’s premier gay social network, announced the company will join the international Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) campaign becoming the first gay social network to support the initiative. Hornet, which has a longstanding history of community engagement around gay men’s health, is working to combat HIV stigma by continuing to raise awareness that an undetectable viral load means HIV is untransmittable. This partnership will utilize one of the largest global LGBTQ platforms to empower people living with HIV, stimulate conversations about sexual health and advance the principle that access to health care is a fundamental human right.
The CDC, UNAIDS and over 500 organizations from 65 countries have confirmed the science behind the U=U campaign verifying that an undetectable HIV viral load means HIV is untransmittable. Science has proven a person achieves an undetectable viral load when medication suppresses the virus to levels so low it can’t be measured by tests. This means an HIV-positive individual can live a long and healthy life and the virus cannot be passed on. Taking medication as prescribed ensures a person will continue to be undetectable. Hornet will continue their commitment to educate the global community about U=U and combat HIV stigma.
“Our partnership with Hornet will help lift the fear about transmitting HIV, and it will begin to dismantle the HIV stigma and ignorance that is still widespread in gay communities,” said Bruce Richman, who leads the U=U campaign and is HIV positive. “The very definition of what it means to live with HIV is changing, and that changes everything for our lives and for the epidemic.
There are many complex reasons why someone may not achieve an undetectable viral load. All HIV-positive individuals have a right to live free of stigma and discrimination and to pursue a fulfilling sexuality. To access medication and achieve an undetectable viral load is a privilege, and Hornet and U=U will work together to ensure that all people living with HIV have the right to quality health care and medications, so they can live long and healthy lives.
“We are very excited about this partnership with U=U. We’ve been committed to creating an online space that is free of stigma and discrimination. U=U has been a grassroots movement that has advanced basic principles of science while empowering people living with HIV and we are happy we can be a part of that. I’ve had HIV-positive and undetectable in my Hornet profile for years. It’s a way for me to affirmatively declare my status, educate others on the benefits to your health of being undetectable, and combat HIV-related stigma.” said Alex Garner, Senior Health Innovation Strategist at Hornet.
Hornet and the U=U campaign will conduct a series of events in key cities around the globe to maximize the reach of the partnership and U=U campaign. The first event will be in NYC in February, followed by other activities in Paris, Sao Paulo, and Taipei.
FIFA’s anti-discrimination advisers are warning gay soccer fans going to the 2018 World Cup in Russia that displays of affection could be met with an aggressive response from intolerant locals.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but anti-gay sentiment remains strong and intensified after a law was introduced in 2013 prohibiting dissemination to minors of “propaganda” legitimizing homosexuality.
As fans prepare their trips after Friday’s World Cup draw, the FARE network said it will produce a guide spelling out the threats to be prepared for in Russia.
“The guide will advise gay people to be cautious in any place which is not seen to be welcoming to the LGBT community,” FARE executive director Piara Powar said. “If you have gay fans walking down the street holding hands, will they face danger in doing so? That depends on which city they are in and the time of day.
“The guide will also include some detailed explanations of for example the actual situation of the LGBT community in Russia. It is not a crime to be gay but there is a law against the promotion of homosexuality to minors. Issues relating to the LGBT community are not part of the public discourse. Gay people have a place in Russia which is quite hidden and underground.”
MORE:
2018 World Cup draw: How to watch, how it works and teams who qualified
FIFA appears to overlook allegations of Russian doping because it has no choice
Russia wants St. Petersburg to host Euro 2020 opening game
FARE, which monitors FIFA fixtures for discriminatory behavior, said it is unclear whether fans will be allowed to display rainbow flags inside stadiums.
“British and German fans’ groups have asked FIFA if they are OK to raise a rainbow flag inside the stadium,” Powar said. “FIFA has not really responded so far to say if this is something the security services will allow.”
FIFA diversity head Federico Addiechi said he has seen no written request from fan groups on whether gay pride flags can be unfurled.
“There’s nothing in the regulation from FIFA that prevents anyone from entering the stadiums with non-political messages,” Addiechi said.
FARE has also has long-standing concerns about the reception black and ethnic minority fans will face around games in Russia.
“Do go to the World Cup, but be cautious,” Powar said. “There are two elements to it — one towards people of color and other element is far-right nationalism. Far-right extremist groups have had around 300 people banned from attending the World Cup.
“After years of denial about racism Russian FA finally taking action, group under Alexei Smertin has been addressing the issue and fines have been issued.”
Research for the 2016-17 by FARE and Russia-based SOVA showed there were 89 racist and far-right incidents at Russian games, slightly below the two previous seasons.
Russian champion Spartak Moscow was punished by UEFA for monkey chants in a recent Youth League game against Liverpool. Spartak was also fined for discriminatory chants against fans from Russia’s North Caucasus in a domestic cup game last month.
Anti-discrimination observers will be deployed at the June 14-July 15 World Cup where matches can be stopped or abandoned if racism persists after warnings inside stadiums.
“The World Cup must be inclusive, respect human rights, must respect the rights of everyone including minorities,” Addiechi said. “We have the assurance from the Russian organizing committee and the Russian authorities that everyone will feel safe, comfortable and welcome in the country.”
December 2,3,8,9,10 .The Occidental Community Choir Winter Concerts: ‘Alleluia Anyway’. Guest Music Conductor Sarah Saulsbury. OCC ushers in the holiday season with its unique blend of original compositions, old favorites, and contemporary and classical music from across the spectrum of genres and traditions.This year’s offering celebrates the necessary art of kindling light during the dark months of winter, as well as the dark times we face in our lives and in our world. Quirky, fresh, funny, touching, and inspiring, the 40-plus member OCC is a West County cultural icon, keeping the community bonfire burning since 1978. Adults $15. Kids 12 and under Free. Dec. 2 @ 7:30 pm is Community First Night: $10. www.occidentalchoir.org for ticket information. All concerts will be held at Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, except Dec.10 (Glaser Center, Santa Rosa).
Medicare, though not at the forefront of the healthcare debate like the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid are, is still a big concern in some circles.
What is the true status of Medicare? Is it good, bad, or somewhere in between? What would happen if Medicare was eliminated?
In this post, we’re going to discuss some pros and cons of Medicare.
Pros of Medicare
Medicare Provides Coverage to Those Who Wouldn’t Have Coverage
In many senses, Medicare does “work.” Thanks to the program, millions of aging adults have been able to receive coverage when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it. Prior to 1965, when Medicare was created, around 9 millions older adults didn’t have health coverage. That number is significantly higher than the 400,000 seniors who were uninsured in 2014. Medicare also covers many younger Americans with disabilities who would not be able to get healthcare otherwise.
Consider the implications if Medicare didn’t exist. Older Americans, who typically need the most medical treatment, would find themselves paying exorbitant medical costs directly out of pocket. The total paid every year would be staggering, most likely exceeding their annual income.
Individuals with disabilities would be totally dependent on their caretakers, who may or may not be able to afford medical care.
Clearly, Medicare is useful because it covers so many people.
Medicare Costs Very Little Every Month
Medicare enrollees generally are qualified for free Part A but must pay a small amount out of pocket every month for Part B. This number is estimated to cost around $134 per month. When you compare this to the out-of-pocket cost of operations, prescriptions, and other associated costs, the savings are huge.
More and more Americans enroll in Medicare Advantage plans each year, and enrollment is expected to keep growing in the future. If fact, enrollment was at 17.6 million in 2016, tripling from 5.3 million in 2004. Part C enrollees made up 31 percent of the 57 million Medicare recipients as of 2016.
MA plans offer beneficiaries an alternative way to get Medicare benefits through plans sold by private insurance companies that contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
You get all the Medicare program benefits of Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance, together known as Original Medicare*, when you enroll in Part C (Medicare Advantage). Plus, Medicare Advantage plans may provide additional benefits (dental, vision, etc.) at a minimal cost.
These services are essential to older Americans who would suffer otherwise.
Medicare Has Led to Prescription Innovations
The inception of Medicare created a massive market for drug companies. Suddenly, millions of Americans had access to prescriptions they wouldn’t have had otherwise. When pharmaceutical companies saw the untapped potential in the Medicare market, they began investing billions of dollars in the development of drugs tailored specifically for seniors.
As John Holohan, fellow at the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute, notes, “A market began for drug companies and medical device manufacturers; when you have a market willing to pay for [products], it’s worth making the investment.”
The addition of Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans—both sold through private insurance companies—also gave Americans wider access to prescription medicines. Medicare beneficiaries have had access to these plans since 2006, and enrollments have increased every year since. In 2006, 22.5 million (52 percent) people on Medicare were enrolled in Part D compared to 40.8 million (71 percent) in 2016, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. With millions of Americans receiving Medicare prescription drug benefits, this may have given pharmaceutical companies more opportunities to develop drugs for this market.
Medicare Has Resulted in Increased Medical Standards
With the creation of Medicaid and Medicare, Congress created a set of standards for hospital enrollment in the programs. As time went on, the government become more and more involved in overseeing these standards and now requires public reporting on things such as hospital infection rates and readmissions.
This public accountability forces hospitals to perform due diligence in ways they might not otherwise.
As Karen Davis, director of the Roger C. Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, notes, “When hospitals find out they aren’t as good as other hospitals, they get serious about improving. When they find out it’s possible to have lower rates of infections, for instance, they try to find out what good practices are and follow them to get good results.”
Cons of Medicare
Medicare Costs a Huge Amount to Administrate
In 2016, Medicare spending totaled $588 billion. Currently, that’s approximately 15% of the overall federal budget. That number isn’t expected to get smaller, with many estimating that the percentage will go up to around 18% over the next decade.
When you consider that this staggering amount could be spent on other valuable programs, such as education, eliminating poverty, mental illness cures, and social justice, it at least causes you to question the overall efficiency of the program.
Poor Health Can Actually Cost More
The Kaiser Family Foundation says that those who reported themselves to be in poor health and on Medicare had out-of-pocket costs 2.5 times higher than the healthier beneficiaries.
While it’s somewhat hard to evaluate what this statistic means given that self-reporting isn’t always reliable, it does raise questions.
Granted, Medicare does offer a significant number of free preventive programs to enrollees that can cut down on health problems. And, many of the individuals on Medicare suffer from preventive conditions (particularly before the implementation of ACA).
Hospital Stays Still Cost a Lot
Even for those enrolled in Medicare, hospitals stays can still be extraordinarily expensive, easily running into the thousands. This highlights several issues.
As noted, many of those on Medicare suffer from preventable conditions and are hospitalized for those conditions. This places an increased burden on hospitals, which can then drive up the prices across the board for all patients.
Additionally, because many Medicare enrollees are in a low-income bracket, they can’t afford these stays, placing a crushing burden on them and putting the hospital in a difficult spot.
While Medicare certainly helps those who are struggling medically, it also creates significant strain on the overall healthcare system in the United States.
Older Enrollees See Costs Skyrocket
“Medicare enrollees 85 and older spend three times more on healthcare than those aged 65 to 74,” according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report. In some ways, this should be expected because more medical issues arise as a person gets older.
However, it also reveals that Medicare doesn’t adapt well for the oldest adults. A truly efficient system would take the increased costs into account and spread those across all enrollees.
Medicare Attracts Fraudulent Doctors
In 2017, the United States charged 412 doctors with medical fraud, amounting to $1.3 billion. Unfortunately, much of this fraud was connected directly to the opioid epidemic currently happening in the country. As the New York Times reported, “Nearly one-third of the 412 charged were accused of opioid-related crimes. The health care providers, about 50 of them doctors, billed Medicare and Medicaid for drugs that were never purchased; collected money for false rehabilitation treatments and tests; and gave out prescriptions for cash, according to prosecutors.”
In addition to the Medicare funds lost through fraud, the government must also employ a significant task force to investigate potential crimes, adding yet more expenses to the Medicare program.
Medicare Costs Taxpayers a Huge Amount
In 2014, an astonishing 38% of Medicare funds came from payroll taxes. With the current Medicare tax rate set at 2.9% (split between employers and employees) — and an additional 0.9% for those making more than $200,000 — this represents a significant amount of money coming out of each paycheck.
While it’s certainly understandable that Medicare funding must come from somewhere, it raises the issue of whether private insurance companies could be more efficient in terms of funding their programs.
Conclusion
The Medicare debate isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s been part of the landscape for over 50 years and will probably continue to be around in one form or another for many years to come.
When enrolling in an insurance plan, your best bet is to do plenty of research. Find out what’s available and what benefits are offered. You may be able to get a better, equally affordable plan through a private insurance company.
The University of California San Diego will recognize World AIDS Day on Friday, Dec. 1 to draw attention to the impact of HIV/AIDS on the San Diego community, the nation and the globe. In honor of the international event, which was established in 1988, the campus will sponsor a number of free activities open to the public including a display of three sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the largest ongoing arts project in the world.
The entire campus community is encouraged to wear red on Dec. 1 to honor World AIDS Day and remember those who have passed. At 1 p.m., a picture will be taken of faculty, staff and students wearing red in the formation of a living ribbon on the steps in front of the Triton Sculpture at the Price Center.
Globally, there are an estimated 36.7 million people who have the virus. Despite HIV only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of complications related to the virus, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.
“UC San Diego’s recognition of World AIDS Day is a reminder that the fight continues against HIV/AIDS, and we must continue to increase awareness, research and education,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “The campus is proud to be a leader in combatting HIV/AIDS, including being home to the Owen Clinic, which is among the nation’s top HIV care programs.”
A sampling of various activities, displays and other events on Dec. 1 are listed below. Click here to view the full calendar of events.
AIDS Memorial Quilt Display, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Price Center East Ballroom: The AIDS Memorial Quilt, the largest ongoing arts project in the world, will be displayed along with live music. The sections on display are inspired by San Diego organizations and individuals as they have responded to the AIDS crisis, from the early years of the epidemic through the present day. Adjacent to the quilt display will be poster presentations from UC San Diego’s AIDS Research Institute undergraduate and graduate student researchers.
“PrEP Talk” presentation, noon to 12:50 p.m., Cross Cultural Center: Ankita Kadakia, M.D., a physician from UC San Diego’s Owen Clinic, an HIV specialty care facility, will be talking about the once-a-day pill to help prevent HIV infections, Truvada or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which may be the most effective way for people who do not have HIV to prevent HIV infection.
HIV/AIDS information and resources, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Library Walk: Along Library Walk there will be interactive displays and activities—provided by UC San Diego’s Student Health Advocates—that explore the history, milestones, prevalence and misconceptions of HIV/AIDS. Additionally, faculty, staff and students can receive free, anonymous HIV and STD testing from the Family Health Centers of San Diego in UC San Diego’s Town Square, parallel to Library Walk.
Photo booth in honor of World AIDS Day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Library Walk: There will be a photo booth where students, staff, faculty and community members can take pictures with props in honor of World AIDS Day.
Medicare, though not at the forefront of the healthcare debate like the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid are, is still a big concern in some circles.
The inception of Medicare created a massive market for drug companies. Suddenly, millions of Americans had access to prescriptions they wouldn’t have had otherwise. When pharmaceutical companies saw the untapped potential in the Medicare market, they began investing billions of dollars in the development of drugs tailored specifically for seniors.
With the creation of Medicaid and Medicare, Congress created a set of standards for hospital enrollment in the programs. As time went on, the government become more and more involved in overseeing these standards and now requires public reporting on things such as hospital infection rates and readmissions.
In 2016, 
“Medicare enrollees 85 and older spend