Los Angeles Times: The sick status quo

[marmar]

The sick status quo
Images of ill Americans relying on the kindness of medical professionals says more about the need for reform than all that shouting.

August 13, 2009


Cable news channels have devoted hours of airtime this week to the rancorous debates about healthcare reform at town halls across the country, supplementing the coverage with alarmist commercials about rationing and government-run care. Notably, opponents of the reform effort haven't tried to defend the status quo. Instead, they've spent their time painting exaggerated pictures of what the system might look like in the future -- a world of "death panels,” delayed treatments and lethal cost-cutting. In short, their nightmarish depiction of "Obama-care" looks a lot like a Hollywood version of an HMO, but with seniors instead of starlets.

It's too bad the television cameras haven't been trained instead on the Forum in Inglewood, where the Remote Area Medical Foundation opened a temporary clinic this week. The scene makes a compelling case for a healthcare overhaul, putting a human face on the dry statistics about uninsured and underinsured Americans. People started lining up Monday for a chance to be treated Tuesday by volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses and other healthcare providers. About 1,500 people were seen that first day; after hundreds more camped out overnight, the clinic ran at full capacity again on Wednesday. It's scheduled to stay eight days before heading to its next stop, a reservation in Utah.

The turnout in Inglewood was huge despite the lack of publicity about the clinic, indicating how great the need is for more primary care. These are the people whose first stop for treatment tends to be the emergency room, often after a routine problem has festered long enough to become a complex (and expensive) one. Expanding health insurance to cover this group wouldn't be cheap, but it's a prerequisite to the changes in delivery and payment that will help improve care and control costs.

Remote Area Medical's experience here also illustrates one of the best features of our healthcare system: the humanitarianism of its professionals. But unless the system is reformed to bring basic healthcare services to all Americans, far too many will continue to depend on the kindness of strangers.


http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-health13-2009aug13,0,6674310.story

[dana_b]

1. it reminds me of not showing the soldiers coming home in caskets

we want to fight and debate the issues but the end result is hidden and not discussed. Show the people waiting hours outside to get free health care. Show the multitudes of people looking for any bit of help. If that was shown on a nightly basis to people in front of their t.v. sets then maybe the fighting would subside.

[enlightenment]

2. I don't think it would.

The shouters are more likely to look on a gathering like that and condemn those waiting as lazy and shiftless, undeserving and unappreciative.

Until we reject the Horatio Alger mythology that success in life is tied to the worthiness of the individual, we will always find ways to condemn those who do not succeed.

[dana_b]

3. good points

hat closed minded attitude baffles me though.

My daughter and I were watching "30 Days" - the t.v. series by Morgan Spurlock - and the greatest thing about the show, imo, is people putting themselves in the shoes of others. It does give a much better understanding and empathy for others. I wish we could all try that sometimes.

[enlightenment]

4. Empathy is rarer than unicorns these days . . .

sigh.