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INCREASE IN MORTALITY IN THE SOUTHERN US - MARCH 1 TO JULY 25
As you are likely well aware due to frequent press and media reports, the number of US Covid-19 cases have risen dramatically over the past two months. The current pandemic explosion is occurring in the Southern and Southwest States. Even worse, as the chart above displays, the mortality rate in those locations - accompanied by an unreasonable forced re-opening and ignoring the necessary steps that are required to prevent the rapid spread of the viral invasion - those States that have followed the Trump lead are now in the midst of a viral wildfire! Texas and Tennessee, along with the Carolinas are growing rapidly. But, the hottest RED ZONES right now are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. Florida leads the pack with nearly 7000 new cases each day!
Note the chart above. Deaths above "normal", meaning lost lives well above the average loss of life over years of statistics, indicates that this expanding death chart - well above normal - is attributable to the Covid-19 virus. As you can see, the US hit a sad peak in April and May as the virus spread. In the last week of May and 3 weeks of June, the Southern States leveled out at around 2000 deaths per week above average - a lesser count that the month before. By the last week of June and through July, the rate shot up - case count and lives lost. By the last week of July 2020, the mortality rate increased more than 3 times the June count! From 2000 in the first week of June to nearly 4000 in the first week of July and then to more than 6000 by the last week of the month, the viral "spread" rapidly accelerated. Hospital Emergency rooms became crowded, 911 calls exploded, PPP gear evaporated, medical staff was rapidly exhausted, and calls went out for help... How do we compare with other nations impacted by the spread of this infectious pandemic? Let's look.
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| COMPARING NATIONAL CASE LOADS - 2020 |
This chart compares the European Union, the US, Canada, and the South American nations of Mexico and Brazil. All suffered from an "invasion" of the Corona virus this cycle and did their best to defend against the resulting illness. Canada and Mexico are on our borders and the EU is distant but similar in economic structure and healthcare assets available to call upon in the fight. Note that with the exception of Mexico and Brazil, the others, including the US, increased between March and April and began efforts to control the spread and beat the infection. Mexico and Brazil worsened from April to July while the US, Canada, and Europe improved sub-stantially as the battle took hold with masks, social distancing, closed economies and schools, and careful sanitizing of hands, businesses, and homes. Then, among all the nations that had substantially improved,
the US took a bad turn and evidenced a rapid and dramatic rise in case count - and deaths resulting. Note the chart US line. While Canada and Europe substantially improved to about 100 new cases a week per 1 million residents, the US shot up into second place on the Globe at nearly 1000 a week per million population!
TODAY, THE US STANDS AT 1000 NEW CASES A DAY IDENTIFIED AND LOGGED AS COVID-19. Right now, we stand at more than
5,000,000 cases identified and
more than 160,000 deaths - and rising! Given this health emergency, a flood of healthcare needs - and rising -
what is the Trump Plan? Let's see.....
How has the Trump Administration increased healthcare???? After all, in 2016 during his campaign for the Presidency and well before the arrival of the Covid-19 invasion in 2020, he promised that he would provide improved healthcare for ALL Americans..... Where have we gone since? Especially now that we are under infectious assault? 5 Million Americans infected and 160,000+ deaths to date? Given our growing medical emergency, what has Trump chosen to do? Expand health coverage? Fight the virus? Lead the nation to recovery and wellness? It seems that
IGNORANCE IS BLISS... for the man with the orange tan.... and on his golf course...
As you well know, more than half of non-elderly Americans (under 65 and qualified for Medicare) - some 158,000,000 have health Insurance through their employer according to a Time Magazine report on March 9, 2020. For the most part, they are covered under group plans. That leaves more than 160,000,000 to be accounted for.
44,000,000 Seniors over 65 have Medicare. 65.6 million in poverty have access to Medicaid, and another 23 million have acquired coverage under the ACA (Obamacare). All in, it seems that some 30 MILLION AMERICANS are under viral assault and have no coverage at all. In fact, since the Corona virus began its assault on the US,
another 5.5 million Americans lost their healthcare along with their jobs. More than 40 million lost jobs and, due to lack of income, are completely exposed to infection, disease, injury, and the inability to get to healthcare services needed. In fact, according to the July 13, 2020 issue of the NY Times, 46% of coverage losses from the pandemic came in five states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, and North Carolina. Under the Obama Plan, a Medicaid expansion was attached to the ACA if states chose to participate. "In the 37 States enrolled in expanded Medicaid with coverage at 100% Federal expense, 23% of laid off workers became uninsured. The percentage was nearly double that - 43% - in the 13 states that did not expand Medicaid - Texas, Florida, and North Carolina."
So, now that we are under viral assault, what options does Chump Trump select? Expand Medicare by lowering the age? Expand Medicaid throughout the nation - especially in those places that had not done so and are suffering from current spikes in Covid-19 case counts and deaths? Improve and add to the ACA? Sign on to the Medicare for All plan to uplift all Americans?
Nope! With nearly 40 MILLION WITH NO HEALTHCARE COVERAGE, Trump began pitching grenades! As reported in the Albany Times Union on July 5, 2020, "... in the midst of a pandemic and double digit unemployment, ... Trump is fighting to take away health care from millions of Americans."
First, Trump had already made more than a dozen attempts to repeal the ACA - Obamacare - in 2017 and 2018. The repeal, without an alternative replacement as promised, passed the Republican-controlled House under Speaker Paul Ryan. The Obama program that expanded coverage to millions with pre-existing conditions, added young folks to their parents policy to age 25, offered coverage at subsidized rates to others who had little other alternative, and offered all 50 states an expansion - without cost to them - of Medicaid for individuals and families of modest income just a bit over the current Medicaid triggers (20%). Taken together, some 25 million gained coverage that had not previously been available or achievable. Once taken the Oath as president, Trump began his effort to erase the ACA and the healthcare coverage provided.
This past June, 2020 Trump joined 18 other Republican-led Red states in a suit in the federal court system - presently pending in the US Supreme Court. Trump argues that the ACA is "unconstitutional" and must be repealed.
Some 23 Million will lose coverage altogether. And, even worse, - 130 MILLION AMERICANS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS WILL LOSE THEIR GUARANTEE OF PROTECTION. And, that includes more than 5 million already diagnosed with Covid-19. Talk about creating a MEDICAL EMERGENCY! And, at the hands of a Witch Doctor, Donald Trump!
Second, on the existing
Medicaid program - more than 60 million struggling in poverty and poor health and housing - Trump turned the regulatory screws to tighten the program, require some work or job to be done or medical coverage and service availability will be cut - and head count in the program reduced state by state.
And, just now... third. Trump just recently proposed - and by dubious Executive Order - suspended the PAYROLL TAX. The Payroll Tax, dating back decades to support two Trust Funds - Social Security and Medicare. Both trust Funds receive support from each of us via Payroll Deductions AND from equal support from our employer in accordance with federal law. These programs were and are designed to support us in retirement - in income and in healthcare. Last week Trump instructed employers to stop payroll deductions on employees AND cease to make contributions to YOUR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS! That Executive Order - most likely completely illegal - increases corporate profits and boosts the Stock Market as well. But, for you and me, our retirement and our healthcare is placed at risk with no financial support against the backdrop of a growing viral threat.
So, the Trump Plan? Eliminate the ACA, cut Medicaid, and bankrupt Medicare.... Erode and eliminate healthcare coverage for more than tens of millions of Americans - especially those who live in the 13 states that refused to enroll in the cost-free expanded Medicaid program offered under Obama. Cut off the ACA via the Courts, and strangle in-place Medicaid by job requirements adopted while shrinking financial support for Medicare too. Disassemble and destruct American healthcare as we hit new highs of unemployment - well beyond the sad records set in the Great Depression nearly a century ago. Trump's recommendations? Hydro???? Bleach injections? Lysol inhalers? And, instead of a national program including required masks, social distancing, enforcement at schools and businesses to prevent and/or slow the spread of the Corona 19 virus - the shared contagion. Worse, just re-open the schools and the economy so that the employment stats rise, unemployment falls, and Trump looks economically good. SNAKE OIL CONMAN SALESMAN.... hiding behind a curtain.... Wearing a mask, donning a cape.... waving a magic wand.... That's the Donald Trump psychotic plan.... Drug 'em all.... knock them off... prevent their casting votes.... refuse to leave office claiming that the election was "rigged"... Name myself "LEADER FOR LIFE", take control of the NRA and the military, shut the newspapers and abolish the free press, crush demonstrations, marches, and crowds gathering to complain and object. It has come time for TRUMP RULE! OMG.....
GET THE STRAIGHT JACKET!!! AND, ADD AN ORANGE PRISON SUIT.....
Tick-Tock.... November, 2020
Bobby J
