21 September 2009
What's It All About, Barry, Really?
This health care reform thing--what's it all about, Mr. President, Madam Speaker and President of the Senate? Why are people tearing at each other, breaking up friendships, losing any sense of decorum and civility in public meetings, let alone on the Internet?
I always think about health care reform in America in terms of ways to improve the overall health of our citizens. Why are we not looking at ways to improve the survival of new born babies? How can we avoid or eradicate or cure most cancers, human immune virus contagion and influenza? Why do we tolerate hospitals and clinics where we are more at risk for an infection than not?
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I always think about health care reform in America in terms of ways to improve the overall health of our citizens. Why are we not looking at ways to improve the survival of new born babies? How can we avoid or eradicate or cure most cancers, human immune virus contagion and influenza? Why do we tolerate hospitals and clinics where we are more at risk for an infection than not?
The current efforts are addressing a system of private insurance company viability as businesses that grew from the 1965 introduction of Medicare and then Medicaid. We now have a health care system dependent upon the goals of private, commercial financial results--which is a sociological, economic and political realm. Please, read Adam Smith's second volume about community and capitalism. Do the proposed reforms address community needs and expectations of living a full life despite disease and trauma? Where is the profit in educating children and adults about how to live a healthy life so as to minimize the care needs provided by these same, commercial entities?
We need to reform the paradigm of societal expectations and norms regarding how we individually and in our community expect for living healthy lives, beginning with considering physicians, hospitals and clinics as working for us.
We need to reform the paradigm of societal expectations and norms regarding how we individually and in our community expect for living healthy lives, beginning with considering physicians, hospitals and clinics as working for us.
We hire them or check-in to a hospital because we believe that this or that is where we find help and answers about living as best we can.
I have had to seek emergency assistance when I sliced deeply into one of my fingers while preparing a meal. I cannot stop it from bleeding. I do not need an admission process that requires my entire life health history. I want my wound treated, not to sign away my financial future or absolve the Emergency Room from liability for any mistakes or accidents.
My priority is to find out what I don't already know, especially when the timing of treatment and period of care are unknown. I like to know what is going to happen in my life when there are other people involved in determining my situation and my future.
I have had to seek emergency assistance when I sliced deeply into one of my fingers while preparing a meal. I cannot stop it from bleeding. I do not need an admission process that requires my entire life health history. I want my wound treated, not to sign away my financial future or absolve the Emergency Room from liability for any mistakes or accidents.
My health care is being diminished for the lack of a single-payer system. I still bleed while my insurance is validated. I need someone to stop the bleeding and to stitch up the wound on my finger. That's all. With the admissions process having to ensure my treatment will be paid for and waiting for a physician to approve treatment so I can wait for someone to treat me, I spent hours for a 15-minute treatment. Then, later came the bills, invoices that are addressed to me, even though my insurance will pay them.
The current efforts by Congress and the White House is to legislate a process that does not have a health care goal or public expectation about health care in America. The goal of the Congress and the Administration focuses on the HOW and BY WHOM actions to attain a political goal that is so broadly stated in three words: Health Care Reform.
Other developed countries think about health and health care and their national programs' primary purpose is to meet the expectations of the people who live there. That purpose comes first and, though different countries have different means to meet those expectations, the health of the populace, individuals drive the means and the resources of the governments, the health care professionals result from the legislative process and public participation.
What do we Americans want? Seventy percent of us, according to published polls, want a single-payer system as an entitlement of citizenship and resident non-citizens. We declared our nation's independence to enable us to pursue unalienable [sic.] rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. We should be healthier for this goal. We have failed as a nation to remain true to the attainment of those Rights.
Other developed countries think about health and health care and their national programs' primary purpose is to meet the expectations of the people who live there. That purpose comes first and, though different countries have different means to meet those expectations, the health of the populace, individuals drive the means and the resources of the governments, the health care professionals result from the legislative process and public participation.
What do we Americans want? Seventy percent of us, according to published polls, want a single-payer system as an entitlement of citizenship and resident non-citizens. We declared our nation's independence to enable us to pursue unalienable [sic.] rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. We should be healthier for this goal. We have failed as a nation to remain true to the attainment of those Rights.
Labels: Adam Smith, health care financing, health care public plan, single payer
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