Healthcare Reform


I’m not emotionally attached to my health care insurer, and I’ll take bets it couldn’t care less about me. I’m just a potential drain to its corporate profits.

That’s why I find the passionate reaction many are having to the passing of health care reform, and their weepy attachment to the status quo, very peculiar. Especially when I’ve known many people with the “keep my fingers crossed that I don’t get sick until I’m 62” health care plan.

The United State’s abysmal infant mortality rate, which ranks us 33rd in the world, behind such nations as Canada, the United Kingdom, and even Cuba, and our life expectancy ranking of 43rd in the world, shouldn’t cause the warm fuzzys. The only area of health care in which we can claim a leadership role is most money spent.

Whacky tea baggers have declared that health care reform will take away our freedom to choose. How would that be different from now? Our health care provider tells us what doctors we have to have, what hospitals, and even what pharmacy. We’ve never been able to chose. If you had a pre-existing condition, changing providers was not an option.

I’ve heard that reform will get between the patient and their doctor, causing health care rationing, and interfering with treatment. Once again, how is that different from now? Last time I saw a doctor he informed me that his partners were meeting with representatives from my insurer to get their marching orders on what tests they could and could not order. And let’s face it, if the health care insurer doesn’t pay for it, most of us aren’t going to get it. Who can whip $4,000 out of their back pockets to pay for a test?

Insurance companies get between patients, and their treatments all the time. Think of the fundraisers people have to pay for life saving transplants, or their exorbitant medical bills. People shouldn’t have to sell cupcakes to live. Insurance companies don’t care about saving our lives.

The attempt to prey on American’s emotions by invoking the image of the so called “death panels” is pathetic. If they think doctors don’t do “end of life” counseling already, then they have never had an elderly or terminal relative. We were grateful for the counseling we received every step of the way with our family.

And lastly, Canada’s socialized medicine is an urban myth. They have national group insurance. Our relatives in Canada love their health system. One of them had a serious illness during a visit to the States last year, and hotfooted it back to Canada for treatment.

I’m an American, and I’m glad they passed health care reform.