Trump

[pinstripers]

I think the definition is being missed here. Most surgeries are elective, which simply means scheduled at a time to suit the surgeon, hospital, and patient. It seems elective is being confused for optional or non-medical. By definition, a skin-graft for a burn is just as much an elective surgery as a sex-assignment surgery. That was what I had an issue with.

I don't personally care about funding or not funding surgery for 65 people, and that's not a percentage. It is a matter far, far below the national level that simply isn't worth substantial time or energy when considering the scale of the problems facing the government and country. But there are certainly elective plastic surgeries for thousands or tens of thousands of vets that I would support.

a nose job

[ShockerPrez]

Since we seem to be headed for single payor, I'm curious how everyone thinks the Charlie Gard situation would go over in the U.S.

[MoValley John]

a nose job

Cosmetic surgery.

While an injured soldier may need several surgeries, some cosmetic, in reality, all of those procedures are reconstructive.

Regardless of proper medical term, the example was a strawman built to elicit emotion. My insurance will not cover cosmetic surgery, but if my face travels through the windshield of my car, they will cover reconstructive surgery to try and put me back together.

My insurance does not cover gastric bypass or banding, nor penis enhancement or sex change. Not that I want any of these, I'm just pointing it out for sake of the discussion.

[CBB_Fan]

a nose job

I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to imply, but yes, a nose job can be justified. Just to use the most well-known, consider Michael Jackson. Totally frivolous cosmetic surgery, right?

Michael Jackson had his first rhinoplasty (nose job) after breaking his nose in a dance routine in 1979. The surgery was not a success, and he began to suffer breathing difficulties. He had a second rhinoplasty to correct the breathing problem, and according to Michael that was the extent of his nose jobs. I would consider that justified for a performer.

Now replace Michael Jackson with Michael Johnson, a fictional Iraq war veteran. This MJ sustained significant injuries to his nose from a shrapnel of an IED. In addition to disfiguring the nose, it heavily damaged his right nostril and makes it significantly difficult for him to breathe, even causing sleep apnea.

If this MJ went to a doctor who prescribed elective rhinoplasty, I would support that decision. And that really is the crucial thing. Even with the transgender thing it has to be a procedure recommended by a certified doctor to fix a problem (and that surgery is very rarely recommended).

So yes, even a nose job can be justifiable, if a doctor believes it is necessary to solve a medical problem.

[MoValley John]

I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to imply, but yes, a nose job can be justified. Just to use the most well-known, consider Michael Jackson. Totally frivolous cosmetic surgery, right?

Michael Jackson had his first rhinoplasty (nose job) after breaking his nose in a dance routine in 1979. The surgery was not a success, and he began to suffer breathing difficulties. He had a second rhinoplasty to correct the breathing problem, and according to Michael that was the extent of his nose jobs. I would consider that justified for a performer.

Now replace Michael Jackson with Michael Johnson, a fictional Iraq war veteran. This MJ sustained significant injuries to his nose from a shrapnel of an IED. In addition to disfiguring the nose, it heavily damaged his right nostril and makes it significantly difficult for him to breathe, even causing sleep apnea.

If this MJ went to a doctor who prescribed elective rhinoplasty, I would support that decision. And that really is the crucial thing. Even with the transgender thing it has to be a procedure recommended by a certified doctor to fix a problem (and that surgery is very rarely recommended).

So yes, even a nose job can be justifiable, if a doctor believes it is necessary to solve a medical problem.

If Michael Jackson had a nose job to correct damage from a fall, that would be reconstructive. If a woman has a pair of bing cherries she wants enhanced, that would be cosmetic and not covered. If a woman has a mastectomy, the repair would be reconstructive. All insurance, since 1998, has by law covered reconstructive breast surgery.

[Play Angry]

Scaramucci lost his mind in that New Yorker interview today, wow.

http://www.newyorker.com/news/ryan-lizza/anthony-scaramucci-called-me-to-unload-about-white-house-leakers-reince-priebus-and-steve-bannon

The quote about Bannon is out of this world.

I'm not Steve Bannon, I'm not trying to suck my own c***

Too many depth charges dropped on Priebus' head to post them all.

Whoa.

[jdshock]

Scaramucci lost his mind in that New Yorker interview today, wow.

http://www.newyorker.com/news/ryan-lizza/anthony-scaramucci-called-me-to-unload-about-white-house-leakers-reince-priebus-and-steve-bannon

The quote about Bannon is out of this world.



Too many depth charges dropped on Priebus' head to post them all.

Whoa.

The White House communications director voluntarily called up a reporter, never said it was off the record, and just laid into Priebus.

And then this evening he just tweets out that he made the mistake of trusting a journalist.

This season's communications department subplot has been one of my favorite story lines. From fake news, to hiding in the bushes, to this... It's had it all, but it's really starting to feel like the show writers have jumped the shark.

[Aargh]

Scaramucci lost his mind in that New Yorker interview today, wow.

http://www.newyorker.com/news/ryan-lizza/anthony-scaramucci-called-me-to-unload-about-white-house-leakers-reince-priebus-and-steve-bannon

The quote about Bannon is out of this world.



Too many depth charges dropped on Priebus' head to post them all.

Whoa.

That's a little off the deep end into an empty pool.

I think it's fairly clear that I have disliked Trump since WAY before he ran for office. This guy strikes me as having just given an interview that Trump would love to have given if he thought he could get away with it. He's pretty much expressed Trump's attitude about people he views as anything less than 100% loyal. Paranoid is included in that.

[Aargh]

The White House communications director voluntarily called up a reporter, never said it was off the record, and just laid into Priebus.

And then this evening he just tweets out that he made the mistake of trusting a journalist.

This season's communications department subplot has been one of my favorite story lines. From fake news, to hiding in the bushes, to this... It's had it all, but it's really starting to feel like the show writers have jumped the shark.

The whole thing is starting to sound like a scripted version of The Apprentice.

[Play Angry]

Skinny repeal fails 51-49.

Collins, Murkowski and McCain voted against. Healthcare reform is dead for the time being (again).

[jdshock]

The whole thing is starting to sound like a scripted version of The Apprentice.

On The Apprentice, he at least fired people.

The best comparison I've seen is that episode of Seinfeld where George's boss tries to make the workplace so unlivable that George will quit before his contract is up. Trump is just trying to make folks like Sessions, Priebus, Spicer, etc. as miserable as possible until they finally give in.

[SB Shock]

Skinny repeal fails 51-49.

Collins, Murkowski and McCain voted against. Healthcare reform is dead for the time being (again).

Step closer to single payer - which I think was the ultimate goal of the ACA.

[Play Angry]

Step closer to single payer - which I think was the ultimate goal of the ACA.

Yea, this was the last chance for conservatives to counter with comprehensive reform and neither congress or the administration had the nuts and/or brainpower to even try. We might see something sneak through in the coming months but really these proposals are just a watered down version of the ACA from a structural standpoint, and we'll end up in the same place eventually (single payer).

[SB Shock]

The whole thing is starting to sound like a scripted version of The Apprentice.

I think "Survivor - White House Edition" is more appropriate.

[Dan]

Step closer to single payer - which I think was the ultimate goal of the ACA.

Exactly what I said to my wife this morning. Obama knew it would take time for the insurance industry to crumble, give it a couple more years and US companies will stop offering healthcare benefits.