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First there was Sue Lowden, a Republican Senate candidate from Nevada, who suggested we should get health care by bartering stuff like chickens. And then the world met Tennessee State Rep. Mike Bell, who suggested paying in vegetables -- to the wonderful amazement of Rep. Joe Towns. To which Dr. Maddow says:
You know, if you combine the currency proposed to pay for medical care by Republican Sue Lowden and Republican Mike Bell, you are halfway to making a very nice chicken soup. Which would probably do more to cure what ails you than trying to convince Kaiser Permanente to accept some gingersnaps in exchange for your echocardiogram.
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LOL, Dr. Maddow - love it!!!
UNbelievable!! These republicans are going loonie. If either one gets elected the country is doomed!!!
There's no going. Too many of them have been too loony for years.
Chicken soup (aka "Jewish Pennicillin") is one of the best things you can do for yourself when you're sick. It is cheap to make (assuming you make it from scratch and don't weasel out and buy Campbells in a can) and it does several things. It provides quick protein, it provides hydration, and, assuming you don't dump the canister of salt in it, is not particularly bad for you. Maybe the esteemed Dr. Maddow could solicit a bunch of good chicken soup recipes and then pick the best three and send them to the GOP (Grand Obstructionist Party). I make mine with home made noodles (my grandmother's recipe) and I always feel better after I eat it.
Pat on the back to you! You've said exactly what I was thinking. (Except, I'm too lazy to make my own noodles - I buy them in bulk at our co-op.) Nice to know I'm not alone.
I just had a port installed in my abdomen so I can start peritoneal dialysis. How many farm animals and garden goods would I owe for something like that? For a $10,000 average, I'd probably have to trade my first-born child. Get real people! For this crazy idea to work, everyone from plumbers to taxi-cab drivers, from paperboys to attorneys, and all utilities would have to start taking trades for their business. I don't think people, even if they are interested are in the least bit, able to barter to live. Crazy idea, crazy people.
Remember in 2000 when Bush first ran for office he portrayed himself and the Repignofascist Party as the party of "Compassionate Conservatism"? It now appears they have taken themselves one step further and are now the party of "Compassionate Clownism." The really sad thing, however, is that the knuckle-dragger fringe of the Repignofascist Party will embrace chicken soup as a form of payment for medical services and as soon as Caribou Barbie Palin endorses it this will become a standard talking point.
ha, ha... would love to hear some docs weigh in on this. I'm sure this is precisely why they took out hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical school loans.
And what about the millions of the rest of us who don't live on farms or have gardens?
Anyhow, now I'm really craving some chicken noodle soup.
This obviously a tax avoidance ploy by Lowdon and Bell. The IRS will tell you that bartering is high on their list of tax issues. Why would they publicly encourage cheating our government?
Hell.... I am buying my chicken farm now!!!! i got surgery coming up...
good buy blue cross blue shield.. and the freedom of just buying bird feed...
also..anyone have Sue Lowdon's home address.. so incase my doctors need any additional insight on how this should work?
Here's an idea. I suggest clipping coupons! Why bother with chickens and all the fuss of chicken feathers and poop and cock-a-doodle-doos? Clip coupons instead! How many coupons equal an office visit? And you can select the coupons that best fit your doctor's tastes. Does your medical provider favor Doritos? Hey! You have the way to make that person really really happy. Dorito coupons--scads of them! Contender Loudon just needs to expand and update her vision and I could seriously get behind this. Seriously? Nah! Not really.
I think I found an even cheaper way to pay. How about sending some chickens from Farmville. The Game on Facebook. Shoot, I'll even toss in a crate of fruit. Just think of all the money I could save on health insurance. Uh, wait my doctor said he does not take this method of payment and now he wants to check me into a mental hospital.
In that case I better upgrade my chicken coop.
As a Mennonite I have never 1.) owned a chicken 2.) paid the doctors or hospitals by vegetables or 3.)seen anyone else do this. Trust me, we have to buy or try to by health insurance just like anyone else. And the medical providers here do not take produce or livestock for payment. And we that electricity, cars, telephones and refrigerator and not head coverings.
As a Mennonite I have never paid by Produce
Since I live in a condo, no chickens or veggies to barter. Damn, I wish I had learned how to crochet those little doll covers that fit over the extra roll of toilet paper. My grandmother made them for everyone. My doctor would certainly love one of those instead of cash.
How many chickens would you have to pay for a doctor's visit, procedure, or lab test anyway? Oh, wait, doctors and other health care providers never tell you up front what anything costs! That's the real problem we need to fix. How about requiring doctors and hospitals to "unit price" their services and advertise those prices in the Sunday papers the same way grocery stores sell chickens? I think we could all be better health care consumers if they did.
I find it fascinating that the Republicans are pushing for a return to the barter system. It sounds like they are also in support of locally grown foods, which I thought was a somewhat liberal concept. I can't wait to see what the large agribusinesses have to say about it. Seems like large agribusinesses have sued for less.
new GOP talking point....
If your too poor to pay your doctor, offer him some of your fanilies food!
I think it's hilarious that these people think that somehow health care will be more affordable if we use something other than currency to pay for it. I mean, let's assume that we could start paying for things in chickens. Do they think that the price for enough chickens for a medical procedure would be less than the procedure itself?
Ah, yes, but remember some of the other examples that Lowden gave of things that people could barter with. I think she mentioned painting a house? So, really, this is just an updated form of indentured servitude.
Patient: I need a CAT scan.
Doctor: That'll be two months of hard labour. See my secretary on the way out. Next!
I've made this argument over at TPM. Harry Reid and Dems need to get off the woman's stupid comment and get into kill mode. They need to point out the rediculous outcomes of such a barter plan, just off the top of my head....
No more insurance? Sue lowden wants to take away Medicare!
Don't have cash to pay today? Will your doctor take an IOU?
What if you don't pay? Doctors will need to start personally suing patients, lawyer up doctors, how much soes that save you?
Don't have any money? Offer you childrens food or clothing money, maybe your car and lose your job!
What do doctors want? 95 % insured patients or 50% without enough to pay their bill$?
Doctors will now Ration Care based on ability to pay.
How's your doctor going to pay his bills?
Republicans would make hay out of this, not point to a silly statement that is only funny for a few days and then gets old, by next week this'll be about HSA's and catastrophic insurance and Harry Reid will gain a couple points in polling instead of nailing her right now and evening the score. NOW"S THE TIME HARRY DON'T WAIT!
C'mon Rachel get the word out, Dems are doing too much cute and funny, time to play dirty, LIKE A REPUBLICAN
I saw this posted on the ProgressNowNevada Youtube version of the video by the username "rewinn": It's a total snort! :D
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: To pay for Sue Lowden's mental health care
Perhaps it should be pointed out to Sue Lowden that bartering for services is a taxable transaction. If she really does use a chicken to pay her doctor then she will have to pay federal income tax on the value of her chicken. That would really make her squawk!
Well, a bartering system could be a good idea, but our system is not at all set up for it currently. It's unrealistic to think that a doctor would even accept anything besides money as a payment. It's also extremely unsanitary to bring a chicken into a doctor's office. :P
My 3 year old son totally cracked up when he saw the chicken video yesterday on the show. LOL!
Hi Rachel,
I couldn't figure out where to post this, so I put it under the C-H-I-C-K-E-N dance:
What do you all make of this one?
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/04/22/bolivian-president-says-eating-chicken-turns-men-gay/
Will Sue be accepting campaign contributions in the form of chickens or will that only be acceptable from doctors??
Yeah, I tried to interest both the democratic senatorial campaign committee and Move On in trying to start up a little fund drive, I mean chicken drive, to help Sue's Campaign. I for one would be happy to chip in $5 with a bunch of other folks to send some live chicks off to her campaign office. I mean, it could be a great way to get her started in the road to growing her campaign assets. Of course she'd have to convince her TV & radio advertisers to accept payment in poultry, and the printers, and the staffers . . . . but hey, if she thinks my OB/GYN will accept a fatted calf in exchange for my annual pap smear, I don't see why she'd think convincing her own vendors would be that hard.
btw. haven't heard back from either move on or the DSCC about getting something off the ground. Anyone have any ideas I'd love to hear 'em.
Hey Rachel,
How about Sue Lowden putting her mouth where her money is! All Congressmen (and women) and Senators should be paid in chickens and veggies!
Keep up the excellent work! We need your voice!