If I were POTUS, I would first do a top-down analysis of the budget.
I would track where every dollar was gained and spent.
Off the top of my head, I can think of the dubious ROI we have in Education and Criminal Justice.
What's the point of education? What's the point of criminal justice?
Personally, I believe that the end result of a High School education would be able to function as an independent adult. The two most important classes probably are health and home economics.
Today, everything is focused on STEM. STEM for the sake of STEM seems to be the thinking behind the focus.
I have nothing against science, technology, engineering and math, but if an emphasis were put on all the STEM elements relating to Health and Home Eco, people would understand why their diet matters or how to budget for college.
Probably the most important classes I had in college were critical thinking and probability. Both have taught me skills to be able to judge fake news properly.
Criminal Justice is just a money black hole. Criminals aren't reformed when they are given sentences that put them in contact with other criminals. Housing and feeding criminals only to release them worse off than when they entered is dumb.
Crime prevention starts with reducing the reasons crimes are committed.
Why do men rape women? Why do men rob strangers on the street?
Is rape about sex?
Is robbery about money?
I say men, but women and can rape and rob, too. Just getting to the root of why will reduce the prison problem.
Learning about healthy sexual relationships and gainful employment could be incorporated in my Health/Home Eco curriculum, but in a perfect world these lessons would be learned at home from one's parents. Parents aren't aware of so much in their children's lives, so what happens at school is separate from what happens at home.
Parents are busy, so it's easy to neglect the changes in their children. Forcing parents to be active in their schools could change this narrative. Parents have little knowledge of resources if they aren't aware they may need them.
Childcare and jobs programs could be created with the funds saved by fixing the holes in the criminal justice system.
Monday, May 15, 2017
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Healthcare vs. Health Insurance
The Affordable Healthcare Act is a flawed law. I've essentially had health insurance my whole life, but AHA didn't make my healthcare more affordable. My insurance has been through my wife's employer most of the past 15 years. I qualified for insurance through Target in 2003 and accepted it since my dr wasn't in the network of my wife's insurance. My wife was 8 months pregnant and I was able to sign her up. Pre-existing illnesses don't get you denied insurance when you are in a big company. We kept my wife's insurance and had double insurance until I dropped it a year later. My dr was then in my wife's network and the money was needed to pay for a car. Didn't need 2 insurances, but it was nice not having co-pays and the primary insurance had a cap on coverage for my son so it wasn't going to pay for well-baby shots after $500 was billed. Target family insurance was $70 a pay check, while my wife's was... I think $125 a month.
When I worked for the hospital, family insurance was $125 a pay check, thus double my wife's insurance, while the network was only doctors associated with the hospital, I think. I didn't opt for it.
I forget when it happened, but my wife's employer started taking out $125 twice a month between 2007 and 2010. Our premiums went down after ACA passed, but we no longer had co-pays. Her employer had a high deductible policy, so we paid for everything until we hit the $2,500/$5,000 deductibles.
Sad to think I miss the days of co-pays... for I think we've paid at least $4,500 out of pocket annually since 2012, not including the premiums.
I'd have to look at my wife's W-2, for it's listed on her payroll deductions towards HSA.
I now have insurance through my employer for $6 a month. Saving $100 a month by being off my wife's insurance, but it goes up drastically for children, spouses and family. Might be a savings if I dropped kids from her plan, but we've spent a bit towards deductibles, so it would be dumb to switch now. Nothing I need would go towards a deductible to make it worth staying when I'd be kicked off in December. Her employer doesn't allow for spouses to be covered if they are eligible for insurance elsewhere.
When I worked for the hospital, family insurance was $125 a pay check, thus double my wife's insurance, while the network was only doctors associated with the hospital, I think. I didn't opt for it.
I forget when it happened, but my wife's employer started taking out $125 twice a month between 2007 and 2010. Our premiums went down after ACA passed, but we no longer had co-pays. Her employer had a high deductible policy, so we paid for everything until we hit the $2,500/$5,000 deductibles.
Sad to think I miss the days of co-pays... for I think we've paid at least $4,500 out of pocket annually since 2012, not including the premiums.
I'd have to look at my wife's W-2, for it's listed on her payroll deductions towards HSA.
I now have insurance through my employer for $6 a month. Saving $100 a month by being off my wife's insurance, but it goes up drastically for children, spouses and family. Might be a savings if I dropped kids from her plan, but we've spent a bit towards deductibles, so it would be dumb to switch now. Nothing I need would go towards a deductible to make it worth staying when I'd be kicked off in December. Her employer doesn't allow for spouses to be covered if they are eligible for insurance elsewhere.
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