Op-ed: 

A 2.8% COLA Is Simply Not Enough 

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google     

 

....Now add in the fact that the value of the U.S. dollar against major foreign currencies dropped about 11% in the first half of this year...the biggest decline in more than 50 years...which now has some economists saying that the U.S. dollar could well lose, despite this past July's recovery of 3.2%, yet another 10% by the end of 2026. And if that be the case, the 2.8% COLA increase Social Security beneficiaries will soon be receiving will basically be negated as it does little to nothing to address the still rising grocery prices or the previous stated fact that Medicare has raised its Part B monthly premiums across the board, and they can do so again next year.

And here is where a major portion of the problem arises because Medicare can and does raise its premiums no matter that a COLA is in effect, And while what's known as a “hold harmless” rule does protect most Medicare beneficiaries by ensuring the premium hike does not reduce their net Social Security check below the previous year's amount, that in no way negates the fact that ones COLA might still be negated by the now higher Medicare monthly premiums,thus meaning monies available for groceries, etc., might still come up short...Read entire article here.

Op-ed: 

A 2.8% COLA Is Simply Not Enough 

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google     

Last month on Facebook I posted about one of my senior friends who receives both Social Security and Medicare, and how disappointed he is regarding the new 2.8% COLA increase he will soon be receiving, because said increase is now being countered by a $30 dollar increase in his Medicare Part B monthly premium. And when he figured out the actual numbers involved based upon his current monthly Social Security check, my friend's monthly COLA increase comes out to an extra $43 per month before taking into account his $30 increase in Medicare insurance each month, which actually reduced his total increased income to a mere $13 per month.

Guess my friend can now buy an additional carton of eggs and a gallon of milk each month...if even that.

What a sad commentary indeed for a man who has worked and paid into the Social Security system for years. And my friend is not alone in his feelings for Social Security COLAS (Cost of Living Adjustments) have always tended not to be enough to meet the growing needs of older Americans on what is now a lower level “fixed income.”

And when the joke of his having an extra $13 per month really sunk in, I decided to look into this because a 2.8% COLA increase did seem to be both an insult and quite unfair to me.

And so I asked others that I know who are on both Social Security and Medicare to see if their COLA increases were any better than my friend's $13 per month, and it's sad to say but the highest number I got was from someone who after taking the Medicare increase into account will see an increase of about $40 more per month in 2026. And while this is better then my friend's laughable $13 per month increase, even their $40 increase can barely keep up with their monthly raise in Medicare Part B's premium, let alone make a substantial difference in their weekly grocery bill or price at the pump.

Simply, and it's really no surprise here, but thanks to the actions of the Obama and Biden administrations, illegals do seem to be treated better, monetarily wise, than are many American senior citizens and retirees. How so...because Social Security monthly benefits are based upon one's earnings and work history whether the individual paid taxes or not. And this becomes an issue because earnings are held by Social Security in what is called an “Earnings Suspense file,” which does mean that illegals can actually gain access to benefits based on illegal earnings, thus taking away much needed monies from senior Americans...Americans with a legitimate work history,

Also, remember that COLA's are based on set rates of inflation, with inflation being measured by the “Consumer Price Index” (CPI). And it's here where the U.S. Department of Labor calculates any change to be made based specifically on what's called the “Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers” (CPI-W) which extends from the third quarter average of the previous year to the third quarter average for the current year. And while these calculations should work to help benefits keep pace with rising prices of goods and services, at least on the surface that is, it now seems not to work for many on a “fixed” Social Security income.

Why so? First, because being forgotten by those who actually set COLA's finalized rates is the fact that the dollar today does not buy what it once did, which does directly affect both seniors and retirees more so than it does working class or younger people. And second, because the CPI only reflects prices paid for goods and services purchased by an average household, and not by any specific individual, or by the average person in a certain age or income group. In fact, reality itself now shows that most people are affected by price changes that are either higher or lower than is being reported in the CPI, with those on Social Security being more negatively affected than are most others.

Now add in the fact that the value of the U.S. dollar against major foreign currencies dropped about 11% in the first half of this year...the biggest decline in more than 50 years...which now has some economists saying that the U.S. dollar could well lose, despite this past July's recovery of 3.2%, yet another 10% by the end of 2026. And if that be the case, the 2.8% COLA increase Social Security beneficiaries will soon be receiving will basically be negated as it does little to nothing to address the still rising grocery prices or the previous stated fact that Medicare has raised its Part B monthly premiums across the board, and they can do so again next year.

And here is where a major portion of the problem arises because Medicare can and does raise its premiums no matter that a COLA is in effect, And while what's known as a “hold harmless” rule does protect most Medicare beneficiaries by ensuring the premium hike does not reduce their net Social Security check below the previous year's amount, that in no way negates the fact that ones COLA might still be negated by the now higher Medicare monthly premiums,thus meaning monies available for groceries, etc., might still come up short.

So what would be considered a fair COLA in today's America given the fact that in today's economy a 2.8% increase in monthly checks really is a joke? While a COLA increase in the range of 2.8% to 3.0% has been deemed to be the number for actually maintaining purchasing power in regards to today's economic climate, most Social Security beneficiaries...as in the 75 million people, including somewhat younger retirees and individuals with disabilities, that receive Social Security benefits...I believe a COLA increase of 5%, 8% or even10% would not only outweigh Medicare's always increasing monthly premiums, but would give every Social Security beneficiary at least a fighting chance to build up some monetary reserve that could be used in case of an emergency.

Think of it this way...my friend mentioned at the beginning of this article will soon, based upon his current monthly Social Security check, be receiving a $43 COLA increase which in reality amounts to a monthly $13 increase after his allowing for the $30 increase in Medicare. However, if the COLA increase had been 5% he would have received a $56 COLA increase which in reality amounts to a $26 increase after having to deduct the $30 increase in Medicare.

Now if his COLA increase had been 8% my friend would have received an $89 monthly increase which would then drop down to $59 when the $30 increase in Medicare is taken in to account, And lastly, if the 2026 COLA had been set at a more helpful 10% my friend would have received, again based upon his current Social Security check, an additional $112 per month which too would have fallen to $82 because of the $30 monthly increase to Medicare.

Simply, my friend and so many others like him, are not seeing enough of a COLA increase** in monthly monies to really make a long term difference in their lives.

And while others who worked longer and/or made more money did pay more dollars into the Social Security system, and thus will see a larger increase in their monthly checks even with their Medicare costs rising, the fact remains that those with lower monthly checks are the very ones not only hurting the most, but are the ones who at least should see a large enough monthly increase to counter their rising Medicare costs.

But here you might ask, and rightfully so, where would these additional monies for a proper raise in the COLA come from? That answer is two fold with the first possibility being...according to some experts...that Social Security should stop using what many consider to be outdated monetary measures that actually drive up benefit costs (like Medicare for instance) instead of lowering them or leaving them as is. Recommended instead is using what is referred to as the “Chained Consumer Price Index” (C-CPI-U), which is simply an alternative and supposedly a more reliable measure of inflation.

Put out by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the key differences arise in the fact that C-CPI-U accounts for how consumers now are being forced to substitute cheaper goods for more expensive ones, where as CPI uses what is called a fixed “basket of goods," where prices are set without taking into account “substitution.” Also, the chained CPI uses data from adjacent periods to adjust spending patterns monthly, thus leading to a slower growth rate that its proponents claim now better reflects what are real-world needed budget adjustments minus the artificially inflated estimates that worsen Social Security's what is already its possible future of unsustainable finances.

But the problem here is that using a “Chained Consumer Price Index” to determine COLAS also comes replete with its own set of negatives which includes the fact that while it is a more accurate measure of the cost of living, it tends to understates the actual inflation experienced by Social Security beneficiaries. How so...because it assumes a greater ability to substitute cheaper goods than is realistic for that population. Remember, the elderly do tend to be “more set” in their ways including in how they shop and what they purchase,

In other words, neither the currently used COLA determining system nor the proposed by some alternative “chained” system works or would work to realistically help raise COLAS to more welcomed and needed levels. Only one of two things would work with the first being to actually switch the actual “tracking index” from CPI-W (urban wage earners) to CPI-E (elderly consumers), which would better reflect the higher inflation in senior-specific expenses like healthcare and rising prescription drug costs.

And the second option would be to do what has been needed to be done since the time of Obama, as in purge the Social Security and Medicare rolls of illegals who should never have been allowed on said rolls in the first place. Giving monies to illegals is paramount to rewarding criminals...criminals who knowingly and willingly broke our laws to come here...criminals now being rewarded for having done so.

And some will say that removing illegals from the Social Security rolls would harm the system not help it because less while monies would then be coming into said system, I look at it another way, as in all the monies illegals receive could then be divvied up and funneled out to elder American citizens to help make their “golden years” both more enjoyable and cost friendly. It really is time that we take care of our own and not “nickle and dime” them with a mere 2.8% COLA increase that cannot even negate their now rise in monthly Medicare premiums. If we truly want to “Make America Great Again” let's start with those who gave to America not those who tried and continue to try to rob her blind. Case closed.

____________________________________________________

Footnotes

* Any American citizen or legal resident that has accumulated 40 quarters (ten years) of legal employment is eligible to collect premium free Medicare Part A at age 65. However, one must understand that Medicare Parts A and B are funded differently. Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) is free. Medicare Part B (out of hospital) is not fully funded by past payroll taxes. This premium is an ongoing cost for your current coverage. Most beneficiaries pay a standard monthly premium for Part B, which is often automatically deducted from ones Social Security benefits. This is where the increased premiums cut into the COLA. 

** The highest Social Security “Cost-of-Living Adjustment” (COLA) was 14.3% in 1980, and was driven by the high inflation in the late 1970s, with significant COLA increases also seen in 1981 (11.2%) and 1979 (9.9%), If that kind of adjustment was done then, there is no reason why it cannot be done now.

 Copyright © 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved. 

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article Liberalism The Definition of Gaslighting.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                                              Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 6th from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'A 2,8% COLA Is Simply Not Enough'; 'Liberalism-The Definition of Gaslighting'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50pm EST, show begins at 7pm EST.

Op-ed: 

Americans First...No Ifs, Ands, or Buts

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The Op-ed posted here is this authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google.

..But know that when said deportations do come to an end so too will the monies being spent to feed, house, clothe, educate, and medically take care of those who had no business coming here in the first place. A good thing indeed for the monies spent on those crossing our border illegally can now, if properly managed, be returned to the American people, most especially our seniors and our military veterans who seem to get the monetary shaft every time there is a “monetary crisis.”

Simply, a “monetary crisis“ was what we had been facing when Joe Biden was in office, what with the federal government giving out more dollars and cents than it took in. But now with DOGE exposing what is a truly massive amount of governmental monetary waste, the only fair thing to do is take the monies that will be saved when the deportations are complete and either put those monies back into the programs that saw Biden putting American citizens last or simply give it back to we taxpayers...call it “personal stimulus checks“ if need be. But either way a fair amount of those saved monies should also be used to aid our veterans in need for it's shameful that there are close to 33,000 homeless veterans in our country today...veterans who served our country well. It's way past time that the federal government...as well as state and local governments...start spending more monetarily to help serve our veterans and their needs instead of serving those who...and I cannot say this enough...should never have been allowed to come here in the first place... Read entire article here.

Op-ed: 

Americans First...No Ifs, Ands, or Buts

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The Op-ed posted here is this authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google.

Whether some like it or not the deportation of illegals is well under way thanks to President Trump. And while it currently involves only those with criminal records, eventually it will expand to encompass what I call the “rank and file” illegals, as in those who came here solely for their promised “free stuff”...”stuff” which in reality is anything but “free.” Why so...because it's our taxpayer dollars that help to fund all the programs and goodies the illegals receive while Americans are hurting financially due to the four disastrous Biden/Harris years.

But know that when said deportations do come to an end so too will the monies being spent to feed, house, clothe, educate, and medically take care of those who had no business coming here in the first place. A good thing indeed for the monies spent on those crossing our border illegally can now, if properly managed, be returned to the American people, most especially our seniors and our military veterans who seem to get the monetary shaft every time there is a “monetary crisis.”

Simply, a “monetary crisis“ was what we had been facing when Joe Biden was in office, what with the federal government giving out more dollars and cents than it took in. But now with DOGE exposing what is a truly massive amount of governmental monetary waste, the only fair thing to do is take the monies that will be saved when the deportations are complete and either put those monies back into the programs that saw Biden putting American citizens last or simply give it back to we taxpayers...call it “personal stimulus checks“ if need be. But either way a fair amount of those saved monies should also be used to aid our veterans in need for it's shameful that there are close to 33,000 homeless veterans in our country today...veterans who served our country well. It's way past time that the federal government...as well as state and local governments...start spending more monetarily to help serve our veterans and their needs instead of serving those who...and I cannot say this enough...should never have been allowed to come here in the first place.

So what are some of the programs and services that our federal taxpayer dollars are being spent on to aid those entering our country illegally? To start with know that, in general, most of the welfare programs that are focused on illegals, costs us billions of dollars each year...billions of dollars that should be going to help struggling middle and lower class American citizens. And also know that in many cases the particular benefits in question sometimes sees illegals receiving cash payments or “direct deposit checks” courtesy of our currently written “Tax Code” laws. Maybe the DOGE needs to start looking into these codes for who wouldn't want to come here knowing that “Uncle Sam” seems more than willing to “foot the bill,” and in return all that's asked is to always vote the Democrat party line.

And while we all tend to laugh at the political bureaucracy and their “rub-it-into-our-faces” shenanigans, if truth be told those who are part and parcel of said bureaucracy are smart enough to know that few, if any, illegals will ever bite the hand of those who seemingly attend to their every need, want, and wish..

Now, here are but three of the specific federal programs catering to illegals along with the sums of monies having been laid out in each case. Those three federal programs are welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid, the program where illegals receive medical benefits for emergency services. 

In fact, in 2023...the year I've based most of this article's figures on because it was one of the busiest years ever for illegal crossings...our federal government did spend almost $66.5 billion on these folks. This includes the more than $23 billion in federal medical expenditures spent on illegals...spent while many Americans, even to this day, still cannot afford health insurance...along with $11.6 billion in welfare benefits ranging from food stamps to, in some cases, SSI (Supplemental Security Income) additions, while many Americans continued living from paycheck to paycheck.

And dare not forget that our Social Security system... what was originally set up to be “ensured income” security for retired older American replete with “inflation-adjusted payments”...still finds fraud being committed by illegals as well, which when added into the cost of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, sees we taxpayers being forced, in one way or another, to bear that monetary burden as well. In fact, when you add in all “improper payments” issued by Social Security...including the cost incurred when illegals either steal a Social Security card or create a false identity to obtain said card and corresponding benefits...said monies equate to about $3 billion per year. And when you then add together all the above stated numbers, you'll see that close to $70 billion dollars of our taxpayer funded monies went to illegals in 2023 not to “We the American People” who in many cases are still economically hurting. Remember, even a change in presidency for the better does not always mean that the changes promised can be achieved within the first “one hundred” days.

Now here's something interesting regarding Social Security fraud itself for while the fraud committed by illegals might not be that big in number, illegals in general do affect Social Security, and hence its monthly payouts. How so...because illegals not only take jobs away from American citizens but by their getting paid less than citizens do, and with Social Security being funded by “dedicated payroll taxes” paid by both employees and their employers as well as by income taxes paid by some beneficiaries...less monies go into the “Social Security Trust Fund” then normally would. Simple math then dictates that less monies coming in proportionately translates into less monies proportionately being paid out to legal beneficiaries.

And this you, dear reader, might also find interesting, In 2024 alone...as per the Social Security Administration (SSA)...about 68 million Americans received Social Security benefits each month which resulted in about $1.5 trillion in benefits being paid out last year, So how were those monies being divvied out? The average monthly benefit for retired workers in 2024 was estimated at $1,927, which included a 3.2% cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment with the benefit rising to to $1,976 at the beginning of 2025, which equates to roughly a $50 increase per month per beneficiary.

Wow! A whopping extra $50 per month per beneficiary... now retirees, the disabled (who also do receive Social Security benefits), and America's elderly can either go buy an extra carton of eggs and an extra loaf of bread or maybe turn up the heat in their homes...while illegals (in NYC for example) relax in luxury hotels with their bodies warm and bellies full...sarcastically and very angrily said of course.

And approximately how much does “each” illegal border crosser cost us for their anything but “free stuff”...in 2024, how about $8,776. And when you multiply that number by the number of persons in an illegal family...lets say a mother, father, and two children...that number equals $35,104 annually which divided by 12 months equals $2,925 per month which is more than the average monthly Social Security check is for one who has paid into the system their entire working life.

But this monetary disaster is not only being committed on the federal level, but on the state and local levels as well, especially in “blue” states and cities. Here are but a few examples with the first being, as per DOGE, that in 2023 alone, the Biden/Harris administration saw both inflation and the cost of food staples rising...saw $150.7 billion of our hard earned taxpayer dollars being spent on giving illegals a continuation of their “free ride”...with said cost inching even higher in 2024. And to make a bad situation even worse, many major blue state liberal cities were catering to illegals as well while turning their backs on needy Americans, our homeless veterans included.

Here are but three examples:

1. Since 2022, New York City has spent over $5.22 billion to provide shelter, food, and other so deemed “essential” services on the almost quarter of a million illegals now still overwhelming the city. 

2. The sanctuary city of Chicago...a city currently facing a budget shortfall of $1 billion...saw its mayor spending over $574.5 million on the 51,643 illegals that Texas Gov. Abbott rightfully bused to them. 

3. The city of Denver...yet another sanctuary city...has spent $356+ million to “accommodate” the needs of the the 42,911 illegals also bused there from Texas.

And all the examples I just stated are but the tip of the illegals monetary “free stuff” iceberg... an iceberg where “Peter is being robbed to pay Paul,” with “Peter” in many cases being we taxpayers pocketbooks. Simply, these are monies that would be better spent on programs for elderly American citizens, our homeless veterans in need, and on those of “We the People” who still do live paycheck to paycheck, and who collectively still see no end in sight to the illegal nightmare we might never wake up from. Let the deportations continue on...let the monies saved be used to help American citizens...American citizens alone. Case closed.

Copyright © 2025 / Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved.

 

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, The Second American Revolution 2.0.

*************************************************************************************************

RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                           

Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 25th  from 7pm to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Americans First...No Ifs, Ands, or Buts'; 'The Second American Revolution 2.0'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50pm EST, show begins at 7pm EST.

 

Op-ed: 

It Started With ObamaCare 

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The Op-ed posted here is this authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google.

 

...Think of it as socialized medicine on steroids where corporate profits... where government profits...actually trumps medical care. How so...because it forces both “HealthCare.gov” and other healthcare providers to limit medical options after their having denied claims submitted by customers now forced to go outside what their policies cover. And to make matters worse “HealthCare.gov” can, at any time, limit what they will cover or even raise their policy premiums at will.

Not good folks, not good at all. But as bad as “HealthCare.gov” is...don't forget it's basically “ObamaCare”...that's not the only reason why the health insurance industry is in such a quandary, for one only has to look at all the damage caused by the “Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act” (MMA) of 2003...which actually didn't go into full effect until 2010.

Signed into law by George W. Bush, MMA impacts three key areas, as in finances/the bidding process, marketing, and prescription drugs. And while MMA remains one of the biggest overhauls of Medicare itself, more important is the fact that it negatively impacted small businesses, and put many people out of work...Read entire article here.

Op-ed: 

It Started With ObamaCare 

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The Op-ed posted here is this authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google.  

This past December 4th, courtesy of his hotel lobby's video camera, we witnessed the targeted assassination of “United Healthcare” CEO Brian Thompson. Cowardly shot in the back by 26-year old Luigi Mangione...who was not a participant in the “United Health Care” system...we saw this act of murder being twisted by the liberal media to where the shooter became the victim while the actual victim and his company were deemed the perpetrators in absentia. And if that wasn't bad enough, we also saw a vast number of folks starting to make both excuses and apologies for said murderer because they claim private health insurers are the real enemy and that Mangione just did what many felt they wanted to do but didn't do.

A cold-blooded assassin...and his “groupies” if you will...now see Mangione as a hero of sorts standing up against what some consider to be the big bad healthcare/health insurance industry. And while no one can deny that America's health insurance industry, as it stands now, does have some rightfully deemed issues that need to be resolved, the fact remains that more Americans are happy or somewhat happy with their health insurance coverage than are not. In fact, the “2023 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of ConsumerExperiences with Health Insurance” (its latest survey) found that 81 per cent of Americans rated their own health insurance as “excellent.” “good,” or “acceptable” with other comparable polls finding similar results. But know that at the same time Kaiser also found that six in ten adults admitted to having problems with their health insurance provider within the past year with most complaints revolving around but not limited to insurance payouts; denied or delayed services including for in-network doctor's appointments and/or surgery scheduling; and prescription co-pays being way too high for doctor prescribed medications to name but a few.

But what exactly seemed to be Mangione's excuse for what he did, and why did he specifically target the CEO of a company he was not a customer of? The second part of the question is easy to answer, as in Mangione wanted to take the “big guy” down...publicity wise so to speak...what with United Healthcare being the largest private health insurer in the U.S., hence its CEO's murder would garner the most publicity for Mangione's misplaced cause. And as for a specific cause and effect reason...as in an excuse in Mangione's mind to justify what he did...at least for now is a bit more convoluted and somewhat veiled. However, the general consensus amongst the lead investigators continues to be that Luigi Mangione had “animosity toward corporate America” in general, but especially towards the health care industry after his having sustained what he called a “debilitating back injury” back in July 2023...an injury where he needed surgery to permanently place screws on his spine...an injury he apparently still suffers from.

In other words, the media...and those who champion his misguiding cause...want you to believe that the pain from surgery gone horribly wrong turned Luigi Mangione into a killer. And while I'm not buying into that...with the reason being that “United Heath Care” was not Mangione's insurance company...I am sure it will be used as part of his ultimate defense. But, if by some chance insurance failure in general is at the crux of what drove Mangione to do what he did, one needs to understand exactly why our health insurance industry finds itself in the mess it's in today. And that can be summed up with the same few words regarding almost all the woes our country still faces...faces until January 20th when Donald J. Trump officially takes office that is. And those words are both Barack Obama and his health care disaster known as “ObamaCare”...aka the (anything but) “Affordable Car Act”...an act that saw decidedly drawn party lines determining the outcome of what has become said act's unintended consequences hurting those at the so-called “margins” the most...or was that Obama's plan all along...as in to institute a health insurance plan so bad that it would actually help to cull America's ever growing elderly and sickly herd.

Simply, “ObamaCare” made things worse because it required healthcare insurers to cover everyone no matter their income or medical risk factor while at the same time it tried to force healthy young people into buying into the same so-called “risk pools” as the old and the sick. So instead of now focusing on those folks with pre-existing conditions, “ObamaCare” spread the cost of their care across all policyholders, basically forcing its participants to pay for coverage they did not need or want...as in don't buy what we say equals no heath coverage for you.

Basically, “ObamaCare” forced the well and the young to pay for those with per-existing medical conditions while offering those paying into the plan little actual usable coverage in return. And this forced “ObamaCare” insurers to actually start “rationing health care”...as in bureaucrats deciding who will be allowed certain medical care and who will not...as the means by which to control both their costs and patient payouts. Remember, medical costs do tend to increase for the insurer when health care becomes“subsidized”...or let's call it it by its real name, “socialized medical care” ...replete with high premiums for those who buy those policies.

And really, what was and is “ObamaCare” today? Now primarily referred to as “HealthCare.gov”...a health insurance exchange operated by the federal government under provisions of the “Affordable Care Act” (ACA)...it's just “ObamaCare” with a different name. Think of it as socialized medicine on steroids where corporate profits... where government profits...actually trumps medical care. How so...because it forces both “HealthCare.gov” and other healthcare providers to limit medical options after their having denied claims submitted by customers now forced to go outside what their policies cover. And to make matters worse “HealthCare.gov” can, at any time, limit what they will cover or even raise their policy premiums at will.

Not good folks, not good at all. But as bad as “HealthCare.gov” is...don't forget it's basically “ObamaCare”...that's not the only reason why the health insurance industry is in such a quandary, for one only has to look at all the damage caused by the “Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act” (MMA) of 2003...which actually didn't go into full effect until 2010.

Signed into law by George W. Bush, MMA impacts three key areas, as in finances/the bidding process, marketing, and prescription drugs. And while MMA remains one of the biggest overhauls of Medicare itself, more important is the fact that it negatively impacted small businesses, and put many people out of work. How so...via what was called “competitive bidding”...which meant that those companies who remained in business and still wanted to provide services to Medicare recipients were now forced to become contract suppliers, meaning they had to submit and then win the bid to provide “Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies” (DEMPOS)...including medically needed and doctor prescribed life saving oxygen...at the lowest cut rate costs.

And why did this come about...it is simply because the government deemed that thousands of durable medical companies which were participating Medicare providers continued to receive reimbursements which had gone unchecked for many years by Medicare. Claiming that MMA would set “fair prices” nationwide with patients only having to pay 20% of whatever Medicare approved for the patient's equipment...that is is if said patient did not have any supplemental insurance...what MMA actually did was allow a small group of big companies to put small companies out of the durable medical equipment business and hence thousands of people out of work.

Remember, large DMEPOS companies with hundreds if not thousands of patients could afford to take smaller reimbursements as their sheer volume in patient numbers alone makes up for what they would lose per patient. This allowed the large companies to win the bidding process no matter the equipment price cuts, something the small companies could not do and were forced to shut down or be lucky enough to be bought out by one of the large companies who secured the bid.

Simply, what we had was big government rewarding big companies at the expense of both the little guy and the insured patient/customer. And the bottom line is that with Medicare now paying out approximately 67% less in reimbursements than they were previously paying for all durable medical equipment...including wheelchairs, commodes, beds, and oxygen concentrators to name but a few...we saw not only DME companies going out of business but critically ill people being unable to afford the co-pay on would could be life saving equipment. Why so...because the monies saved courtesy of “competitive bidding” was not being used to help the insured, but was being channeled into helping to fund not only “ObamaCare” and “HeathCare.gov” but to help provide free medical care for those who entered our country illegally.

And when all I've stated is added together it becomes more than a bit obvious as to why our medical insurance industry is as messed up as it is today. Simply, big government is at fault and it started with “ObamaCare” and worked its way out from there. The insured were and still are being pushed aside courtesy of big government, while said government and big insurance companies coffers grew with “We the People” paying the price for their all-consuming greed.

Now as for Luigi Mangione, if he was a victim of my above stated government and corporate insurance greed coupled with poor medical care and insurance issues, I can understand his anger as do many of us. But that did not give him the right to kill...to assassinate...the one he deemed to be the guilty party. Mangione is no hero...he must never be looked at as such...and to now see him being charged with second degree murder is a true miscarriage of justice as far as I'm concerned. 

Sometimes “an eye for an eye” must be the punishment dealt out...civilized society demands it in cases like this for soon “copycat killings” will start surfacing. And if you think the health insurance problems will end any time soon they won't...our insurance issues need a full and complete overhaul... and that's no matter the final outcome of the Mangione/Thompson case. And to that I say, case closed.

Copyright © 2025 / Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved. 

 

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, The Catastrophic Consequences of DEI.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                           

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 7th from 7pm to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'It Started With ObamaCare'; 'The Catastrophic Consequences of DEI'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50pm EST, show begins at 7pm EST.  

 

Op-ed:

Unmasking the Truth About Biden's Domestic and Foreign Policies

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on Right Side Patriots Radio

 

Tuesday is Election Day and this election is probably the most important election since Ronald Reagan helped change the course of generational American politics. Ushering in a time of fiscal conservatism, we also saw on Reagan's watch the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall being torn down while America remained a symbol of hope for those still living under dictatorial oppression. And while the Clinton era saw us remaining somewhat economically strong, corruption and malfeasance tainted the White House via a President who was...and still is...morally corrupt. And the George W. Bush White House, though morally strong, saw us being dragged into wars some of which we sadly are still fighting today.

But nothing could have prepared us for a White House so rife with corruption, influence peddling, moral debauchery, and replete with a promise that only a “fundamental change” would save us...as in replacing our constitutional republic with socialism 101. And with Barack HUSSEIN Obama then the occupier of the White House, we also bore witness to our president becoming the ultimate divider as he willingly and with malice intended not only stirred the pot of racial discontent, but his policy initiatives, both foreign and domestic, clearly showed his goal was to destroy the very country he was elected to be steward of.

Thankfully, a non-politician...a businessman...named Donald J. Trump ended Obama's dream of Hillary Clinton becoming his defacto third term in office, And with his failure we saw American exceptionalism once again on display not just here at home but on the world stage as well. And the economy Obama helped to destroy began soaring as President Trump's economic policies helped to create a record number of jobs, allowed stifling regulations to be lifted, and saw American companies based overseas bringing manufacturing jobs back home...that is until a nasty little virus from China dealt a blow to our country that we're still in the process of recovering from.

And now we find ourselves at a crossroads for while we're seeing slow but steady economic recovery taking place after our economy was basically forced to shut down, President Trump is facing Obama's former Vice-President Joe Biden, a man as corrupt as Obama was, what with Obama's pretending to be all black.

Joe Biden...a puppet sold to the highest foreign bidder and a now proven to be liar...a man mentally, physically, and morally unfit to hold the office of President of these United States...now wants us to believe that he will do a much better job as president and commander-in-chief than the businessman who has garnered three Nobel Peace Prize nominations for his initiating the beginnings of peace and stability throughout the volatile Middle East region...a man whose economic policies not only saw black and Hispanic Americans better off financially than ever before, but whose policies enabled middle class Americans to keep more of their hard earned dollars in their own pockets, thus allowing consumer confidence to increase across all levels of the socio-economic board.

A man of the people vs. a bought-and-paid-for career politician...you'd think the choice would be easy, but with politics being what it is it seems that, for the masses, lies do become truth if repeated enough with the actual truth being buried by a media in cahoots with the liars. And sadly, it's then left to “We the People” to sift through all the political garbage to arrive at what we believe to be the truth...two truths actually that not only see the Democrats trying to steal the election...Joe Biden himself recently admitted just that in an October 24th interview with 'Politico' where he said, “we're in a situation where we have put together, and you guys did it for President Obama's administration before this, we have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics”...but also that Joe Biden would not be president for long...as socialist mouthpiece Kamala Harris would soon be the occupier of the White House. Hope you all understand the ramifications of what I just said for with Kamala Harris comes the “Squad” and tag-along mouthpiece Nancy Pelosi.

And while that scenario will only happen if Joe Biden were to win, let's briefly delve a bit more into three key issues as the reason why Biden must not win. So let's start with the economy and but five of Biden's hushed up what would be disastrous economic policies...after all, the economy remains the number one issue for the majority of voters.

1. Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that he will raise taxes on day one of his administration and would start by repealing Trump's (highly successful) “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” and that he would then raise the U.S. corporate income tax rate to a rate even higher than that of Communist China...wouldn't that serve his family well. And Biden's claim that his plan would “ease the economic burden on working people” is a lie for his plan would actually see a family of four earning the median income of $73,000 now facing a $2,000 tax increase each year which directly violates Biden's pledge not to raise taxes on any American making less than $400,000 per year. And with his repealing the Jobs Act, which included doing away with the ObamaCare individual mandate tax, millions of low and middle-income Americans would again be forced to pay the then reinstated mandate tax to a tune of between $695 to $2,085.

2. Then there's his plan to lower Medicare eligibility to age 60, allowing those who wish to retire early to leave their employer plans, the public option, or any other plans they access through the (Un)Affordable Care Act...an act soon to be known as BidenCare...and to do so even before they officially retire. What an additional monetary drain that would put on Social Security, a program already facing serious monetary issues. Now couple those issues with Joe Biden's promise that any federal cost associated with this option would be financed out of “general revenues” in the hope that it would protect the Medicare Trust Fund is but also a lie, thus forcing we taxpayers to once again foot the bill for yet another Democrat disaster.

3. And Biden, the man who made it impossible for student loans to be forgiven with his " Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act," is now that he's running for president and needs the young adult vote, is all for forgiving student loan debt but only for low-income and middle class folks who have attended public colleges and universities. Forgiveness with a catch, for Biden's plan sees those who attend private colleges and universities, which always cost more than public funded schools, will get no debt relief whatsoever. Translation: attend one of our government sanctioned schools of higher indoctrination and you, dear comrade, won't have to pay a dime to do so.

4. Joe Biden has also vowed to convert the current deductibility of traditional retirement contributions into matching refundable credits for 401(k)s and IRAs, a change that industry experts warn could force some small companies to cut those benefits, thus directly affecting tax preferences of one's individual retirement accounts. And Biden's claiming that it would “level the playing field” of tax deferral in traditional retirement accounts while at the same time boost savings amongst low-income earners is pure nonsense, because by reducing the benefits that higher earners receive, Biden's plan actually increases the likelihood of businesses abandoning those retirement benefits altogether. And why...because it would place a crippling monetary burden on both small and large business owners while also reducing the net worth of one's long invested in IRA's and 401(k)s.

5. Also of economic concern is the farce known as climate change. Now catering to the progressive faction of his party, Biden just a few months ago released two new climate plans, one targeting a decarbonized electricity sector by 2035, and another he refers to as “environmental justice” that would see an investment of $2 trillion over four years going to climate solutions...as if he can control the “weather.” And Biden has also promised that we will achieve a 100% clean energy economy and reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050...just more empty promises that cost money and that cannot logistically or dollars and cents wise be delivered without a substantially huge raise in our taxes.

And the second issue high on the list of what voters consider important is crime in America having increased tenfold while police departments are being defunded or actually being done away with...done away with in order to placate the wants of a small but vocal minority embedded within the minority of America's 12.4% black population. And here are four key areas where Joe Biden, as opposed to President Trump who remains totally supportive of law enforcement, is seen as pandering to said minority with his criminal justice plan which includes:

1. Cutting down on rates of incarceration; increasing government oversight of local police and prosecutors; increasing the rights and resources for those no longer incarcerated including providing them with “guaranteed housing” upon finishing their sentence...in other words Joe Biden's criminal justice plan would reward those who commit crimes; call to task those who help prevent crimes; while at the same time making America's streets less safe for we law abiding citizens.

2. Biden's criminal justice plan would also see $20 billion being allocated for a grant program to promote crime prevention among state and local governments (eliminating the all-important parent responsibility factor), while at the same time offering incentives (read bribes) to states that enact programs to reduce incarceration through measures like eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent crimes.

3. If elected, Biden says he will push the Justice Department to investigate police and prosecutors across the country for “questionable actions and misconduct;” will create a separate task force on “prosecutor discretion” to combat what they consider discrimination; and would not only call on the DOJ to focus on prosecuting “hate crimes,” but would increase federal funding for public defenders' offices but not for federal prosecutors.

4. And Joe Biden wants to end cash bail; end the use of private prisons; and do away with the death penalty. In other words, Joe Biden wants to make the prosecution of criminal offenses easier for public defenders to offset by legally removing the fear of serious punishment from those who commit crimes.

And the last key issue for voters is foreign affairs. And with President Trump now having garnered the aforementioned three Nobel Peace Prize nominations for helping to broker a deal that will bring peace to the Middle East, the very man who has always scorned senseless wars now finds himself up against the very man who actually voted for war...which Biden did in October 2002 when he voted to give then President George W. Bush the authority to “use force” in Iraq. And while he's still trying to justify that vote, Biden's current overall foreign policy platform is far more dangerous then that one vote was. And here are four reasons why.

1. Not so long ago Joe Biden uttered the words, “I want China to succeed” and “They're no competition for us”...but now the man who got rich off his and his son's dirty dealings with said communist nation wants us to believe he will get tough with China...I don't think so. And why...because as president, Biden would have to decide whether to keep or raise the billions of dollars in tariffs now being levied against Chinese imports; whether he'd stay with or renegotiate the partial trade deal Trump made with China; whether he'd continue the sanctions imposed on Chinese officials for their ongoing human rights violations; and whether he'd continue to cut off Chinese technology companies’ access to American intellectual property. And know that any decision Biden makes regarding China...even military decisions...would always be peppered by how it would affect the padding of his personal pocketbook.

2. Joe Biden, who calls Russia “an opponent” and said, “Russia not China is the greatest threat to the 2020 election,” cannot be trusted to deal with Putin especially with the February 25, 2021 expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) fast approaching. And if a new deal or at least an extension of the current treaty...a treaty that limits the size and strength of each country's nuclear arsenals...is not reached on or before the February date, then the threat of nuclear conflict with Russia increases. And instead of Biden working to better relations with Russia's leader, Biden has promised a “forceful response” (whatever that means) for both Russian election interference we have no proof even happened, and for Russia's alleged bounty payments to the Taliban that targeted American troops in Afghanistan, again something there's no proof positive of. Simply, Joe Biden's policy towards Russia is to negate any progress Trump has made in regards to what remains a verbal cold war.

3. As for Iran and North Korea...Joe Biden wants our country to reenter Obama's very bad nuclear deal (JCPOA) with Iran, the very deal Trump rightfully removed us from, no matter that Iran is no longer limiting its uranium enrichment capacity or nuclear research. And Biden not only sees diplomacy alone as the answer to a country hell bent on regional control, but he also wants to “ease up” on the very sanctions that have helped to keep Iranian aggression in check. And as for North Korea, as expected after Biden called Trump's meetings with Kim Jung-un just “photo-ops,” diplomacy alone is again Biden's course of action. In fact, Biden wants the U.S. to “engage our allies and coordinate with China” as the means by which to advance negotiations with Kim...cozying up to China again, huh Joe.

4. And then there's Biden's Middle East/Israeli policies key of which is his saying that he would not only do away with Trump's stance against Iran, his support for Saudi actions in Yemen, along with his setting aside criticism of the Saudi's domestic policies...policies which have allowed for both the kingdom’s policy shift regarding Israel and for the signing of the Abraham Accords by the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan...but that he will also reject Israel’s extension of sovereignty into any new... actually rightfully recaptured territory...by Israel as well. And Biden also stated that he would force Israel back to the negotiating table with the Palestinians and would push for a two-state solution, thus forcing Israel to compromise its security by turning over land it can ill afford to lose. Simply, Joe Biden would continue Obama's policies of stabbing Israel in the back.

And so, dear reader, when you go to vote this Election Day, please remember all President Trump has accomplished during these past four years and compare that with what I've laid out as to what a Biden administration will look like. Maybe now the choice will be easy as to which lever to pull...I truly hope for America's sake that it is.

Copyright © 2020 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved.  

***************************************************************************************************************************                                                    For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot, to read his latest article, Biden - On a Foundation of Quicksand. 

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Tomorrow, Friday, October 30th, from 7 to 9pm EST,  RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Unmasking the Truth About Biden's Domestic and Foreign Policies'; 'Biden - On a Foundation of Quicksand'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on rspradio1.com. Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50 pm EST with the show beginning at 7pm EST.