| There is a dark secret about healthcare in this | | | | Then there are the doctors who become red |
| country: The quality of our system is poor and | | | | flags. Some dance with the dark secret of |
| millions of Americans can't afford health insurance. | | | | unlimited wealth, rather than embracing their oath |
| Poor Americans receive Medicaid, but too many | | | | to do no harm to others in desperate need of |
| experience inferior medical care. Also, lots of | | | | treatment. |
| health care providers and doctors don't want to | | | | Our government is a red flag because for too |
| accept Medicaid payments, which attempts to | | | | long it has submitted to the will of medical |
| place limits on medical charges. | | | | lobbyists, insurance corporations, and |
| Retired Americans depend upon Medicare to meet | | | | pharmaceutical companies. |
| medical needs, but there are serious gaps and | | | | Why can't government be more sensitive to the |
| limitations in the coverage. Retired citizens who | | | | needs of a majority of Americans buckling under |
| are middle class can not afford to pay for long | | | | the strain of our health care crisis? |
| term care services available in nursing care homes | | | | Face Feelings: |
| or residential care facilities. | | | | Possibly, the healthcare industry and our own |
| Many of our hospitals are managed poorly, have | | | | federal government are simply too fearful to try |
| unacceptable mortality and infection rates, and are | | | | new approaches to reform and change. |
| depressing places to die in. The quality of our | | | | I assume they don't want to lose money, power, |
| health care in this nation seems to be totally | | | | or influence. It makes me angry to sense they |
| dependent on one's ability to pay. | | | | refuse to face their own dark secrets. |
| But doctor visits, prescription costs, and high tech | | | | They claim a national health care system would |
| surgical care are placing huge financial stressors on | | | | decrease the quality of health care by taking |
| everybody. | | | | away the profit motive. Of course, they avoid |
| The rich are well cared for, the middle class | | | | facing the fact that the profit motive is precisely |
| experiences inconsistent care, and the poor have | | | | the cause of our health care crisis. |
| mostly inadequate care-based upon what they | | | | It is sad to think that CEO's of these corporations |
| get in our emergency rooms. | | | | are making six figure incomes off the suffering of |
| Unfortunately, too many doctors and hospitals | | | | more than 47 million Americans who don't have |
| have become so busy that human emotions, | | | | any health care coverage. How do you really feel |
| compassion, and sensitivity have become lost in | | | | about that? |
| the shuffle. | | | | And why do our political and business leaders |
| Too often, pills, computers, and specialized | | | | seem so reluctant to look at the pros and cons |
| machines have become substitutes for the health | | | | of national health systems in Canada, the |
| care professional's time and attitude of tender | | | | Netherlands, England, Germany and other |
| loving care. It is time that we do something | | | | European nations? |
| positive to reform are whole health care system. | | | | Can we forgive ourselves for thinking, believing, |
| Now that we have been honest and open about | | | | and pretending that our health care system based |
| the problem, let's go to the next steps on The | | | | on profit is better than theirs? |
| Emotional Recovery Card. (EMC is my unique life | | | | Admit Powerlessness: |
| coaching approach to personal and social change.) | | | | We do have a sense of being powerless to |
| Stop and Think: | | | | change the system. We remain at the mercy of |
| Let's stop approaching health care from the point | | | | the insurance companies who cancel our coverage |
| of view of one's ability to pay or as some simple | | | | because we have AIDS, Cancer, or some other |
| commodity at the whims of our market | | | | expensive and catastrophic illness. |
| economy. Health care should become a basic | | | | We can't seem to budge certain hospitals that |
| human right. So, let's stop and think more about | | | | have turned medical care into assembly lines for |
| that. | | | | beds, and patient charts, rather than a haven for |
| Face Triggers: | | | | love, compassion, and healing. |
| We need to face our red flags, and see the | | | | Many of us are powerless to change the medical |
| private health insurance industry for what it really | | | | profession and pharmaceutical industry, which say |
| is: a business that seeks to make a profit from | | | | the market economy must determine the price |
| healthy people who don't need it very often. | | | | for all health care costs. |
| These corporations just keep striving to reduce | | | | At times, we can become hopeless or apathetic |
| coverage for "pre-conditions", and they lobby | | | | about professional politicians who are dependent |
| against legislation to extend national coverage to | | | | on political contributions from the health care |
| the sick, poor, and elderly. | | | | industry to get the money they need to stay in |
| Some hospitals are red flags, because they are | | | | office. |
| corporations who profit from becoming more | | | | I will complete our discussion of healthcare reform |
| specialized, bureaucratized, mechanized, and | | | | in my next article: Challenging the Dark Secret |
| computerized. | | | | About Healthcare. |