Sunday, March 21, 2010

In your heart, you know he's right.

Now that President Obama has spoken frankly to the US House of Representatives about today's legislation, which is "built on the private insurance system that we have now, and runs straight down the center of American political thought..."
Now that he has asked them to pass the bill and "do it for people who are really scared right now through no fault of their own, who've played by the rules, who've done all the right things, and have suddenly found out that because of an accident, because of an ailment, they're about to lose their house..."
Now that our President has publicly admitted to legislators and to the American people that the measures taken are not perfect...
but it is designed in these times of high unemployment to improve an "employer-based system (that is) fray(ing) along the edges..."
Now that he has spoken persuasively to our lawmakers about "all those people who you looked in the eye and you said, 'you know what, you're right, the system is not working for you and I'm (you're) going to make it a little bit better...'"
Now that this "middle of the road" bill is passing...
We offer sympathy to those progressives who complain that the law does not go far enough. We also offer advice: Get busy making this country a better place to grow old and healthy.
We offer sympathy to those conservatives who complain that the law goes too far. We also offer advice: Get busy and make this country prosperous again, so we can all afford reasonable health care.
To the doctors of the USA, we offer appreciation for your excellence and care. And we have counsel for you as well: Strive to do what is best for your patients, without unnecessary procedures and tests. Work to achieve a level of professional excellence without resorting to cover your ass medicine. Protect life.
To the lawyers of the USA, we enter this plea: Lighten up, will ya? Let the docs make the medical decisions.
To the nurses (like my wife, Pat) of the USA, we offer appreciation for all your tender care and professional excellence.
To all health care workers, we request: Do good work, and keep in touch. Be content with your pay; you're fortunate to even have a job in these hard times.
To the medical administrators of America, I offer these suggestions, as we move toward further improvement of our health care system:
~Set up a clinic next door to your hospital where folks can get treatment without incurring the expenses. of emergency medicine. Establish a facility where th ER personnel can say: "You with the bloody nose, go next door (where you can walk out after treatmnt without carrying a bill for a thousand dollars," or "You with the sprained ankle, we'll take you next door...
~Find ways to recommend appropriate palliative care for granny and granpa instead of requiring their life's net worth just to gain another six weeks or six months of being tube-tied. Replace cover your ass medicine with compassionate care wherever possible.

To the drug addicts and alcoholics of America, I highly recommend: Get help and get clean. Turn to Jesus. Cease and desist from your expensive, system-draining, drug-seeking hospital stays. We, the medically-insured people are tired of bailing you out when there are so many people who need real medical attention, and we can't afford to string you along any more.

To the newly unemployed, we offer hope: Although your Cobra coverage may be running out, the people of the United States of America are standing beneath you with a safety net. God bless em' with all their capitalist and socialist foibles. Now go out and get busy! Find something productive to do, even if you don''t have a the job of your choosing.
To those previously uninsured who will now obtain coverage as a result of the new health care bill: Act responsibly and be thankful.
To those whose previously-existing medical conditions precluded your obtaining insurance: I hope this new law works better for you.
To those whose insurance coverage has ever been canceled due to serious illness or lifetime limits: Hold on. We hope to get som help for you soon.
To everybody else in America: Quit smoking cigarettes and watching so much tv.
To the world, we say: Thank God for the United States of America.

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