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Guest Commentary
Is the Ukraine Deal, really a deal?

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

America has given Ukraine a lot of money. Does anyone really know how much?

President Trump recently said $350 billion while other sources say we have spent less than $200 billion. A billion dollars is a billion dollars. Hundreds of billions of dollars mean Americans across our country are being taxed hard earned dollars to send to another country for the purpose of financially underwriting their war.

The Beatles sang, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” but apparently you can buy some fake friends for a while. When the money ceases then the love and friendship you bought speedily goes away.

If we don’t write big checks to countries like Ukraine then they get mad really quick and for some reason, we become the bad guys. What happens when we totally run out of money? Our national debt is $36 trillion dollars. Who will rescue us when we go bankrupt and there is no Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid? No one will come to save us.

Approximately 58,220 Americans were killed in the Vietnam war. This number includes battle and non-battle related deaths. The Vietnam war cost around $111 billion in 1968 dollars, equivalent to approximately $800 billion in today’s dollars. The war lasted about 15 years. What does our country have to show for $800 billion and almost 60,000 lives? A lot of graves and a lot of Veterans with PTSD.

The war in Afghanistan cost America approximately $2,313 trillion dollars from 2001 to 2022. This includes money we spent in Afghanistan and Pakistan but does not account for the cost of lifetime care for veterans. Some estimates suggest the total cost could be higher ranging from $4 to $6 trillion when including long-term medical care and disability compensation. Plus, we spent over $68 million on a second runway at Bagram airfield in 2006 making it the best and strongest runway in that part of the world.

In the 1960s, we built the Kandahar International Airport which cost us over $15 million dollars. Who are the people using these airports today? A lot of Americans have suffered to pay big taxes bills while our government plays Santa Claus.

It’s a great idea to ask Ukraine to pay back the billions we have given to them. The idea of America having access to their land and vast resource of minerals sounds appealing.

Financially, it sounds like it would be worth mega billions and would supply us with badly needed resources. However, how many roads and bridges will we have to build?

How big will our military presence have to become to protect American citizens who will go to work the land? A military presence in Afghanistan could only mean the possibility of altercations with Russia’s army which would escalate into America becoming head and shoulders into a full scale war with Russia.

Putin can’t be trusted as far as you can throw the car sitting in your driveway. A growing presence in Ukraine by America will eventually mean fighting to protect our interests in that country. Such a land deal with Ukraine sounds like a good deal but has the potential of becoming a very bad deal.

Unfortunately, after last week’s oval office disaster between Zelenskyy, President Trump and Vice-President Vance there may never be a deal.

If Russia eventually topples Ukraine, Putin won’t be making any deals, paying anyone anything back and we may be buying our bread from him.

About the author ~

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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Letter to the Editor |
Pritzker can't call the kettle black

Dear Editor,

During his recent budget address, Gov. JB Pritzker pretentiously proclaimed, "We don’t have kings in America – and I don’t intend to bend the knee to one," referring to President Trump. '

Ironic when you consider it was Pritzker who issued at least 41 consecutive disaster proclamations related to COVID-19 between 2020 and 2023, and over 100 specific executive orders tied to the pandemic. These orders included stay-at-home mandates, school and business closures, mask requirements, and vaccination mandates for certain workers.

Pritzker’s unilateral rule in Illinois disqualifies him from making public complaints about kings, fascists, and tyrants in America.

Moreover, his repeated attempts to redefine and paint political opponents as “Nazis” is getting very old.

Pritzker and his allies want the public to believe that “Nazis” are on the right side of the political spectrum. They are being deceitful. The National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazi) was organized to advance socialism. They advocated big government policies, putting them on the left side of the political spectrum. Think "Medicare for all," "universal Pre-K," and "universal free college," among others. Sound familiar?

The governor doth protest too much, methinks.

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute

Got something you want to get off your chest? Send us your letter to the editor today. Here is how: Read this.

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In addition to economic inflation, climate change is having a direct affect on food prices

by Terri Dee
Illinois News Connection

One example: The price of oranges and the price of orange juice have both steadily increased in recent years due to declining production in Florida caused by large hurricanes.

CHICAGO - Consumers are unhappy with increasing food prices and blame inflation. In reality, natural disasters have a direct link to grocery costs, with no end in sight.

Climate change affects Illinois farms, especially drought. The weather extremes lower their livestock's productivity, raising the price of dairy and meat products.

Michael Stromberg, spokesperson for Trace One, a food and beverage regulatory compliance company, said the effects of floods, hurricanes, drought and extreme heat have a nationwide and global impact.

Photo: Hans/Pixabay

"The price of oranges and the price of orange juice have both steadily increased in recent years due to declining production in Florida caused by large hurricanes," Stromberg outlined. "Grain prices are through the roof in critical agriculture regions like the Midwest. It starts with drought. It affects a huge portion of agriculture in that region that has an aftereffect at the grocery store in terms of your grocery prices."

Illinois ranked 10th in the Trace One study of all 50 states where natural disasters have the biggest impact on the nation's food supply. Losses were mostly due to drought in Henry, Sangamon, Lee, Logan, Bureau and Mason counties.

Stromberg argued innovation is needed to solve these dilemmas. One solution is to develop and distribute climate-resilient crops capable of withstanding extreme droughts and floods. Other strategies are to implement effective water resource management systems and invest in flood control measures alongside restoring natural buffers. Wetlands and watersheds will act as sponges to help mitigate the dangers of excessive rainfall. He added more answers can take on a scientific tone.

"Farmers can use newer precision agriculture technologies like IOT sensors, drones, advanced analytics that can allow farmers to better monitor weather patterns, things like soil health and their water usage, which can optimize resources better," Stromberg explained.

He urged the public to vote for policies prioritizing renewable energy, water conservation and sustainable agriculture to drive "incremental improvement," and for the public to reduce their food waste. Another Trace One study found Illinoisans lost slightly more than $1,900 per household, or $766 per person from food waste last year.

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Health insurers limit coverage of prosthetic limbs, question their medical necessity

by Michelle Andrews

KHN - When Michael Adams was researching health insurance options in 2023, he had one very specific requirement: coverage for prosthetic limbs.

Adams, 51, lost his right leg to cancer 40 years ago, and he has worn out more legs than he can count. He picked a gold plan on the Colorado health insurance marketplace that covered prosthetics, including microprocessor-controlled knees like the one he has used for many years. That function adds stability and helps prevent falls.

Prosthetic coverage by private health plans varies tremendously. Even though coverage for basic prostheses may be included in a plan, many insurance companies will cap payouts for devices and impose restrictions on the types of devices approved.

Photo: ThisisEngineering/Unsplash

But when his leg needed replacing last January after about five years of everyday use, his new marketplace health plan wouldn’t authorize it. The roughly $50,000 leg with the electronically controlled knee wasn’t medically necessary, the insurer said, even though Colorado law leaves that determination up to the patient’s doctor, and his has prescribed a version of that leg for many years, starting when he had employer-sponsored coverage.

“The electronic prosthetic knee is life-changing,” said Adams, who lives in Lafayette, Colorado, with his wife and two kids. Without it, “it would be like going back to having a wooden leg like I did when I was a kid.” The microprocessor in the knee responds to different surfaces and inclines, stiffening up if it detects movement that indicates its user is falling.

People who need surgery to replace a joint typically don’t encounter similar coverage roadblocks. In 2021, 1.5 million knee or hip joint replacements were performed in United States hospitals and hospital-owned ambulatory facilities, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ. The median price for a total hip or knee replacement without complications at top orthopedic hospitals was just over $68,000 in 2020, according to one analysis, though health plans often negotiate lower rates.

To people in the amputee community, the coverage disparity amounts to discrimination.

Fewer than half of people with limb loss have been prescribed a prosthesis

“Insurance covers a knee replacement if it’s covered with skin, but if it’s covered with plastic, it’s not going to cover it,” said Jeffrey Cain, a family physician and former chair of the board of the Amputee Coalition, an advocacy group. Cain wears two prosthetic legs, having lost his after an airplane accident nearly 30 years ago.

AHIP, a trade group for health plans, said health plans generally provide coverage when the prosthetic is determined to be medically necessary, such as to replace a body part or function for walking and day-to-day activity. In practice, though, prosthetic coverage by private health plans varies tremendously, said Ashlie White, chief strategy and programs officer at the Amputee Coalition. Even though coverage for basic prostheses may be included in a plan, “often insurance companies will put caps on the devices and restrictions on the types of devices approved,” White said.

An estimated 2.3 million people are living with limb loss in the U.S., according to an analysis by Avalere, a health care consulting company. That number is expected to as much as double in coming years as people age and a growing number lose limbs to diabetes, trauma, and other medical problems.

Fewer than half of people with limb loss have been prescribed a prosthesis, according to a report by the AHRQ. Plans may deny coverage for prosthetic limbs by claiming they aren’t medically necessary or are experimental devices, even though microprocessor-controlled knees like Adams’ have been in use for decades.

Cain was instrumental in getting passed a 2000 Colorado law that requires insurers to cover prosthetic arms and legs at parity with Medicare, which requires coverage with a 20% coinsurance payment. Since that measure was enacted, about half of states have passed “insurance fairness” laws that require prosthetic coverage on par with other covered medical services in a plan or laws that require coverage of prostheses that enable people to do sports. But these laws apply only to plans regulated by the state. Over half of people with private coverage are in plans not governed by state law.

The Medicare program’s 80% coverage of prosthetic limbs mirrors its coverage for other services. Still, an October report by the Government Accountability Office found that only 30% of beneficiaries who lost a limb in 2016 received a prosthesis in the following three years.

Cost is a factor for many people.

“No matter your coverage, most people have to pay something on that device,” White said. As a result, “many people will be on a payment plan for their device,” she said. Some may take out loans.

Working with her doctor, she has appealed the decision to her insurer and been denied three times.

The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed a rule that would prohibit lenders from repossessing medical devices such as wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs if people can’t repay their loans.

“It is a replacement limb,” said White, whose organization has heard of several cases in which lenders have repossessed wheelchairs or prostheses. Repossession is “literally a punishment to the individual.”

Adams ultimately owed a coinsurance payment of about $4,000 for his new leg, which reflected his portion of the insurer’s negotiated rate for the knee and foot portion of the leg but did not include the costly part that fits around his stump, which didn’t need replacing. The insurer approved the prosthetic leg on appeal, claiming it had made an administrative error, Adams said.

“We’re fortunate that we’re able to afford that 20%,” said Adams, who is a self-employed leadership consultant.

Leah Kaplan doesn’t have that financial flexibility. Born without a left hand, she did not have a prosthetic limb until a few years ago.

Growing up, “I didn’t want more reasons to be stared at,” said Kaplan, 32, of her decision not to use a prosthesis. A few years ago, the cycling enthusiast got a prosthetic hand specially designed for use with her bike. That device was covered under the health plan she has through her county government job in Spokane, Washington, helping developmentally disabled people transition from school to work.

But when she tried to get approval for a prosthetic hand to use for everyday activities, her health plan turned her down. The myoelectric hand she requested would respond to electrical impulses in her arm that would move the hand to perform certain actions. Without insurance coverage, the hand would cost her just over $46,000, which she said she can’t afford.

Working with her doctor, she has appealed the decision to her insurer and been denied three times. Kaplan said she’s still not sure exactly what the rationale is, except that the insurer has questioned the medical necessity of the prosthetic hand. The next step is to file an appeal with an independent review organization certified by the state insurance commissioner’s office.

A prosthetic hand is not a luxury device, Kaplan said. The prosthetic clinic has ordered the hand and made the customized socket that will fit around the end of her arm. But until insurance coverage is sorted out, she can’t use it.

At this point she feels defeated. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” Kaplan said.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Closure of rural hospitals negatively affects small town services and growth

by Terri Dee
Illinois News Connection

CHICAGO - The federal government is launching a new program to help hospitals struggling to stay afloat in rural Illinois.

Severe financial problems have put 360 rural hospitals nationwide at immediate risk of closing. Fifteen rural Illinois hospitals have closed since 2015, according to a Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform report.

Rural hospital closures can negatively affect the nation's food supply and energy production

The National Rural Health Resource Center is launching the federal Rural Hospital Stabilization pilot program to prevent further closings.

Alyssa Meller, chief operating officer of the pilot program, outlined its objectives.

"It is a program that's aiming to improve the health care in rural communities by really helping keep health care services available locally to increase patient volume and improve revenue," Meller explained.

The report showed rural hospital closures can negatively affect the nation's food supply and energy production. Farms and solar energy facilities are located mostly in rural areas. Those without health care facilities have a hard time attracting and retaining workers.

Meller noted several things contribute to hospitals' financial woes, including people bypassing local services and going elsewhere, fixed costs exceeding reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medicaid, and a lack of services tailored to meet community needs.

"This program then will help stabilize their current service line but also will help them dive into what is needed at that local level and provide technical assistance and support," Meller added.

The report indicated of Illinois's 74 rural hospitals, 10 are at risk of closing, and six are at immediate risk of closing. Meller said the program will also help engage the hospitals' communities to promote services. The application period ends Jan. 15.

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US Postal service proposals don't seem that great for mail customers

by Terri Dee
Illinois News Connection

Reduced delivery days and "Forever" stamp price increases are just two of several strategies under consideration.

CHICAGO - Proposed changes to the U.S. Postal Service are causing concern for Illinoisans.

Reduced delivery days and "Forever" stamp price increases are just two of several strategies under consideration for 2025. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said his revisions for the nation's post offices would boost service reliability, curb excessive costs and improve overall productivity. One suggestion is to impose a one-day delay for any mail farther than 50 miles from a regional processing center.

Annie Norman, campaign manager for the Save the Post Office Coalition, said mail is a virtual lifeline, especially in outlying areas.

A postal worker delivers mail in Connecticutt. Proposed changes will negatively affect seniors and veterans who rely on the postal service to pay bills and receive monthly social security checks as well as other government services.

Photo: Clay LeConey/Unsplash

"Rural folks rely on the Post Office to deliver prescription medications, or live chicks for their farms," Norman pointed out. "We're talking about seniors and veterans, folks with disabilities, Indigenous communities, and they all need the Postal Service to pay bills and get their Social Security checks."

Adjusting mail pick-up and drop-off times between post offices and Illinois' five processing plants to lower transportation costs is another suggestion, which also could reduce carbon emissions from postal trucks. DeJoy said the changes would save the agency $3 billion annually. The Postal Service relies on postage and product sales and services to fund its operations.

The Postal Service has faced declining mail volume due to more technology-supported communication. Rising fuel costs for delivery trucks have hurt its bottom line, as well as keen competition from private delivery companies. The agency knows its traditional mail delivery model is outdated, so Norman argued Postal Service officials should find more revenue streams to stay afloat.

"No one in this country's asking for slower mail service at higher prices," Norman asserted. "One way that they can expand the revenue of the Postal Service and dig themselves out of a hole is to focus on new revenue, through services like postal banking, to places that really need it."

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cited the average wage for an Illinois postal worker is nearly $60,000 dollars a year. The agency is embracing partnerships with other package transport companies, like Amazon, to offer new services in hopes of generating additional dollars.

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Guest Commentary |
Transitioning Into 2025

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

A new year is transition. The date changes. Some of us will mess up writing a check a time or two because we’ll write 2024 until it finally sinks in that we are in a new year.

The new year means change. It always has and this year will not be any different. We will see a changing of the guard in our Presidency. President Biden is exiting after an unbelievable 50 or so years in national politics. President Trump is coming back and he has done what no other human has done before.

I’m not simply referring rot being elected a second time after sitting out a term because that has happened. What I mean is no one has been vilified and harassed as he has been and even survived let alone ascend to the highest office in the world. January will bring immediate change upon his inauguration. However, it remains to be seen what will change and what won’t.

Life is always transitioning but we sometimes have difficulty making the transition. Some men never get over their high school sports career. They live in the past of the time when they were star athletes, but that may have. been 20 – 40 years ago. We often have great difficulty overcoming a failed relationship or marriage. It happened ten years ago but the impact of it still troubles us. We often still grieve over the loss of a loved one who died 20 years ago.

We still miss them and the joy they brought into our lives. We often cannot transition from our jobs or careers. We remember those 20 to 40 years that we worked a certain job or business. We look back to those days often as great days that we would like to go back to.

It's not easy to transition., The college freshman often misses their senior year of high school. Even as adults we remember those wonderful wasted days of childhood. The 35-year-old misses their teen years, the 80-year-old would like to bra fifty again.

Often, we dread birthdays. The actual birthdate brings a new number. The 15-year-old loves that 16 number because it means freedom to drive. The 64-year-old anticipates 65 and Medicare and the Social Security check soon to come.

Our hope must be to transition as well as we can because transition is coming for us all.

Glen Mollett is the author of 13 books including Uncommom Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

A few tips for helping your Alzheimer's family member enjoy the holiday season

by Terri Dee
Illinois News Connection

Pay close attention to nonverbal cues when a patient appears agitated. Keep family gatherings small. Large groups can produce fear and confusion in those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

CHICAGO - The excitement of the holiday season is celebrated with family get-togethers. But for Alzheimer's patients, large groups can produce fear and confusion. The disease causes brain cell deterioration and the ability to rapidly process information diminishes daily.

Macie P. Smith, a licensed social worker and gerontologist, advised paying attention to nonverbal cues when a patient appears agitated.

"If you're going to have a small, intimate gathering, I also recommend doing name tags," Smith suggested. "Go ahead and put the person's name and the relationship to the person on the shirt, so that way they won't have to guess and wonder and try to figure out who this person is. It just helps with the ease of engagement."

Reminiscing over the family photo album is a traditional holiday favorite. Despite the best intentions, Smith explained, asking an Alzheimer's patient to identify a relative can be frustrating. The questions cause them to use brain cells that are severely impacted and could produce combativeness and aggression. She recommended singing or playing music as better choices.

The Alzheimer's Association Illinois chapter reported 311,000 caregivers cook meals, assist with basic hygiene and monitor medication intake. The needs of patients are unpredictable, leaving them with sporadic break times.

Additional stress from gift shopping and work obligations underlines the importance for a caregiver to routinely nurture their physical and mental well-being. Smith advised using a calendar for scheduling enjoyable activities.

"I've asked caregivers, 'So, what do you like to do?' They don't know, or they don't remember, because they have been so engulfed with caring for someone else and depleting everything that they've had, they've lost a sense of self," Smith observed.

For unmanageable situations, Smith recommends contacting a professional respite care service through your local department on aging. The agencies offer vouchers to pay a certified person to sit with your loved one. Another choice is asking for help from a church member, trusted neighbor or a Medicare or Medicaid-funded adult day service.

Viewpoint |
Nearly half of older Americans can’t even afford basic needs

"The next administration wants to slash the social safety net. That would be devastating for seniors like me."

by Sherlea Dony

OtherWords

I worked hard my whole career and retired feeling secure. Then I lost every last dime in a scam. I was left with $1,300 a month in Social Security benefits to live on in an area where monthly expenses run about $3,700.

I’m a smart woman, but scams against older Americans are increasing in number and sophistication. Whether through scams, strained savings, or costs of living going up, half of older Americans — that’s 27 million households — can’t afford their basic needs.

And suddenly I became one of them. The experience has taught me a lot about the value of a strong social safety net — and why we’ll need to protect it from the coming administration.

I was ashamed and frightened after what happened, but I scraped myself up off the floor and tried to make the best of it.

I’d worked with aging people earlier in my career, so I was familiar with at least some of the groups who could help. I reached out to a local nonprofit and they came through with flying colors, connecting me to life-saving federal assistance programs.

I was assigned a caseworker, who guided me through applying for public programs like the Medical Savings Plan (MSP), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), subsidized housing, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid.

It’s hard to describe my relief at getting this help.

Before receiving the MSP, I’d been paying for medications and health insurance — which cost about $200 — out of my monthly Social Security check. With MSP, that cost is covered. I also found an apartment I liked through subsidized housing, and I have more money for groceries through SNAP. Now it’s easier to afford other necessities, like hearing aid batteries and my asthma inhaler.

But I’m worried about the incoming administration’s plans to cut programs like these, which have helped me so much. They’re proposing slashing funding and imposing overly burdensome work and reporting requirements. Studies show that requirements like these can cause millions of otherwise eligible people to lose critical assistance.

President-elect Trump has also indicated that he favors increased privatization of Medicare, which would result in higher costs and less care. And his tax promises are projected to move up the insolvency date of Social Security.

All told, the federal budget cuts the incoming Republican majority in Congress has put forward would slash health care, food, and housing by trillions over the next 10 years, resulting in at least a 50 percent reduction in these services. And they plan to divert those investments in us into more tax cuts for the nation’s very wealthiest.

I want lawmakers of each party to know how important these social investments are for seniors and families. Older Americans — who’ve worked hard all our lives — shouldn’t be pushed out onto the streets, forced to go without sufficient food or health care due to unfortunate circumstances.

We have the tax dollars — the question is whether we have the political will to invest in seniors, workers, and families, or only for tax cuts for the very rich. If we do the latter, that’s the real scam.

About the author:
Sherlea Dony is a retired American Sign Language interpreter, consultant on access services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing, and copy editor currently living in Rochester, New York. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.