Tax Preparer Compliance

[grandmabee]

Atypical of me to chime in on these sorts of posts, but, since you raise the "life style choice" issue, I wonder about paying for the health care of those who choose certain life styles, i.e., smoking, drinking, speeding, drug usage, overeating, etc.

In my local paper today was a letter headlined "Universal care means people die." The writer continues that she has cancer (unspecified) and now has good insurance. The says, "While all Americans should have access to health care, it should not be at the expense of anyone else." I wonder if she understands that perhaps, should she lose her job (or whoever has the insurance loses the job), that good insurance will disappear. She would find it challenging to obtain individual coverage with her pre-existing condition. I imagine she would gladly refuse Medicaid coverage as it would be at someone else's expense.

I also wonder what she thinks happens to those who now do not have access to health care due to joblessness, homelessness, etc. Many times they die and not from universal health care. One of my clients is a clinic for the homeless, mentally ill. Many times they die.

It seems like this got a little off topic.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

A bit...seems to be happening more frequently since tax season. Our minds begin to wander and pick up on some little item to pursue. But then, this is Chit Chat and those of us with some spare time are just chit chatting.

Next topic, please!

[joanmcq]

So people come here from all over for our wonderful state of the art medical care. Great. The latest thing here is to go to India for heart care, Mexico for dental work (clinics right across the border with US trained dentists), not to mention Thailand for sex-changes because these places have top notch hospitals (often with US trained physicians) where care costs a fraction of what it does here. So elective surgery (like the sex change) or folks with PPO plans where they have to pay 20%, or folks with no dental insurance are flocking overseas or across the border to get treatment. I've even read insurance companies are thinking of paying for these 'medical vacations'!

I heard a republican on the radio the other day criticizing any type of government sponsored plan as "do you want a return to the HMOs of the 80s?" I wonder where he has been; I haven't seen my HMO change much except less drugs are covered...if it ain't a generic, it's unlikely its covered (I was on samples from my doctor for a year and a half when one of my drugs wasn't covered), I have to go to a doctor that is in their plan, and any treatments have to be approved. New this year, any brand name prescriptions have a $150 deductible and then a $30 copay. But they're capsules, so they can't be split (trust me, I've had doctors prescribe twice the dose on high cost meds) Health care managed by bureaucrats? Its already here! I'd like the plan that senator has, since its obviously better than mine.

BTW, in Britain, you could have fund raisers for your friend and he could go to a private hospital. They have them you know.