An apple a day just ain't gonna cut it

I heard something the other day that really bothered me, and when I told Ken about it, it bothered him, too.

A young person was discussing health care, and the attitude I got was basically that if you don't work or contribute to society, you don't deserve benefits such as health care. That if people really want health care, they'll figure out a way to get it, and it's not the government's job to provide motivation.

They went on to say that if someone really needs health care, they can get it by walking into a hospital, that the hospital has to treat them.

When asked what happens with disabled people or those with long-term problems, the answer was "privately funded health care."

I guess I can forgive this young person their ignorance, because they're obviously too young to understand the full implications of what they are saying. (And obviously not paying for their own health care!)

I found a graphic about health care. While specific to New York state, the amounts spent on various categories is interesting, and I would say fairly consistent with nationwide trends. Over half of the health care costs for New York are spent on nursing homes, mental health/mental retardation, family health, managed care, and home care. We're talking about the elderly, children, mentally handicapped, and people who need care in their homes. In other words, people who can't work. What are they going to do about health insurance and health care? This cannot be a pay for play scenario.

As far as I know, there is no regulation stating that a hospital must treat a patient who walks in. Most hospitals treat a certain number of indigents, and that is part of their operating costs. However, that is one of the very things that is broken in our health care system. Emergency room visits are terribly expensive (I'm sure most of you have experienced the costs of an ER visit.) and are one of the things that hike up the costs of health care in general. When a patient can't afford reasonable health insurance that will pay for doctor's visits and preventive care, they end up in the ER and are unable to pay those higher costs, which are then absorbed into the operating costs of the hospital...which are then passed on to the rest of us.

I was aghast over forcing the disabled and those with long-term problems to pay for their own health care. I guess this young person has never experienced being denied insurance due to a pre-existing condition or forced to pay exorbitant prices, and they've never been denied a treatment that will ease their suffering--or a loved one's--because the insurance company has deemed the treatment unnecessary, or beyond reasonable and customary charges.

I was fortunate to work in health care, because I always had great (and inexpensive) insurance. Ken's company provides good insurance, as well. There are many companies that don't, and it's a huge concern for retirees to figure out how they're going to pay for their health care costs, especially when faced with a serious or even catastrophic illness. We've seen loved ones forced into bankruptcy because of illness, and that is a burden on the economy that we need to address.

I'm not in favor of nationalized health; I'd rather not see the government have their hand in every aspect of our health care. But I believe we do need to find a way to insure each of our citizens and give them access to health care. Part of that will entail working smarter, finding inefficiencies, and eliminating them. For example, we don't live in a large city, but we have two large hospitals in our area, and those hospitals compete with each other and duplicate extremely expensive procedures. Let's rethink how we do things, and let hospitals divide up some of these larger services such as MRI's, or let them concentrate on different areas of expertise. One hospital can concentrate on vascular surgeries while the other concentrates on orthopedic surgeries, just as an example. I believe that if we adjust our thinking to making things work better and more efficiently, we can absolutely provide health care for all.

We also need to change our mindset and focus on preventive medicine rather than only on curative. As Barney Fife would say, "Nip it in the bud!" Stop problems before they start. This involves education from grade school up; programs to help people stop unhealthy behaviors, whether it's smoking or unprotected sex; changing the menus to healthier ones in all schools, not just a few; and responsibility on the parts of both producers and consumers. You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. [grin] This is something we can and should do. We can make it better, and we can care for all of our citizens. Employee incentive programs can and do work, and can save thousands in costs down the road, and employers can motivate their employees and save future costs by offering such programs.

As for the young person who I heard this from, as I said, I suppose I can forgive this person's lack of knowledge, because it's something that they just haven't had to worry about. When they start working and get out on their own, I suspect it will be quite an eye opener for them, and their tune might change. In the meantime, I find it disturbing and terrible that their parents aren't teaching them more compassion for those less fortunate, and trying to instill an understanding for those who have been raised in different circumstances, or those who suffer from chronic illness. Shame on them.

I believe we have a moral obligation to care for those who cannot care for themselves, and I believe we can find a way to do it so that good behavior is rewarded, all receive needed care, and the system is not abused.

I'll enjoy hearing all of your comments, and I know there are a few of you in health care. Jimi? Claudia? Melissa? I look forward to hearing your take on this.