After playing golf with some friends on Jan 4th 2011 we stopped to get some grub at one of the major fast food restaurants in Orange County. After reviewing the menu chart I placed my order and surrendered my government issued (RFID implanted) credit card. While reaching for my wallet the manager approached me to say they cannot process my order. Why not I asked? I am paying in cash. Miss Jones said it had nothing to do with my payment. The problem I had is that the ingredients contained in the items purchased are in conflict with my health records. They would be fined if anyone discovered that they provided greasy burgers and fries with my health condition. As an alternative they would gladly revise my order and replace the bottled soft drink with water and suggested a chicken salad sandwich to replace the cheeseburgers.
I must credit a friend who responded to my recent post on RFID chips. His response, which appears below, gave me the idea to do this scenario of Universal Health Care.
This Orange Juice blog reader sent me the following: “Oh you can have a choice Larry, would you like a chip and treatment of your illness in the new medical program? Or would you rather pay for your treatment yourself? We would never force you to be “chipped” without your explicate consent. Now there’s a choice for you…change you can believe in… Then you’ll get that choice of the salad bar at the local pizza place, right across the street from the local trauma center, instead of that all meat marvel you had in mind! “Sir, we’re sorry, but your RFID chip shows your Lipid level elevated beyond a “safe level” right now, we can only serve you the salad bar, please don’t ask for the restricted dressings menu sir.” You can forget about the char-broiled burgers next door, even their drive thru can scan you in your car. Kind of adds new meaning to wearing that tin foil hat now doesn’t it? I’m thinking of a new clothing line. One that has carbon fibers in the weave. The name of the line could be “FairADay Suits” for the discriminating man about town who needs to stay grounded and secure within himself.”
No, I am not spending too much time in the sun. Phase one of ObamaCare may have already taken place. New York Senate’s “Consumer Protection” legislation (Kruger S200) requires disclosure of ingredients in fast foods as justified below:
To safeguard our health his legislation “adds a new article 30-B to the general business law entitled fast food restaurants; requires fast food restaurants, upon request, to disclose ingredients and nutritional information in foods sold; provides that a sign must be posted to notify customers of their right to this information; creates a civil penalty of not less than $50 or not more than $250 for each violation of this article.
BILL NUMBER: S200
TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to disclosure of the ingredients and nutritional information of foods offered for sale in fast food restaurants
SUMMARY :
This bill would amend the General Business Law by adding a new Article
30-B entitled “Fast Food Restaurants” and a new section 635 which would require fast food restaurants, upon request, to disclose the ingredients and nutritional information of all food offered for sale in the restaurant. Additionally, fast food restaurants would be required to post a sign informing consumers of their right.
JUSTIFICATION :
With the advent and growth of nationally franchised fast food restaurant chains, the manner in which restaurant food is prepared and the amount of which is consumed by the public has drastically changed.
Today, with consumers spending approximately $40 billion a year in fast food restaurants, fast foods play a significant role in the daily diets of millions of people. The traditional diet and daily eating habits of the public have been altered with the increased frequency with which people eat at fast food restaurants. Due to a variety of health hazards associated with many of the ingredients abundantly found in fast foods, there is a crucial need to readily provide fast food ingredients and nutritional information. Many consumers are allergic to ingredients such as FD and C Yellow Dye No. 5 or corn-based sweeteners while others must avoid certain ingredients,
such as animal fats or sodium, to reduce the risk of heart disease and other diet related diseases. Readily available ingredient disclosure is the only practical device to enable these consumers to safely eat fast foods. Furthermore, consumers need this information prior to any actual purchase to make an informed choice. To protect the public health from potential hazards and to enable consumers to make an
informed decision as to which food they wish to consume, current federal laws and regulations require food ingredients to be listed by name when used in packaged food products. Similarly, due to the types and amounts of certain ingredients found in fast foods, the need to provide full and readily available information is imperative.
Furthermore, many fast food restaurants presently make such information available in booklets if a consumer writes to the regional headquarters and requests such information. Thus, the bill would impose minimal additional burdens on these restaurants while providing invaluable health information to the public.”
If we fast foward to 2022 we might end up eating “soylent green” wafers
Great post, Larry. In the immortal words of Chuck Heston, “Soylent Green is people!”
You’re being used as a tool of the health care industry to protect their fantastic profits, Larry. Go to the UCI emergency room to see reality. Discuss health care with the people you meet there. Your little fantasy story reads like a Sunday school tract.
Good god Larry, ANOTHER MADE-UP scenario, is this the BEST you can do?
Here’s an idea;Let’s deal with REALITY, why don’t you tell us how YOU like MEDICARE? If your not satisfied with GOVERNMENT SPONSORED HEALTHCARE aka; MEDICARE, then I suggest you DUMP IT and STOP BEING A HYPOCRITE and GET OFF THE PUBLIC’S DIME.
When Larry Gilbert REJECTS Medicare, which is government sponsored health care for seniors, for himself , ONLY then will he have ANY credibility when criticizing and trying to deny a government sponsored health care option for the rest of us.
I hope your golf handicap is better than your fiction.
Baxter. Putting up with some of the anonymous posters is “handicap” enough thank you.
And when you hit 70 and the government says we can’t authorize your getting a hip replacement for perhaps 9 months, if you’re lucky, tell me how great the socialist health care program will be.
And by the way. Where is the limits on malpractice caps in the proposed bill? Do trial lawyers get a pass based on their massive campaign contributions ????????
Hey Larry, since YOU’RE on MEDICARE why don’t you tell us how long you have to wait for services?
As to the limits on malpractice, this is another right-wing red herring. Malpractice accounts for about 2% of our health care dollars, but don’t take my word for it, here’s an excerpt on the subject from an article on Bloomberg.com;
“The figures were taken from a March 2003 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that estimated the direct cost of medical malpractice was 2% of the nation’s health-care spending and said defensive medical practices accounted for 5 to 9 percent of the overall expense.
A 2004 report by the Congressional Budget Office also pegged medical malpractice costs at 2% of U.S. health spending and “even significant reductions” would DO LITTLE to REDUCE the growth of health-care expenses.
One possibility the Democratic administration has mentioned is shielding doctors from liability if they follow “best practice” guidelines developed by physicians’ groups, said J. James Rohack, incoming president of the 250,000-member AMA, in a news conference after the speech. Doctors were “thrilled” to hear Obama acknowledge the issue, even with the lack of specifics, said Nancy Nielson, the outgoing president.
“What we heard we were very pleased with,” Neilson said. “He is open to considering options that will lower the cost of defensive medicine.” While stating an opposition to caps, the president “has not taken that off the table,” she said.”
“Larry’s handicap” is his inability to deal with REALITY and FACT and his OWN HYPOCRISY.
I had to wait 3 months to get a lump looked at with my private insurance, the doctor had to revise the request several times to get it approved.
Question, what is the difference, if my private paid insurance makes me wait or a goverment program has me wait ?
#7 Jim,
If you’re in a govt program such as Medicare, and join an HMO like Kaiser you won’t have to wait on any approvals – you can see a Dr immediately who will prescribe treatment or futher review (based on proven diagnostic protocols – eg you can’t jump right into chemotherapy probably without a biopsy or some scans, etc).
On big problem is that diffrent parts of the country seem to favor certain treatment like radiation over surgery without any supporting evidence – thereby driving costs and patient outcomes in the wrong direction.
Folks. I listen as doctors speak of performing “unnecessary tests” to cover themselves against malpractice lawsuits.
I might peel the onion back to see a breakout of that data if it is to be found and verifiable.
anonster. Sorry for the above error in math.
Using your number of “2% of health care costs being spent on malpractice,” representing just short of $50 billion dollars, chump change in your view, than why wouldn’t you agree to set caps on litigation costs?
Is there a possibility that trial lawyers became good friends of candidate Obama in his campaign?
I read that health care represents 15.2% of our GDP.
SAHS Teacher.
As you refer to UCI hospital and “fantastic profits” perhaps you can explain why the following CA hospitals closed in the past four years. Over 2,500 beds are now gone!
San Jose Medical Center
Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center (Hawthorne)
Northridge-Sherman Way campus
Elaster Community Hospital (LA)
Central Valley Orthopedic & Spine Institute
Monrovia Hospital
Angels Hospital (Rancho Cucamonga)
Santa Teresita Hospital (Duarte)
Orthopaedic Hospital (LA)
Brea Community Hospital
Valley Plaza Doctors Hospital (Perris)
Martin Luther King Jr. Harbor Hospital (LA)
Toulumne General Medical Facility (Sonora)
University Medical Center (Fresno)
Memorial Campus (Inglewood)
Warrack Campus (Santa Rosa)
Dos Palos Memorial Hospital (Dos Palos)