The LuLac Edition #940, Sept. 14th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: OUR HEALT CARE REFORM LOGO.

DOCTOR DOCTOR

The recent debate over health care has created quite a furor in this country. Opponents to the Health Care Reform are using phrases like “we want our country back” and “don’t take away our freedom”. My questions are just when were we invaded? I mean who do we go looking for to take our country back? From whom? Can you identify them? The next question I have is regarding “don’t take away our freedom”. Last time I looked, we could go from state to state without a pass, could dance and sing badly on our front porch without getting arrested, belittled yes but not carted away and we could pretty much associate with whomever we chose to. So I’m confused about those arguments. I have a friend who grew up in very angry circumstances. When I asked her why she never engaged in arguments with her mother, she said, “My mother likes to fight with herself…so I let her”. Seems to me these opponents are fighting against a phantom and not for anything. Over the weekend, I read a letter to the Editor from a local oncologist. It made a lot of sense. Here’s what he said:
Editor:
I am very tired of hearing untrue statements regarding how there will be no choice and care will be limited if government takes over health care. People seem to forget that the government sponsored Medicare program has served the elderly and disabled citizens of this country quite well since 1965. Although far from perfect, Medicare not only allows, but demands, choice of physicians, hospitals and other health care facilities. In fact, it is the private insurance industry that limits access to participating physicians and facilities. Private insurance companies spend up to 40 percent of the health care dollar in administration and in attempts to limit access to health care services. Conversely, 95 percent of the health care dollar spent by Medicare finances actual health care. In my experience as a physician, only Medicare has any concern about the quality of care rendered to its subscribers and attempts to monitor that quality. Believe it or not, the Medicare program is not evil, is not limiting, and does not restrict choice.
This leads me to believe that a comprehensive universal health care system, a system based on the Medicare model, would not necessarily be the evil and draconian entity the media urges you to oppose. In fact, in my opinion, your health would be in better hands with a Medicare type program than with private health care coverage. It would be much easier and far less expensive to improve the current Medicare program and to make this program available to everyone than it would be to reinvent the wheel by developing a new comprehensive program.
David W. Greenwald, M.D.
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncology Associates of Wyoming Valley, P.C.
Kingston
Earlier in the week I spoke with my friend Dr. Joseph Leonardi. He had an intriguing plan:
1. Put everyone on single payer Medicare programs.
2. Institute tax credits for wellness programs.
3. Pay for it with a consumption tax on all foods that are processed and other goods. Exempt would be natural non processed products like dairy, meat and fresh fruit.
The Doctor pointed out that WalMart has profits of 108 billion dollars quarterly. Can you imagine if everything bought in that quarter alone had a small tax on it? We could pay for health care easily, employers wouldn’t have that burden and since Medicare only pays 80%, the Insurance companies could sell supplements. My feeling on that was the Insurance companies would extend their pool of members tenfold because everybody and his brother would need and want a supplement.
After reading Dr. Greenwald’s letter and interacting with Dr. Leonardi, it seems to me we are over complicating this issue. By using up so much energy, we as a country are taking our eye off the ball in matters that truly affect our freedom and the direction our country should be headed.