Part of it comes from a debate I heard between President Obama and Hillary Clinton. Frankly what Obama said sent chills down my spine, and is one of my biggest scares of having him in office.
Part of what he said was that it wasn't enough to just have affordable health care, we had to make it FREE for everyone. Even if we reduced it down to a very minimal payment, people still would not use it, so we had to make it FREE.
... okay... where do I even START with this??!!!
Point #1... people want free health care? You bet.... I would like a free house (in the name of we should all be entitled to shelter).... the seller didn't go for that one when I proposed the offer to him (hypothetically). I would also like free water, because c'mon, it is after all the sustaining composition of life! But I do, in fact pay for my house, and I do in fact pay for my water. Why is health care different?
Point #2... I worked in a free health clinic in downtown Detroit for a few years just out of collage. I have to say, the things I saw there literally made my head spin. The sense of entitlement made my stomach churn. I sat across from people who would wine and complain about having to wait a couple of hours before they were finally seen (for FREE!!) and treated (for FREE!!) by very hard working doctors (who DIDN'T get their education for FREE!!). Then they would complain to me (with their full set of salon-fake nails, and beautifully cioffed hair) about how they needed more WIC vouchers now because they didn't want to have to pay money to feed their babies.
Or they would come up to us at church to see if we could give them money because they didn't want to have to give up their expanded cable (the 8 1/2 inch tv we had didn't even have any cable on it...).
... and these people just HAVE to have free medical care, because they won't pay for a reduced cost of medical care.
... Am I the only one who sees the complete stupidity in this logic??
Point #3 - and the most poignant to me...
I have LIVED the medical training route... well okay, so I have only lived with someone who has lived the medical training route... but that is close enough!! Believe me, folks, it is NOT a pretty way to spend a DECADE of your life. (In fact, you couldn't PAY me ENOUGH to go back and relive it now that I know what is entailed).
These doctors have dedicated literally YEARS and YEARS, and TONS OF MONEY to learn the field of medicine (contrary to popular belief medical education is NOT FREE!!). Now that we are finally on the home stretch, and are maybe seeing a little glimmer of light... as well as all of the interest-compounding loans... waiting at the end of this horribly long tunnel, you are now essentially telling me that my husband should be giving this service away for FREE... because if it is low cost, then people WOULDN'T PAY for it!!!! (The same people that pay through the nose to have all of the extended cable in the world... without whining to the government that their cable costs should be covered by the tax payers).
Call me crazy, but something about that picture is just WRONG!!!
... Okay... stepping down from the soap box now... you may all return to your regularly scheduled lives... ;)
Hey Jen, you know I love ya and I also love to voice my opinion. So. Hmmm...should I comment? I see things very differently. Obviously, I voted for Obama in large part because of his willingness to fight for a change in health care. I'll just briefly share my opposing take on your points.
ReplyDeletePoint 1. Health care will never be free. For those that take advantage of it now, nothing will change...they will still take advantage of it. Anyone currently working who pays for health insurance and goes to doctors and hospitals are paying for it. We are already paying for the ever skyrocketing costs. Our health care system is directly affecting our economy (which will affect my girls' generation). The system is broken and once again the majority of those hurt the most are the middle class and the business owners.
Point 2. I don't know what to say. I've lived in Miami, Detroit, small town Missouri and there will always be those who feel entitled. Health care to all will impact a higher percentage of people than those already receiving medicaid.
Point 3. Having lived as a wife of a man trained in medicine, I see things very differently. We always had enough, no matter how little. Our government gave us loans (at such a low consolidated rate and not required to be paid back on until after residency) so he could not only be trained as a doctor, but enough so we could start a family and I could stay at home. Not all countries do that! The only time I felt like I had to work was during his schooling and that was so we could have health insurance. He was paid a fair salary with benefits during residency and although the hours were far above what someone making the same salary in business, we always had enough without worry of being laid off.
No matter what the health care model, my husband will always have a profitable career. He will always have a job in one of the worst recessions our country has seen. Yes, he has worked hard for it. Dues have been paid, but is he now entitled?
You are not the only one who thinks that all that stupidity stuff is dumb.
ReplyDeletebegboy
NEUTRAL PARTY!!!!
ReplyDeletesorry i can't break the mini blog argument!
;)