SiCKO - Coming soon to an NHS near you?

Friday saw the release of Michael Moore's latest film, appropriately called SiCKO.

This latest offering from the maker of 'Bowling for Columbine' and 'Fahrenheit 9/11' now exposes the USA's totally-for-profit healthcare system. See for yourself, it's an eye-opener.

There are currently 50 million Americans who have no health insurance and consequently, if they develop a serious illness, they suffer and die untreated.

This system is totally controlled by numerous insurance companies who are motivated entirely by their quest for profits.

Could it be mere coincidence that the current proposal by the Assembly's Health Minister, Edwina Hart, to use the services of the UNUM Provident, that well known and controversial American insurance company, 'local agent', Prof. Mansel Aylward, as the overseer of Local Health Care reconfiguration?

In fact, Huw Lewis was so overly impressed by Prof. Aylward's 'official' CV that he went on to ask:

"Might we consider that Professor Aylward could move on, after this work, to oversee the overall reconfiguration of services throughout the whole trust area?"

Huw has attempted to dismiss my previously posted 'unofficial' CV of Aylward's activities as 'defamatory', but offers no response or rebuttal to my statements.

A three year investigation into UNUM Provident's activities in the USA has resulted in the following conclusions:

"The investigation concluded that the Company was engaged in widespread violations of state insurance regulations and in fraudulent denial practices. Those included using phony medical reports, policy misrepresentations, low-balling tactics and biased investigations as pretexts for cutting off legitimate claims of disabled, and often destitute, policyholders."

Given Aylward's previous history in the world of claims denials and the use of highly questionable medical reports in the DWP, and his intimate involvement with UNUM Provident, I regretfully foresee a radical change in services that will be made on mainly fiscal considerations.

He has successfully inculcated UNUM Provident's highly questionable methodology of claims denial into the DWP, with the result that many legitimate claimants have been wrongfully denied benefit, and I see no reason why Aylward's involvement in this proposed reconfiguration will bring anything of benefit to the public at large. Money talks.

Readers may have noted that there has been an increase in BUPA's advertising of late. Maybe they know something that we don't.

It is generally acknowledged that the UK is about ten years behind the USA. I would venture to suggest that the gap is closing.

Your patiently patient pal.

johnny.

Buddy can you spare a dime?

In a more colloquial context, this would, of course, be: "have you got any spare change, mate?"

Yes, it's that time of year, when the more 'cultured' of our number start the rounds of begging to be bailed out again.

I had been wondering for some time just how long it would take before the Wales Millenium Centre came looking for more public handouts. I didn't have to wait that long, did I?

I find that it is quite incongruous that we have a situation of schools being closed, elderly people being unable to find suitable accomodation for their old age, hospitals creaking along, massive Council Tax increases, inadequate transport infrastructure and yet there seems to be a general feeling that the Assembly and its occupants appear to be so remote from 'real life'.

The current situation of the WMC being £13.5 million in debt and demanding an extra £4 million a year in extra subsidy is a sad indictment on Wales as a whole. Of course, our esteemed Culture Minister will sternly 'wag his finger' at the WMC, but will, nevertheless, bail them out in the name of 'culture' and the 'arts'.

Of course, the usual suspects are trotting out the same old guff about the 'iconic' staus of the WMC, when in reality the only 'iconic' status is that of another 'white elephant'. Then of course we have that old chestnut of the 'culture' issue, which they would seek to support at any cost.

This 'culture ' has little support from the general public as it appears that many of these 'cultural' events are out of reach of many and are unwanted by even more.

The Welsh National Opera, for instance, seems to have taken over much of the facility of the WMC and continues to be an unnecessary drain on the public purse, yet is supported by few.

Just how much more of this waste of public money must Wales endure in order to satisfy the elitist cravings of many of its patrons.

It appears to me that this so-called 'culture' is going to be a significant drain on our resources for some time to come.

A quick look around the WMC website shows that it clearly encourages this elitism by offering all sorts of 'extras' that are clearly designed to attract just a certain 'type' of patron.

Just what is it about 'Arts Centres', that our politicians seem to believe that they are a panacea for all ills. Huw Lewis' blog seeks to suggest that in Merthyr, for instance, the first step towards the regeneration of the town is yet another subsidised Arts Centre. In fact he states:

"If you know of a multi-million pound Arts Centre that has been built without creating new jobs and without attracting more visitors and boosting the local economy, then please post me a link"

Here you are Huw, try this one. http://www.wmc.org.uk/ It's currently boosting the local and national economy by minus £13.5 million plus minus £4 million per annum for the foreseeable future.

Your plebeian yet proletarian pal.

johnny.

So many fingers, so many pies.

In response to the esteemed Mr. Twp's posting on Valleys Mam's blog, I offer, for your perusal, a few interesting details of Professor Mansel Aylward's influences on our Health, Wealth and Happiness.

Many of you in the Merthyr area will be aware of a local medical research company called Simbec who are constantly trawling the news media looking for 'guinea pigs' on whom to try various medicines and treatments. In fact, they had a half page advertisement in last night's South Wales Echo.

Merthyr, being labelled the sickest town in the UK, would be an obvious target for such a firm as Simbec. The founder of Simbec was Prof. Aylward, a good old Merthyr boy. He has since sold off the company and has moved on to much greater things.

He retired last year as Chief Medical Adviser to the DWP and spent much of his time there ensuring that the Government target of a million claimants, to be removed from incapacity and disability benefits, is achieved.

During his time at the DWP he was also very closely involved with an American medical insurance company named UNUM Provident.

UNUM Provident, in the USA, have an appalling record of denying legitimate claims, and have been fined many millions of dollars in the Courts for their wrongdoings. Consequently, they have been compelled to make deposits of millions of dollars with the Courts, as security, in order to continue their business, and to pay out any claims that come before the Courts for determination.

UNUM Provident, one of the largest medical insurers in the USA, were described in October 2005 as:

"...an outlaw company, who have acted in an unlawful fashion for many years".

This description was made by John Garamendi, who, at the time, was Insurance Commissioner for the State of California. Mr. Garamendi has since been elected to the post of Lieutenant Governor of California and deputises for the Governor, Arnold Schwarznegger. Mr. Garamendi's credibility is beyond question. Incidentally, UNUM have not sued Mr. Garamendi for his statement.

UNUM Provident were further described as having run "claims denial factories".

Prof. Aylward has been instrumental in introducing the UNUM modus operandi into the DWP and consequently many legitimate claims have been denied by the DWP.

During Prof. Aylward's tenure at the DWP, around 50% of Incapacity and Disability Benefit claims denials were overturned on Appeal. He has been closely examined by Select Committees and has been less than helpful. His activities are currently being closely examined by numerous agencies and many pertinent questions are currently under consideration.

Having introduced UNUM's highly questionable methods of claim denial into the DWP, Prof. Aylward was rewarded by his masters by the opening of the UNUM Provident School of BioPsychoSocial Science at Cardiff Medical School. Naturally, Prof. Aylward was given the Director's job.

UNUM have since expanded their operations into the UK insurance industry and are firmly embedded in the consultative process of the DWP'.

Prof. Aylward was further rewarded by the Assembly, by the opening of the Welsh Centre for Health. No, not a Quango, it's a Government Sponsored Body. Again, naturally, Prof. Aylward was made Director thereof.

He has further interests in the 'rehabilitation' or should I say, compulsion to work, of Disabled and Incapacitated Benefit Claimants as he is now a Trustee of the Shaw Trust, one of the preferred bidders for the Government's Pathways to Work scheme.

Prof. Aylward has been described by Huw Lewis, in the Plenary, as having great "stature and integrity".

I would invite Mr. Lewis' observations on the clear governmental association between the Assembly and a representative of what has been described as an "outlaw company"? Further, would he care to elaborate on Prof. Aylward's "stature and integrity" given the Professor's intimate involvement with such a controversial company?

I hope that these little snippets are useful in enabling readers to appreciate the 'tangled web' that is currently being woven before your very eyes.

Your probing pal.

johnny.

See, I told you so!

The Welsh Nationalists have briefly touched the levers of power and they're at it already.

The recent announcement by Rhodri Morgan and his nationalist cronies comes as no surprise to me.

The proposal to compel by Legislative Competence Order, businesses in Wales to provide their goods and services via Welsh, or else, has been lifted directly from Cymdeithas' 'language measures', as I forecast weeks ago.

We have also heard from the multi-faceted Ieuan Wyn Jones of his wonderful dreams for North to South transport infrastructure improvements.

I would venture to suggest that he concentrate more on widening the M4, particularly Eastbound, in order to accomodate the businesses in Wales who will be making a sharp exit in order to avoid this blatant Welsh language Stealth Tax.

Who pays this? You of course.

Your perceptive pal.

johnny.