healthcare reform

I'm not in the country to be inundated with news and pundits and perspectives, etc., but based upon my life experiences - both personal and professional - I see a need for a major overhaul of the American health care industry. Competent and complete health care should be a right, not a privilege.

If you know me, or have been following this and read allusions to my medical past, you know that I've had ongoing health issues that haven't always been resolved satifactorily - due to some cursory exams and delayed necessary treatment I have some lifelong otherwise-avoidable heath issues. I'm not happy about it but I've accepted it, I just hate it when they start affecting my life.

This past week I slipped and hurt myself. I've had to go back to the doctor a few times, get some shots and various prescriptions to address my back pain - now I have to start physical therapy too. No, I'm not thrilled about it, but I'm impressed with how easy it is to get in and get treatment. Yesterday I saw someone who referred me to someone who saw me today who referred me to PT who should see me tomorrow. I've had 2 examinations - one with a neurologist, a round of injections, light massage, minor manipulations, and a couple of prescriptions in the past 36 hours. The total cost for everything - under 220 crowns - the US equivalent... $11.82.

If you get sick here you go to the doctor. If you miss 2 days of work you need a note from the doctor. Everyone goes because it's so easy once you understand how... you go to the office and sit and wait until it's your turn. I still don't understand the appointment concept here... it's rather useless it seems, but I call and go and wait. The doctor takes you immediately, skip the American nurse step, and deals with you one and one until you are through. Then they take the next person. It costs me 30 crowns (less than $2) for each visit. It's odd to me, but that's an outrage here - people don't think that 30kc should be charged... it should be at no cost - I think the charge is relatively new. Some doctors will charge 60kc for translated paperwork, but I've not met that.

I still am quite uncertain while waiting... it flows but I'm not quite comfortable with the stream just yet. I am however, quite impressed with the ease of access everyone has. I don't understand why our medical care, American medical care, with a system and technology as advanced as we have access to, can't assure a universal level of quality, care, and attention for every person in need. There is no reason for people to be going bankrupt for medical purposes, for people to die of colds or pneumonia at home, for an illness or condition to go undetected or untreated as regular doctor visits and required care are so expensive - even for people with insurance. (My medication, with insurance, was once costing over $2,000 month - this while I was unable to work due to my condition. My situation wasn't that unusual.)

Years ago Coral had some medical issue suddenly arise - the doctor did an exam and it didn't go so well - he turned grey and left the room suddenly. When he came back, she was still in tears from the pain, and he sat at a desk - I asked, on edge, what was wrong, and before he would answer me he asked me about our insurance. Before telling me what he believed her condition to be he wanted to check the parameters of our insurance policy to make sure what he thought she needed would be covered. Our policy was more complicated than what what he wanted so he had us go a different route. Care should be dictated by what is medically necessary, not by how easy it is to get a hold of a customer service rep to check the rules and hoops a doctor has to negotiate in order to keep their patient healthy.

I don't know what the solution is for all of this. I haven't taken the time to weigh the pros and cons of the proposals. I just know that for us to hold ourselves out with pride and esteem we need to take better care of all our people - the haves and the have nots. No one should suffer because they can't afford to see a doctor, and no one should be rushed because the doctor needs to turn a bed over to a better insured patient.