What are you thoughts on the nation's health care crisis?
It's appalling one of the world's wealthiest countries has such an antiquated system and such a large portion of its population is suffering needlessly because it. The sacrifices Americans make in order to stay healthy is outrageous to say the least.
What do you mean by sacrifices?
For many with little or no health insurance, it usually means deciding between food, rent and utilities or care needs. Most will always choose paying their bills before going to the dentist, optometrist, doctor or buying medication. For someone working at a minimum wage job, any one of these services can wipe out an entire weeks pay if not more. The cost is obscene and Lord help you if you end up in the emergency room for anything. I'm not even going to start on that subject. We could be here all week. Those who qualify for Medicare and participate in the Drug Program are the lucky ones. At least some medical expenses and prescriptions are covered.
Why do you think companies charge so much?
It's simple...it's because they can. In regards to prescription drugs, the manufacturers tell us the high costs are necessary to fund research and development of new and more effective drugs. Truth is, much of the funds required for research and development are awarded these companies through government grants. What's a government grant? It's money the government obtained through taxes and set aside for a specific purpose. Basically, those receiving grants keep much more of their profits because they aren't paying all the development costs. So in reality, Americans already paid for the drugs they can't afford to purchase after the fact.
In your opinion, who's making the decisions?
Unfortunately, from what I've experienced my answer's leaning heavily towards big money and big business doing whatever's necessary to maintain profit margins at the detriment of those in need. There's almost 2 trillion dollars at stake with insurers, drug companies and advertisers to name a few, sharing the generated revenue. What I find particularly frightening is it seems those who've never experienced this type of hardship with access to the best health care are making decisions for those who can't afford the same luxuries. These people live in a different world. Not that I'd wish it on anyone, but I don't think they can fully appreciate the emotional, mental and financial devastation until they themselves deal with serious chronic illness or permanent disability with the same financial impact proportional to what the rest of us has to pay.
Are you a communist or a socialist?
I'm neither! Just because I feel we need a solution, doesn't mean I want anything for free. I believe every business has the right to profit but there has to be a more realistic solution than gouging the American public to the point of destitution or death. Health care whether in products or practice is a different type of business than say, selling big screen TV's. You can do without a television, you can't always do without medical attention. There should be some sort of moral and ethical obligation when it comes to those dealing with life or death.
What I've never understood is why these companies waste millions of dollars on marketing and lobbying to protect their financial interests. Wouldn't the money be better spent by lowering the cost of services and make money on sales volume? We're a captured audience. The American people aren't going anywhere and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to purchase services if these services were more reasonably priced.
Do you think the government should get involved?
I don't trust the federal government to be fiscally responsible. Universal Health Insurance could work if by law, funds were only allowed to be spent on the actual system with no special interests groups getting their hands into the tills. Look what they've done to Social Security. Social Security started out as a volunteer, tax free annuity. It was then dumped into the general fund. We all know the status of this program. I'm not sure but wasn't it President Clinton that used Social Security to balance the budget? I wonder how much of his retirement funds were effected by his actions...lol.
I can't believe Universal Health Insurance would be run any differently. It would eventually suffer the same fate as Social Security.
Why do you think this happened?
There are a number of self-serving, greedy individuals who have no regard or respect for those who provide funds via tax dollars. There's waste and mismanagement in almost every level of government and money is real easy to spend when it's not coming out of their own pockets. As long as the few are allowed to influence our government at our expense, there's going to be problems.
Maybe the master plan's to keep us ill and illiterate. No one would be smart enough or well enough to question motives and actions.
What would be the first step to fix the problem?
Make it a punishable federal crime for any individual, company, government official, branch of government or combination thereof to mess around with funds allocated for specific programs, especially programs such as education, Social Security or Universal Health Insurance. In June, China executed an ex-head of food safety for taking bribes and approving fake drugs. I don't see a difference between taking bribes or what lobbyist do to protect their interests. Bottom line is, people are dying because they can't afford health care. Maybe we need to adopt the same penalty for those who put American citizens at risk. This would be one way to find out if the death penalty's an actual deterrent. It would sure make a person think twice about accepting honorariums and misappropriating funds now wouldn't it...lol.
Are you serious?
You need to ask my doctor what he thinks about the situation. He's trying to make and keep his patients healthy knowing full well they're basing their health care decisions on what they need to survive. Do I eat this week or go get a mammogram?
Or, ask me the same question after I've argued with my prescription drug provider over breathing medications...lol. I can't figure out what's so darn hard to understand about not being able to breath and what happens when you don't!
Do you always get this worked up about the issue?
Yeah...it's probably due to lack of oxygen to the brain...lol.
Why does this bother you so much?
I've just seen too many people suffer. Good health is a basic necessity for a happy, normal and productive life. If you don't have your heath, what do you have? I know of an individual who couldn't afford to go to the dentist and died because of an infection from an abscessed tooth. In this day and age how can this be possible or even allowed? The whole situation is atrocious and inexcusable. It should bother each and everyone of us.
What do you think should be done?
I don't know, I wish I had the answer. All I know is it can't continue the way it is now and going to take a whole lot more than duct tape, Velcro and super glue to fix it. Hopefully there're people a whole lot smarter working on a viable solution.
The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent those of anyone else.