The Health Care Debate Is Making Me Sick
The health care debate is toxic, revealing a lot about us as a nation. And it feels embarrassing — like the whole world can see our underpants. Or hear us fighting in the kitchen.
First, most of us can't describe accurately the details of the health care reform now under debate. That makes us look stupid or too busy to care.
Second, most of us can't describe accurately the health care or insurance we currently have, so that makes us look kind of stupid, too, or lazy.
Some of us don't care about people who don't have health insurance, so that makes us seem unsympathetic or super lucky.
Most of us don't understand that we're already paying for people who don't have health care — which makes us too busy to care, in denial or merely rich.
Some of us — a lot of us — already receive health care under some form of government plan, but don't believe in health care under some form of government plan. That makes us hypocritical or selfish. In some camps, I hear that makes us patriotic.
A lot of us are a combination of these things: too busy, lazy, a bit stupid perhaps, lucky, unsympathetic, in-denial, really rich, hypocritical, selfish ... and patriotic.
We're having an identity crisis when it comes to caring about the nation's health, which makes me think what we really need is psychotherapy. But, sadly, that's not covered under most health plans, if you have one at all.
To many, health care reform is scary, like someone's building a halfway house for criminals right at their doorstep. It's a N.I.M.B.Y. ("Not In My Backyard") issue evolved into a N.O.M.B.O. ("Not On My Back, Obama") issue.
People never change. But policy can, so our health care reformers must get more creative and visionary.
How about a Cash for Clunkers Program? Not for cars, but for older, beat-up people whose bodies have wear and tear, and can't go long distances when they're filled with gas?
Our government is offering us $4,500 to buy a new car. Can it also offer humans incentives — say, a tax break — to join a gym? To quit smoking? Or to buy produce from local farmers? Reward schools that teach kids how to eat right and exercise? You know, kind of like that class we used to offer kids called "gym."
Let's pay people to stay healthy, instead of only paying for them when they get sick. Then maybe our nation will find its compassion, the one true antidote for its health care identity crisis.
That was a really complicated blog entry with lots of big words. I should probably re-read it, but there are several things keeping me from doing so. First of all I am too busy. Second of all, I am waaay too lazy to go through the whole thing again.. I mean, its like 8 paragraphs long. Plus even if I did, I probably wouldn't understand it anyway. Besides, I have sweet healthcare insurance from my company so why waste time reading about a problem that probably doesnt exist. It doesnt matter anyway because even if I didnt have sweet healthcare, I easily afford to buy my own. Screw everyone else; GO USA!!!!
ReplyDelete^
ReplyDeleteobviously thinks "paragraphs" are one sentence long, followed by a line break. i fault our public school system...what are they teaching these domestic teens?
The author of this article hit every point bang on the head and in the clearest and most succinct manner possible. I agree on his every point, and as a person who lived in various countries and experience other national health care plans first person, I am completely embarrassed by this country's ignorance and narcissistic attitude towards universal health care.
It's all fine and well until it's your kid that's suffering from your plan's PPO.