Doctah, Doctah

I am no economist. Clearly. I don't balance my checkbook, my friend had to sit me down and show me that after I pay ALL my bills for a month, I am somehow flushing away $500. Nice. (No worries, I have a plan!) However, in my humble estimation, here are the things that are fucking our country up economically:

1. Oil
2. Low wages
3. Health care

Oil is fucking us up by sending people on wars to keep prices low for us. Oil is fucking us up because we're all fucked trying to pay for gas and heat. This leads to other companies raising prices because, justifiably or not, they're paying for oil too. I read a study last week that I can't find a link to that a large number of Americans feel their wages are too low. If you have a family, it's almost unheard of to have one parent at home anymore because however simply you live, it's nearly impossible to afford food and housing on one income. Then, you have to be able to afford healthcare or get it through work, because if anything catastrophic happens, you're fucked without it.

My grandmother and grandfather were complaining about Plan D, the new Medicare plan that has confounded senior citizens from the get-go. My grandparents have BlueChip, which kind of helps supplement the coverage that Medicare gives them. My grandparents tried to get Plan D coverage through another company, but found out that unless they took Plan D with BlueShield as their provider, BlueChip would drop them from that coverage. BlueShield, according to my grandmother, charges much more than other providers for Plan D coverage. "That's not much of a choice, is it?" She asked.

It was interesting when I looked at this article, buried on Boston.com, saying that Medicare Plan D has brought "a sales windfall" to pharmaceutical companies.

In the first six months of 2006 , US sales of Lipitor rose 7 percent, to $3.83 billion, from a year earlier, the company reported last week. Pfizer said Part D contributed to nearly half of that sales gain.

While some fault Part D for slashing the rebates that drug manufacturers had paid, the industry's lobbyists call the program a success.

Well, of course the lobbyists for the pharmaceutical companies are going to be thrilled. They get treated to more DC hookers and great steak dinners because they're providing such a huge benefit to their bosses. It is sick to make billions of dollars off of elderly people who need medicine to have a good quality of life, to live as long as they can. The fact that I am scared to leave my job or be fired because I would lose healthcare is bullshit. We need another system in America that cares for everyone, not just the people who can afford medicine or the best plans. If you're an ace at solving the world's problems like my grandparents and I are, leave your healthcare plan in the comments section.