Joint Pain: Obamacare Strikes Again!

JOINT PAIN: WHAT TO DO? PLUS: THE OBAMA(DON'T)CARE TAX ON JOINT REPLACEMENTS WELCOME TO GRASSFIRE'S HEALTHWIRE REPORT! Dear HealthWire Subscriber, good morning,   Happy 75th anniversary of the German annexation of Austria! No, not really. We don't celebrate that any more than we honor Obama's political maneuvering three years ago to pass the unread, unconscionable, and unaffordable Affordable Care Act. More about that shortly.   Yesterday, I posted a story about developments in understanding some of the causes of joint pain -- and a simple, powerful supplement combo that may help end that pain. You'll want to read that story, "Joint Pain, Joint Gain," before proceeding (if you've not already perused it). And, of course, we trust you are continuing to enjoy our HealthWire stories. We truly want to keep you up on leading health developments.   Meanwhile, back at joint pain: Natural and lifestyle approaches -- such as the one included in my story -- can be very powerful. Some even work well in conjunction with the less invasive medical treatments. But what if all else fails? More and more people are turning to the knee and hip joint replacements. Because generally somebody else is paying, those surgeries are more common than they would be. That's the way the system is. That doesn't mean it's not smart to go that route when the pain and the lack of function become intolerable! In a freer market, they'd be less expensive -- and probably even more common. But Obamacare will mean the opposite. Such last-resort surgeries will face increased hurdles.  To handle the increased demand -- competition will have to be squelched -- while the true cost is further suppressed. That may mean extended waiting periods, poorer surgeries, denial of care, hidden out-of-pocket costs, and cheap implants. Those who have the money may decide to travel as medical tourists. The cost of the surgery plus expenses can be half or less in places like Taiwan, Mexico, or Thailand. Many of the surgeons are US-trained. + + Obamacare is insuring that such surgeries will be more expensive here with a new tax + +    The Obamacare medical device tax kicked in on January 1. Yet another provision begins eroding health care. The 2.3 percent tax on gross sales of medical devices covers everything from those joint implants to the surgical tools used in the surgeries to the wheelchairs used for carting you around during recovery.  What does that do to companies? Because of the tax, orthopedic device manufacturer Stryker (one of the largest) has plans this year to cut back on their pretax operating budget by $100 million. Like Stryker, many companies will be cutting back on their research and development budgets. So much for Obama's talk about American ingenuity and increasing job growth. For consumers, they will -- one way or another -- be paying the the hundreds of dollars extra on each implant. Indeed, the likely result is fewer options and greater costs The Obama administration claims they are making it up to the manufacturers by delivering millions of customers to their doorsteps: The medical device industry, like others, will benefit from an additional 30 million potential consumers who will gain health coverage under the Affordable Care Act starting in 2014. This excise tax is one of several designed so that the industries that gain from the coverage expansion will help offset the cost of that expansion. What generosity! Actually, what economic blather! Hmm, a tax that raises the price. How does that make it affordable? Who is going to pay? + + So don't let the Obamacare "Anschluss" annex your health freedom! ++  If nothing else, do what you can now to protect your joints. Moderate regular exercise and the right supplements can go a long way toward prevention of pain and disability.    And there have been attempts, with some Democrat support, for abolishing the tax. Support that wherever and whenever you can!    Stay healthy, stay free,   Gailon Totheroh Editor, HealthWire LibertyNews.com CONNECT WITH US ONLINE: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | LIBERTYNEWS.COM   Click here to be removed from this list or send a written request to: Grassroots Action PO Box 277 Maxwell,IA 50161 You are signed up as: alexander@yorkteaparty.org. Click here to change your email address.