Woe to Ellen Goodman

Re Putting the ‘Care’ in Health Care
by Ellen Goodman Boston Globe/Washington Post

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090401_the_care_in_health_care/#

Posted on Apr 2, 2009

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Nonsense. It is sad to see that people who should know better are being duped by HMO lobby propaganda at just the time when we need the best critical minds in the country to help define what health care "reform" should really mean.

It should not mean coercive, regressive, authoritarian managed care for the poor and the middle class while the political class retains its privileges. It should not mean the abuse of power by the kinds of special interests who dominated the White House forum on health care reform.

It should not mean cartoons and caricatures of people who have more education, experience and expertise while those who know and do less are worshipped.

It should not mean ridicule and lies about modern technology while every chiropractic, "holistic," supplement industry, 11th Century scam is treated with kid gloves.

It should not mean one-size-fits-all oxcart medicine at the expense of those who need something other than managed primary care -- those with emergency, acute, catastrophic, chronic, disabling or rare health problems.

It should not mean delusions about "prevention." People get sick. People inherit bad genes. People have accidents and bad habits.

The philosophy of the Luddites has little or nothing to offer.

We need health care that is truly comprehensive in fact, not merely in rhetoric. We need access to secondary, tertiary, quaternary and quintenary care when we need such expertise, not voodoo by "gatekeepers" worshipped because they are in over their heads, don't know what they are doing and are singing a happy little song instead.

You want hand-holding? Go to your local palmist, your mother, your spouse, your best friend. I'll take 21st Century medicine.

Yes it does cost. So does life. There are germs out there, kiddies. Watch your butt.

Arthur Springer
MAP/EIP/Part D Program Participant
& Lay Advocate for People With Disabilities
150 W. 80th St. -- 4A
New York, NY 10024-6313
voice & fax: 212-580-9143
as99@verizon.net
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