Health Care
When will Americans finally begin to realize that there is not a single
component of the health care industry that benefits from preventing illness?
Are you listening, America? THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY DOES NOT BENEFIT BY
KEEPING YOU WELL. This is the fundamental, inevitable flaw in a
for-profit health care system: the system profits by keeping you ill.
So
it is in the interests of the health care system that you are obese, that
you don't exercise, that you smoke, that you drink, that you watch
television, that you biggie-size your meals, that you don't know what's in
the food you eat, that there is radiation and asbestos, that there are wars
and civil disturbances, accidents and sickness.
Sure, the health care reforms just passed by Congress
will help lots of people. But some Republicans-- not very many of
them, obviously-- and many Democrats are also right that real reform has to
start with the entire system which currently focuses on treatment rather
than prevention.
Just one example: the makers of Crestor, a cholesterol medication, are
crowing that a recent study concluded that healthy people who take Crestor
every day (at more than $3.50 a pop) are 50% less likely to have a heart
attack than healthy people taking a placebo. Wow. Let's get all
the healthy people on this drug! Now! A well-paid doctor who
received money from AstraZeneca, says, would you let your patient walk out
of your office without signing up? Hell no! The only
problem: well, only a very small number of healthy people have heart
attacks. Only about 1 in 500. So a 50% reduction translates into
a difference of 1 in a 1000, of which a large majority will survive the
heart attack anyway. But the cost of providing 1000 people with
Crestor for a year is over $1 million. Good deal? Then add in
the fact that some cholesterol drugs have now been implicated in causing
type 2 diabetes. They know that at the time they signed everyone up to
a drug you will never be able to stop taking once you get started on it.
The alternative: walk more, eat more vegetables and less fatty foods.
Thinking of treating somebody like an object? Don't do it. It
sends a bad message that will not be quickly forgotten.
The drug cartels are battling it out in Mexico for... what? For routes
into the U.S. In theory, of course, there are no routes.
The U.S. government spends $13 billion a year ensuring that there are no
routes. Actually it's more than that: think of all the people
incarcerated for drug offenses, or offenses related to drug use.
March 12, 2010
The idea that America cannot "afford" the health care bill is ridiculous.
To believe it, you have to assume that all or most uncovered medical conditions
are not treated. That, of course, is not true. They are often
treated in emergency wards, and they may be treated-- in a different form--
later in life in a chronic care facility, but there will be treatment and it
will cost somebody and it will have an impact on the economy.
What universal health care coverage does is apply some rationality to the cost
of health care. When you think about it, insurance is a marvelous
concept. Since nobody knows who will ever get a disease or serious
illness, why not commit, in advance, to pool our resources and treat everyone?
When John McCain insists that the Republicans will campaign in November on
repealing it-- he's dreaming. Since the Republicans have no
alternative, his campaign will consist of "we will take away your health care".
About that for a slogan!
Even the Republicans are probably not that stupid. They will probably have
to come up with some kind of weird alternative plan. The problem is, there
is no alternative. They will come up with something that sounds like an
alternative, but is really a variation of what the Democrats just passed, but
with something that looks more "free enterprise" in it.
There are seven members of the conservative bloc
on the board, but they are often joined by one of the other three
Republicans on crucial votes. There were no historians, sociologists or
economists consulted at the meetings, though some members of the
conservative bloc held themselves out as experts on certain topics.
NY
Times, March 12, 2010.
This is the Texas Board of Education making decisions
about text books for millions of students. This is an important
decision: these men are entrusted with a serious responsibility. What
should our children study in school? How will their perspectives on
life be shaped for years to come? How should their education as
citizens be guided?
Well, whatever we do, let's not get an expert on any of the subject areas
were are establishing guidelines for. Heavens no.
I wonder if any citizens of Texas realize how close they
have come to the 18th century? The only things missing are signs and
wonders. Then I wonder if any of them care about how the state is
perceived by outsiders. Well, we know the true believers in this
movement certainly don't care. The question is, does Mr. & Mrs.
Mainstream care, as they travel through Europe, and identify themselves, and
watch people nod and go, "Oh, you're from there."
Tell me, have you seen any flying saucers lately? Mr. And Mrs.
Mainstream reply, "no. Have you tried to open a business lately.
Notice how many restrictions there are? How many permits you need?
How long it takes to get approvals from the various bureaucracies?"
And the European says, "and how's your health care?"
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© Bill Van Dyk
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