Sunday, February 15, 2009

Why bother about the health services crisis?

There are days, weeks and years when the health services crisis seems a lot like the MidEast crisis, an ongoing, generational problem that shows no end in sight. We have the insurance companies and providers who want more money for doing less and consumers who live and die within the confines of a system that creates disparities in health services availability, access and quality that resemble the stark differences of haves and have nots that inspired revolutions in former times.

So why bother? For me, I have watched more and more people become involved in the debate over the decades and that's a good thing. While I disagree STRONGLY with some of the viewpoints, the discussion is valid. But why the disconnect when it comes to real action?

Because our access to leadership is stymied in a broken system where our elected officials talk to one another more than the people they represent.

Examine the track record of your elected representatives and today, tell that person that you won't be supporting his/her re election.

Obama has lost steam and has faded into a calm figurehead cog in the machine of politics as he throws money at the strongest in our society and tells the consumer to wait and see, there will be progress.

While he plans for his next election by promising "results" in the next FIVE years, let your Congressmen and Senators know that there terms do not allow sitting on their laurels for that long.

AAQT Today: Consider whether the sigh of relief you took after your benefits election this year will be duplicated next year when you have fewer options for more money. And if you get treated for anything from a bad mole to mental illness, start shopping around in the real world for what that means for you. Today we need REFORM. Such reform should start with throwing the VALUE of volunteers and part time workers back in our representative's faces and asking where government subsidized health insurance options are for these valuable Americans. Such reform should include demands that governmental benefits packages that are far superior to individual citizen choices be SUSPENDED until the taxpayer funds used to subsidize government start being used by government officials to represent taxpayers. Such reform should include a consumer movement to END WELLNESS programs that are nice only if a person can afford treatment for illness. Having an illness that you cannot afford to treat means you don't need to have knowledge that you have that illness...plain and simple. Wellness programs are FINITE costs, insurance companies love them because while they cover less of the UNKNOWN costs of treating illness, they throw at you that at least you can cover that finite cost of a checkup.

AAQT Today: Who is your Congressman, Senator, Governor and what on earth are they doing about the health services crisis?

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