I've been kind of avoiding political news lately. Still listening to my NPR and AM Conservative radio in the morning and evenings respectively, but it's kind of carried over to my not keeping any sort of blog lately. I could swear I've written about health care before, and now I'm thinking I'll go back and check again. Ok I haven't. Good.
The catalyst for writing this was an email I got from my mom. Her email forwards are pointedly against any Democrat and Obama is the devil in her mind. Still love my mom dearly, and she may be right to feel the way she does, I just don't know. Anyway the latest email was about an interview he gave where he was asked if he would use the health care plan that he's proposing. He dodged the question implying that he would not and he would keep his own Presidential plan. It went on to say that the proposed legislation adds verbiage exempting the president and senators from using it.
I'll add the quote and apologize for the all caps.
SO, THIS GREAT NEW HEALTH CARE PLAN THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU AND I... IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR OBAMA, HIS FAMILY OR CONGRESS...??
WE (THE AMERICAN PUBLIC) NEED TO STOP THIS PROPOSED DEBACLE ASAP !!!!... THIS IS TOTALLY WRONG !!!!!
PERSONALLY, I CAN ONLY ACCEPT A UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL THAT EXTENDS TO EVERYONE... NOT JUST US LOWLY CITIZENS... WHILE THE WASHINGTON "ELITE" KEEP RIGHT ON WITH THEIR GOLD-PLATED HEALTH CARE COVERAGES.
This misses the point if you ask me and makes an assumption about health care that's erroneous. It assumes that everyone is as valuable as everyone else. We're not. The harsh reality is this. Some jobs are more important than others. It's the whole reason that Capitalism works the way that it does. If you have a job that is more important, influential, or are in some other way irreplaceable, you will be compensated more handsomely.
Senator and president fall into the influential group, and in some cases irreplaceable. Health insurance for anyone is so that they can continue to provide the service/function that they do for their company. It has nothing to do with elitism as this email claims.
The whole idea that the president should use the health care system that he's proposing kind of weakens the argument of those who don't want it passed. These are the same folks that are against socialism in any form. Pick a side folks. Either you admit that his job is more important and stick to your capitalist view that his insurance should be better, or accept that socialist medicine is preferable. You can't have it both ways. Wanting him to use the health care he's proposing is a socialist mindset.
There's one other point about the health care debate that bothers me and that is this. I don't go to the doctor. I haven't visited a doctor for myself in easily over a year. My family is a different story of course. The insurance I have is for them. This isn't because I'm incredibly healthy or anything either. I do what I can to stay healthy and to avoid needing the doctor. Don't drink or smoke for example. I've quit coffee, and even sugar for the most part.
The whole health industry is geared toward treating sick people and not promoting wellness. There is no motivation for doctors to get you healthy other than their passion for solving a problem, or feeling like a hero. Monetarily it makes more sense to keep you alive, but not well.
The Primary Care Physician idea was supposed to fix this, but ended up having the problem of denying treatment to stay solvent instead of promoting wellness.
So here's the problem. Policies are being decided by doctors, politicians, and sick people. Where are the well people in this equation? Paying for sickies which is either incredibly altruistic or completely unfair depending on your point of view I suppose.
The whole idea that the president should use the health care system that he's proposing kind of weakens the argument of those who don't want it passed. These are the same folks that are against socialism in any form. Pick a side folks. Either you admit that his job is more important and stick to your capitalist view that his insurance should be better, or accept that socialist medicine is preferable. You can't have it both ways. Wanting him to use the health care he's proposing is a socialist mindset.
There's one other point about the health care debate that bothers me and that is this. I don't go to the doctor. I haven't visited a doctor for myself in easily over a year. My family is a different story of course. The insurance I have is for them. This isn't because I'm incredibly healthy or anything either. I do what I can to stay healthy and to avoid needing the doctor. Don't drink or smoke for example. I've quit coffee, and even sugar for the most part.
The whole health industry is geared toward treating sick people and not promoting wellness. There is no motivation for doctors to get you healthy other than their passion for solving a problem, or feeling like a hero. Monetarily it makes more sense to keep you alive, but not well.
The Primary Care Physician idea was supposed to fix this, but ended up having the problem of denying treatment to stay solvent instead of promoting wellness.
So here's the problem. Policies are being decided by doctors, politicians, and sick people. Where are the well people in this equation? Paying for sickies which is either incredibly altruistic or completely unfair depending on your point of view I suppose.
