@QMS
for those in reasonably good health and with minimal (or low cost) prescription drug need. ‘Advantage’ plans may be a reasonable choice for those with high overhead medical issues and chronic conditions. Typically they add an administrative layer (I.e. pre-authorizations) and more limited network of physicians (PPO or network).

I agree with you that Advantage plans seem designed to create profits for insurers and to reduce the number of Traditional Medicare subscribers. The long term goal appears to be throttle Traditional Medicare and put as many Medicare dollars in the hands of insurers and providers. What could go wrong with this sort of arrangement?

the idea of pharma corps listing natural remedies as 'controlled' not so much.

Looking to re-instate Medicare part B, which I cancelled last year due to the cost /
benefit ratio (too much $$ for too little coverage), the spouse convinced me to
re-up. In the process of speaking with a volunteer, found a strange discrepancy.
He did the work-up for the cost of the prescription meds (I take minimal pills) and
his database supplied by the Medicare website showed about $10k/year. I also
dropped the part D last year and spent about $600 -without insurance. He could not
explain the discrepencies, but I think it was part of a push for the Medicare Advantage
scam -- see how much you will save! I smell a rat. Would rather stick with the part A,
but spouse says will pay for the part B. It comes directly out of my social security - no
choice. Bleah

Thanks for the potluck soe!

@soryang

was unaware of. Another case, I notice, where the US is using the WTO as a club against everybody trying to protect their people using a variant of the precautionary principle (safe dose can't be determined, ergo disallow) in favor of the anything goes standard (Can't be conclusively proven to be seriously harmful/lethal, ergo must allow). The people, globe wide, need to get rid of the WTO and prohibit the recurrence of anything vaguely similar, IMHO.

be well and have a good one

...over US access to Philippine military bases. Obviously, he's trying to triangulate, and the idea of a permanent US military base structure is problematic for domestic and international reasons. So it's all about permissive use, infrastructure changes, storage facilities and the like on Philippine bases for US use.

Philippines may allow U.S. military access during Taiwan crisis
RYO NAKAMURA and YUICHI SHIGA, Nikkei staff writers
September 5, 2022

...Romualdez said Manila is in talks with Washington to increase the number of Philippine military bases that American forces can use. The bilateral Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement concluded in 2014 lets the U.S. maintain a rotating military presence at five Philippine bases.

"Our military and the military of the United States are all looking into what are the possible areas," Romualdez said. Additional bases may include a naval base, he said.

U.S. forces maintain ammunition, fuel and medical supplies at the bases and are ready to respond to natural disasters. Under the 2014 agreement, the construction and upgrade of storage facilities and other infrastructure was planned, but only limited progress was made during Duterte's presidency.

Asked about the time frame for implementing the plans, Romualdez said "hopefully, in the next three years, that we can have all of these areas that we have identified already."

A Pentagon spokesperson said the U.S. and the Philippines "hold regular discussions on deepening our enduring security alliance under the auspices of the Mutual Defense Treaty and multiple other agreements, including the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement...

Duterte had pretty much put the EDCA on hold to improve his position vis a vis China after diplomatic and military disputes over the South China Sea. I saw a Marcos interview on CGTN recently, and he is much subtler than say an obsequious clod like South Korea's President/dictator Yoon Seok-yeol.

As the Yoon crackdown on political opposition, and labor unions, spreads, discussion of the emerging nature of his authoritarian administration is being discussed more openly by opposition politicians. This acknowledgement of the threat to South Korean "democracy" was previously limited to online independent media.

Here's a discussion that appeared in the Hankyoreh which is center left:

Leaders of Korea’s democratization call for emergency convention to address issues posed by Yoon
Jan 20

...“Since Yoon Suk-yeol became president, the public livelihood has been degraded by a pro-chaebol, anti-labor policy; democracy has been backsliding because of the high-handed antics of the despotic prosecution service; and the threat of war has been growing on the Korean Peninsula,” these respected members of society said in a statement calling for a national convention around March 1, the anniversary of the 1919 pro-independence movement.

Veterans of Korea’s democratization movement who are currently out of politics held a press conference at the Christian Building in the Jongno District of Seoul on Thursday morning and proposed holding an “emergency convention to stop labor repression, prosecutorial despotism and South Korea-US nuclear weapon drills.” The figures in attendance included Catholic Rev. Ham Se-ung, protestant Pastors Kim Sang-geun and Ahn Jae-ung, and Lee Bu-yeong, the chairman of the board of the Free Press Practice Foundation.

“Under the banner of the rule of law, the Yoon administration is seeking to stigmatize civic groups and other opponents as being corrupt North Korean sympathizers,” the figures in attendance said while calling for Yoon to halt what they called “repressive measures.”

“The Yoon administration is mobilizing politicized prosecutors to destroy democracy and impose inequality and polarization that are driving ordinary citizens to the brink. Since Yoon took office, the Korean people have been left defenseless before prosecutorial despotism, a catastrophic economic crisis and the creeping threat of nuclear war,” they said.

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1076547.html

The group also went on to criticize the Yoon administration's attack on free speech. This subject matter is virtually never addressed in western media.

Another interesting article over at the Diplomat concerning Taiwan:

TSMC’s US Investments Spark Political Controversy in Taiwan
Plans for new chip plants in the U.S. have sparked concerns about Taiwan’s “silicon shield” – and whether Washington has Taipei’s best interests at heart.

https://thediplomat.com/2023/01/tsmcs-us-investments-spark-political-con...

South Korea shares Taiwan's problem. Thanks for the articles on Taiwan SOE. Browsing through associated links, I came across the Ractopamine treated pork issue. I didn't even know what it was.

@enhydra lutris
goes way, way beyond Military control.
Every facet of our lives must be controlled for efficient rent extractraction of the global human population.
IMHO
Good comment, EL
Thanks for THE OT, SOE.

ice in standing water, etc. Tres mucho cold at the farmers' market today and not too busy because of same. They've been trying to play that game with herbals here for a while now. The law says they have to ok sale and consumption of stuff that's been in use for ages in indigenous populations (or delevloped ones) but they wouldn't approve stevia for ages, holding out until somebody could prouce and patent an extract of an/the active ingredient. That kind of shit has to be stopped somehow, maybe massive black markets or something.

be well and have a good one

@on the cusp

they'll kill you if you give them half a chance. "try this, it's experimental". Next thing you know, you're looking down at the room from above, on your way to the light.

enjoyed a spurt of huge improvement in his cancer for a 6 month period after visiting a clinic in Mexico. BioMedical Cancer Clinic. The regimen was diet and vitamins, various supplements. Hell, he was up out of bed, able to drive. Then, he had a serious bladder infection, had to be hospitalized, and since we had no prescriptions, had no labels with pill content, the hospital would not allow him to take them. 2 months later, he requested to be released, died at home after 2 more months.
The whole idea of that clinic was that the only effective killer of a cancer cell is one's immune system. Chemo doesn't limit cell destruction to cancer cells. It kills most everything. Nothing about that seems radical or idiotic. To this day, 25 years later, I still include the recommended vegetables from the clinic's list, in my own diet.
My big issue with Medicare Advantage is remaining in network. Bankruptcy awaits you if you get sick in the wrong location. I travel regularly and want the ambulance to take me to the nearest er without regard to a system. I want to see the dr. I choose. I don't want to waste time seeing a primary dr. to get a referral to a specialist of the network's choosing.
All of us are subservient to some fucking insurance company anyway. Why give them more control?
I have not had a medical condition in 40 years that warranted medication, above and beyond an infection or injury. My drs. run me through the mill to find something--anything--that would warrant daily meds. Only 1 dr. has said he didn't want me to get on any daily, for life medication.
There a few drs. in the Houston area that practice their traditional herbal protocols. They have good reputations. edit: Chinese drs. Oopsies.

@earthling1 Shit like this turns workers off of unions.
I hope you get help and can undo this extraordinary control over your health and well being.

Somehow my union has removed me from Medicare and enrolled me in an Aetna plan and sprung it on me near the end of the open enrollment period this last November.
They gave me less than two weeks to cancel the change, giving me the ultimatum I would lose my union retiree secondary insurance along with dental coverage if I rejected the Advantage plan.
Right off the bat I had to cancel two Dr.
appointments because they are not "in" network. Two other specialists are also eliminated from coverage.
Am looking for a advocate to get me back into Medicare proper with the minimum fuss.
I think Washington state has an ombudsman of sorts that helps people thru the system.
Other than that, it's snowing here in Vancouver/Portland metro area. Bought another 4 ft. grow light to double my seedling production next month.
Hope we don't have snow in mid April like last year.
Have a good weekend everybody.