The Health Care Crisis

© Dr. Gary D. Lemmons, October 15, 2006

Without doubt, one of the major issues that the next President of the United States is going to have to deal with is health care.  The current chief executive has done about all that he can or will do on the subject and that has been pitiably little.  Being a corporatist, his efforts have been to protect the interests of the hospital corporations, the medical conglomerates, and the health insurance companies.  Any subsequent benefit to the consumer has been a fortunate by-product for the Bush Administration.

There are three areas of concern with the issue of heath care in this country.

First, something needs to be done about the cost of hospitalization.  Currently, an overnight stay for observation, where the treatment consists of a periodic check of temperature and blood pressure coupled with the cost of the gourmet meals served in hospital establishments, will cost in excess of $1000.  Add in any substantial treatment, like the administration of an aspirin at a cost of $12.95 each, and one can spend thousands per day!

The second area is the cost of medication.  While many of the wonder drugs of the 1950s and 1960s now have generic versions, most of the medicines developed since 1970 remain under patent.  Additionally, the drug companies, making hay with the regulations permitted by both the Clinton and Bush administrations, make as much off these drugs as they can.  Protecting their interests, the health insurance companies are becoming more and more selective about which drugs they will pay for and which they will insist must be generic. 

Recently, I went to my druggist to fetch the latest prescription provided by my physician and was told that my insurance company would not cover the cost of the medicine.  They were insisting that I try a generic version first.  A discussion with my doctor revealed that I needed the prescribed medicine as opposed to the generic version.  Despite what the health insurance companies say there are some drugs (not all) that are NOT as effective in generic form as in the name brand version.  Had I not had a close relationship with my doctor, I would not have learned this.  Let me hasten to say that many medicines are available in generic form and are fine.  One needs to work with one’s doctor to be sure.

The third area of concern is the need for regular monitoring of health issues by a physician.  Again, the cost of going to the doctor begins at about $85.00 a visit and that is if no significant in-office tests are conducted.  Due to the high cost of seeking medical attention, many people let things go until they are really sick and then the costs become catastrophic. 

Our current President’s solution for this is personal, medical savings accounts.  Yeh, like someone making $10.00 an hour is going to be able to sock away $800 bucks a month in case of illness.

The liberals call for universal health care, which, no doubt, will be a nightmare if enacted.  In countries with a national health care system, people sometimes wait for months or even years for treatments that should occur in the matter of days.  Seeing a physician is like getting a ticket to a highly popular rock concert.

It would be well if the members of Congress could focus on this issue and really come up with a plan to address these concerns without the over intrusion of government into the process.  I suspect that a series of things might help.  For example, personal medical savings accounts are not a bad idea, but they are not the total solution.  It will take creativity and problem-solving skills to achieve a solution.  I doubt that the current Congress, occupied by chasing Pages of the same sex or otherwise, drinking whiskey, dining on “pork,” bedeviling each other, and seeking re-election, is up to the task.