He says he wants to set up a team of health "experts" and "doctors" who can eliminate "the waste" in healthcare. Uh...folks...I think I am his "waste". Me. A senior citizen who can drain the system because I am bound to need more and more healthcare as I age. Of course, part of the way he can control my "waste" is to eliminate the unnecessary tests because his "experts" will tell me what I need and don't need. Folks, I hate to be a wet blanket, but those "experts" can't determine anything from Washington about ME in Lawton, Oklahoma.
When I go to the doctor and tell them what is wrong with me, the best thing they can do is "guess" what test I need..."guess" what my problem is...and "guess" what medication to give me. Why? Because I am an individual who has individual needs based on MY problems...my history...my allergies, etc. For the most part, it is always a guessing game. My cardiologist with all his fancy machines and tests, echo-cardiogram, chemically induced stress test, and BP checks...determined that I "most likely" (an 85% probability), had a blockage in the front part of my heart. It took a test to rule it out. The test was the heart-catherization. Yeah, it's expensive. But the only other option was to forget about it and take the chance I'd drop dead of a heart attack.
My husband's cardiologist (one of the best in Oklahoma), determined by a few tests and his best "guess" that his symptoms was most likely a pinched nerve. Several tests later, and an open-heart surgery to repair 5 blockages, proved to this notable expert that his best "guess" was wrong. Dead wrong.
So with Obama's bill, all my health records will now go to Washington to get a protocol of care determined by Washington's federal board. Based on a model of many folks. Ain't that just ducky?
According to Obama, healthcare is all about "waste". Could some of the "waste" be those babies, children, and adults who will put an added drain on the healthcare system because of their chronic-diseases, disabilities, and castastrophic illnesses? I wonder. Based on data accumulated, the probability of a person with a specific cancer has only X-amount of chance to survive even with the best of treatments. So, what do you think this federal board will decide is the most appropriate care for them?
He says we need "affordable" healthcare. Whose definition of "affordable" are we using, anyway?
Obama's bill is gonna take care of all of us out here. "I wanna cover everybody," he says.
Let's get real. He doesn't want to cover anyone. He wants all of "us" to cover everybody. He wants YOU to cover ME. He will ensure that happens, too. He proposes with his bill to mandate that we get healthcare. Kinda like car insurance. If you don't get insurance you don't get to drive your car. I wonder, does that mean if I don't purchase insurance, he will take it from my husband's social security check, or, that I don't get to live?
He says Americans need to "give up things that don't make them healthier." Uh..let's see. What are things that aren't making us healthier? According to President Obama, it is "Testing". Hmmmmn. So what makes us healthier? Our diet. Obama says one of the things that panel of experts will be in charge of doing is, "making sure our diet is what it ought to be." Now that's a grand mandate. Has that man been to the grocery lately? Does he have any idea how much it costs to eat the "diet" we need to eat? The highest priced things on the grocery shelves are fresh vegetables, chicken and fish. I know. I went shopping tonight to get my hubby some fruit to take in his lunch sack.
Obama pooh-poohs those folks, like me, who don't like his healthcare plan. Folks say "Even though I don't like this devil, I like this devil better than the devil I don't know."
He said a mouthful, there. Thing is...I don't like any devils. They say, "the devil is in the details". How true it is of this healthcare bill. How very true. selahV
