17th July 2009, 1:08 AM
I know I haven't been around much in a long time, but I've actually slid a little more to the center in recent years.
For example, I don't know if I'm an advocate of total, universal medical coverage, but the system we have now is in a shambles. Costs are on a runaway upward spiral with no upper limit. The high cost of caring for the uninsured is passed on to those who are insured, which is why an aspirin at a hospital costs ten dollars. I do believe that every taxpayer in America deserves to have affordable, comprehensive health benefits made available to them. Yes, you can always visit the ER, but if you're uninsured and you end up requiring major surgery, you might rack up a debt of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and there's no way in hell you'll ever pay it back in one lifetime. In November, 2007, I had a kidney stone and ended up in the ER. They didn't do anything for me, really, except give me a painkiller and an MRI. I ended up passing the stone by myself within hours. That afternoon of fun cost me almost three thousand dollars, and I was insured. Had I not been, the cost would have been four or five times as much. It's insane that any person should spend potential years, knee-deep in debt, because of something that ultimately minor.
But, if we were to have comprehensive medical care, I would like it only under three conditions: One, care is provided as promptly as it is today. No horror stories like the waiting list of months and years for surgical procedures (and I know that's not just a scare story: I have a German cousin who had to travel abroad to have a heart defect repaired in a timely manner). Second, we must continue to afford medical science the current environment allowing for rapid innovation, product perfection, and testing. There's little long-term benefit for universal health care if the techniques become stratified. Three: There must be stringent fiscal oversight. I can accept paying more taxes for this idea, but if and only if that money is used as wisely and appropriated as intelligently as possible. I would prefer for the entire process to be transparent, but since that won't happen, detailed quarterly reports about overall expenditures would be very welcome.
For example, I don't know if I'm an advocate of total, universal medical coverage, but the system we have now is in a shambles. Costs are on a runaway upward spiral with no upper limit. The high cost of caring for the uninsured is passed on to those who are insured, which is why an aspirin at a hospital costs ten dollars. I do believe that every taxpayer in America deserves to have affordable, comprehensive health benefits made available to them. Yes, you can always visit the ER, but if you're uninsured and you end up requiring major surgery, you might rack up a debt of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and there's no way in hell you'll ever pay it back in one lifetime. In November, 2007, I had a kidney stone and ended up in the ER. They didn't do anything for me, really, except give me a painkiller and an MRI. I ended up passing the stone by myself within hours. That afternoon of fun cost me almost three thousand dollars, and I was insured. Had I not been, the cost would have been four or five times as much. It's insane that any person should spend potential years, knee-deep in debt, because of something that ultimately minor.
But, if we were to have comprehensive medical care, I would like it only under three conditions: One, care is provided as promptly as it is today. No horror stories like the waiting list of months and years for surgical procedures (and I know that's not just a scare story: I have a German cousin who had to travel abroad to have a heart defect repaired in a timely manner). Second, we must continue to afford medical science the current environment allowing for rapid innovation, product perfection, and testing. There's little long-term benefit for universal health care if the techniques become stratified. Three: There must be stringent fiscal oversight. I can accept paying more taxes for this idea, but if and only if that money is used as wisely and appropriated as intelligently as possible. I would prefer for the entire process to be transparent, but since that won't happen, detailed quarterly reports about overall expenditures would be very welcome.
YOU CANNOT HIDE FOREVER
WE STAND AT THE DOOR
WE STAND AT THE DOOR