Article by Jane M. Orient, M.D., featured on Campaign for Liberty
Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 6:27PM by aaps Forget the Trees;
Look at the Forest on Healthcare
Various groups, on both sides of the issues, are squabbling over details: abortion, a "public option," treatment of illegal aliens, size of penalties, distribution of subsidies, calculation of doctors' pay, etc. Items are moved in or out of the bill as needed to capture just the right number of votes with the least electoral damage.
Reader Comments (7)
SIR WINSTON CHURCHHILL SAID THIS ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE:
"The Americans always get it right, after they have tried everything else!"
Spot on!!! One of the best essays I have read. Why this is not obvious ot the majoority of Americans I cannot grasp.
I just wrote a dystopian novel about this same theme: We have reached Orwell's 1984, as chilling as it is. Not long ago we would have thought anything like the government we have now would have been insane.
My agent has the book now. Lord help us all.
Multiple problems, all brought on via Governmnt complicity:
AMA monopoly including Federal prescription laws (1890-1915) drives up cost.
Employer health care TAX deduction (early 1940s) which lead to "insurance" throws big money at the first problem and caused that dreaded question: Do you have insurance?
Medicare and Medicaid (MediCal in California) throws public money at the above problems.
Now: System going broke. What to do? Following the above philosophy:
Government takes the whole thing over.
Good luck, folks.
Great article!
Thank you Dr. Orient!!! A voice of reason. I'm praying for rain!!!!
How about a different philosophy?
Recognize that most "medicine" isn't "rocket science" and shouldn't require ten to thirteen years to start working on people. Pareto's Law in medicine is 95-5 meaning that 19 out of 20 people showing up for treatment don't require "heroic" measures. This is how it is done in Japan, Korea, and a lot of other places. Interestingly, they live as long as we do and their birth survival rate is as good or better than ours.
The Prescription Only list should be a lot shorter. Most people can read and talk to others who can read and understand. This would save a lot of exposure to other sick people in clinics.
MSAs should be common and encouraged. Then, we would have informed consumers rather than patients on the dole.
Very good article. Informative, interesting, understandablle for we who are considered by the liberals that we are too ignorant to make decisions for ourselves. Government entitlements do not work--always cost more than stated. Already too far in debt as a nation. Future generations are put in jeopardy. Continue to keep the information coming.