Blogs
The Famous Rich-Person Health Care Plan
Thursday August 19, 2010
Posted 1 year, 5 months ago by
Sean Patrick
I recently heard a famous national talk show host scream at a caller how everyone in America already has access to health care because they can go to an emergency room. I'm gonna refer to this famous, wealthy entertainer as "Mr. Show Host."
According to Mr. Show Host's logic, everyone has health care because they can go an emergency room.
Does Mr. Show Host know the anguish of an unemployed or underemployed parent that has a sick child, but because they don’t have health benefits cannot afford to take them to the doctor? And then when the illness becomes too great and they bring their child to the ER on the Mr. Show Host Health Plan, does Mr. Show Host know the ulcer-inducing-keep-you-up-at-night worry that comes with that first bill in the mail? That first envelope from a hospital, or the ambulance company, or the lab, or the surgeon, or the anesthesiologist. Does Mr. Show Host know the fear of opening that envelope and seeing all those zeroes, seeing that astronomical figure at the bottom of the page that means financial ruin for your family? That letter that spells the end of the dream of owning your own home, of sending your kids to college, of being able to retire. That letter that means your dreams come crashing down because you got sick or injured in the greatest country on Earth. In his ivory tower, Mr. Show Host is far, far removed from the concerns of real people in America.
Putting an illness off as long as you can out of fear of the financial catastrophe it will bring on your family, and then when you’re on death’s door, dragging yourself into the emergency room only to discover that if your cancer had been diagnosed sooner you would have lived - this is the same as the health benefits that Mr. Show Host and his family receive? To say this “Mr. Show Host ER Health Plan” is synonymous with being able to have regular checkups and preventive care is an out-and-out lie. While Mr. Show Host and his family will have their cancer or diabetes or macular degeneration diagnosed early, you should be satisfied to wait until it’s too late. There is no fair comaprison between the two and I have to believe that Mr. Show Host knows this - he couldn’t possibly be that dumb. Would Mr. Show Host accept this for his family? Would Mr. Show Host tell his daughter, “Gee honey, I’m sorry your tummy hurts and you’ve been vomiting all night, but we really can’t afford to go to the doctor right now. Maybe if it’s worse in the morning we can take you to the ER.” Seriously?
I challenge Mr. Show Host (he knows who he is) to produce for me one, ONLY ONE, physician who will agree that there is no value to early diagnosis and preventive care. One physician who will say there’s no urgency to diagnosing and treating your diabetes early, and that being able to do so will not prevent more expensive care later. Trot out just one still-licensed doctor who will endorse the Mr. Show Host ER Health Plan.
Yeah, it’s a great health care system - if you’re Mr. Show Host.
Does Mr. Show Host know the anguish of an unemployed or underemployed parent that has a sick child, but because they don’t have health benefits cannot afford to take them to the doctor? And then when the illness becomes too great and they bring their child to the ER on the Mr. Show Host Health Plan, does Mr. Show Host know the ulcer-inducing-keep-you-up-at-night worry that comes with that first bill in the mail? That first envelope from a hospital, or the ambulance company, or the lab, or the surgeon, or the anesthesiologist. Does Mr. Show Host know the fear of opening that envelope and seeing all those zeroes, seeing that astronomical figure at the bottom of the page that means financial ruin for your family? That letter that spells the end of the dream of owning your own home, of sending your kids to college, of being able to retire. That letter that means your dreams come crashing down because you got sick or injured in the greatest country on Earth. In his ivory tower, Mr. Show Host is far, far removed from the concerns of real people in America.
Putting an illness off as long as you can out of fear of the financial catastrophe it will bring on your family, and then when you’re on death’s door, dragging yourself into the emergency room only to discover that if your cancer had been diagnosed sooner you would have lived - this is the same as the health benefits that Mr. Show Host and his family receive? To say this “Mr. Show Host ER Health Plan” is synonymous with being able to have regular checkups and preventive care is an out-and-out lie. While Mr. Show Host and his family will have their cancer or diabetes or macular degeneration diagnosed early, you should be satisfied to wait until it’s too late. There is no fair comaprison between the two and I have to believe that Mr. Show Host knows this - he couldn’t possibly be that dumb. Would Mr. Show Host accept this for his family? Would Mr. Show Host tell his daughter, “Gee honey, I’m sorry your tummy hurts and you’ve been vomiting all night, but we really can’t afford to go to the doctor right now. Maybe if it’s worse in the morning we can take you to the ER.” Seriously?
I challenge Mr. Show Host (he knows who he is) to produce for me one, ONLY ONE, physician who will agree that there is no value to early diagnosis and preventive care. One physician who will say there’s no urgency to diagnosing and treating your diabetes early, and that being able to do so will not prevent more expensive care later. Trot out just one still-licensed doctor who will endorse the Mr. Show Host ER Health Plan.
Yeah, it’s a great health care system - if you’re Mr. Show Host.
