American Health Care

According to the news, the Obama Administration is preparing to tackle health care (hopefully single payer is on the table, but I have reason to doubt it). This is great news because it has never made sense to me that citizens in one of the most prosperous nations on earth are going bankrupt because their medical expenses are getting out of their control.

Though for some this is purely a hypothetical argument. By that I mean if you have no problems with your health or the quality of care you receive, the problems I refer to are things that happen to someone else.

This is a perspective that I get the feeling is common among our political class as well.

This was brought home to me when I met an acquaintance that I had not seen in awhile. He said that he was in the hospital, after he had pains in his abdomen that refused to go away.

Eventually it was discovered that he had an appendicitis, and it was removed.

Now here is where things get wonky. The surgeon who preformed the surgery requested that my friend come back for a follow-up visit.

The first appointment had to be rescheduled because the surgeon could not make it–as to why I am not sure, my friend did not make this clear–and another appointment was made.

Which the surgeon also missed.

My friend is not a native of this country (he may be applying for citizenship, but I don’t know for certain), but that doesn’t excuse how shabbily he was treated.

Do you literally have to be running around on fire–or be very rich–to get quality health care in this country?