<\/p>\n
I’ve been hesitant to wade into any discussion of health care Too many to enumerate, I think. My mind kind of boggles just \n <\/p>\n The ethical issues inherent in the first story are myriad. In the I don’t think it’s the fault of the physician-assisted In theory, I like the idea of the additional government-run Again, I don’t know. These are big questions, and with so In the second story I mentioned – the one about Remote Area Medical – well, I just have to tell Remote Area Medical was founded by a colorful character
\nreform because, frankly, it feels too big for me. For a lot of Americans, I
\nsuspect. And besides, what exactly are the ethical angles to examine?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthinking about them all. But there are two that jumped out at me this past week
\nthat I feel it behooves me to tackle, in my own tiny way. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nNews story I saw earlier this week about an Oregon woman with terminal lung
\ncancer whose insurer denied her request<\/a> <\/span>for an experimental
\nlife-prolonging drug but did – tactlessly – offer to cover a $50 ‘death drug’
\noffered under Oregon’s “Death With Dignity” law.<\/span><\/li>\n
\nnews story, this one on NBC’s Nightly News last night<\/a>, about a group of volunteer doctors and dentists called
\nRemote Area Medical<\/a> <\/span>who set up shop in sports arenas and
\nfairgrounds across the country – OUR COUNTRY – offering thousands of uninsured
\nand underinsured Americans free medical care, for which they wait hours, even
\ndays, patiently in line. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\narticle, some suggest the problem lies with the state even having an assisted
\nsuicide law on the books – that of course, if there’s a cheaper option (ie,
\nassisted suicide) out there, insurers will push for it, even if it’s heinously
\nimmoral and hideously callous to suggest it in place of life-prolonging treatments. It’s just practical, money-saving, and human nature. Sadly, there aren’t
\nenough advocates for the ‘little guy’ (or little gal, in this case) to help her
\nfight it. We simply shake our heads in outrage – helpless outrage.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nsuicide law – which was intended to be a mercy, not some efficiency measure to
\nsweep the ‘useless’ members of society aside. I’m sure if that law wasn’t on
\nthe books, the insurer would still deny her request for the experimental drug,
\njust not offer her the option of the so-called ‘death drug’ in its place.
\nThey’d simply twiddle their thumbs while she wasted away. To me, the fault
\nlies with a medical care system obsessed with cost-cutting and remuneration.
\nBecause costs are out of control, costs must be the primary consideration.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nhealth care option Obama is talking about. Of course, govt. insurance could be
\nequally as lousy as one’s private insurance, I grant you – or worse. But having two<\/i> options, instead of having to settle
\nfor whatever one’s default option is… doesn’t that improve the odds? Wouldn’t
\nthat drive costs down? And yet, I can see where those who oppose Obama’s health
\nplan are freaking out – the
\ngovernment-run ‘<\/i>death-panel<\/a><\/i>‘ doing the determining as to who would live or die in this Oregon woman’s case
\nwas, in fact, the state-run Oregon Health Plan<\/i>. Not auspicious.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmuch heated rhetoric and misinformation flying around, it’s scary to even
\nventure an opinion. I suspect not even the Congress knows exactly
\nwhat it’s selling to the American people in House bill 3200<\/a>. <\/span>I understand that the idea is to
\nget enough people covered that there shouldn’t need to be such a hodgepodge of
\ncoverage, nor sub-par plans for people who fall under the poverty line, like
\nthese catch-all state-run insurers. But will it work? It’s anybody’s guess, and
\neverybody’s panicking.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nyou, whenever I watch coverage<\/a> of this organization’s work, I feel simultaneous
\npride, admiration, and deep, deep humiliation. Why the humiliation? Because I just keep
\nthinking, “This is happening in America<\/i>?
\nWe’re forced to send doctors – unfunded and unaided by any government agency –
\nto what amount to refugee camps to tend our poor and ailing citizens?” The
\nshame chokes me.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nnamed Stan Brock<\/a> to help folks in third-world countries, yet RAM discovered the need
\ndomestically was great enough to keep it plenty busy here at home – and not just in
\nremote rural areas anymore, but in cities like L.A. as well. I am proud of our
\nvolunteer doctors, dentists, nurses, pilots, etc, and endlessly admire their
\ntireless efforts. What appalls me is that, in our great nation, their efforts
\nare necessary. How is it that we look after our own so poorly that we need the
\nhelp of volunteer organizations?<\/span><\/p>\n