Dentist and Doctors. We all see them, well at least we should. Recently the dentist asked me to come back for work that must be scheduled to get done. I’ve never had more than a few cavities in my lifetime. I need my first crown I’m told. Anyway, I asked questions about this procedure and the reasons for it and they satisfied me.
In a sense that’s a no brainer. But other decisions get more difficult as time goes on. I’ve seen it with our parents and older friend. From tough decisions like hip and knee replacements to more serious ones like treatments for serious health challenges.
Health to me comes down to quality of life. I’m trying to prepare myself all the time for adjustments I may have to make. For instance, my hands one day won’t be able to type with the fluid motion I once had. I already noticed I’m not as fast as I used to be. I may have to use voice recognition at some point in the distant future.
Mobility has also changed. When younger, there wasn’t obstacle or path that couldn’t be overcome. Now I stick to better trails because I don’t need a torn ligament, broken ankle, kneecap or hip. I even use the treadmill some days that it’s nice outside just because each step is predictable and not challenged by me looking around and not watching where I’m going.
A while back life started being about adaptability to change. Not to just those external things but within your own body and mind. Of course, we are the lucky ones. Many face these challenges early and have lived a lifetime with a disability or disease and persevered.
While each of us will be faced with our own challenges and decisions, we all have to make a collective decision on how to move ahead with healthcare. By not making a decision, we are making one to leave a significant part of the population without healthcare while at the same time making hospitals and ones who have insurance pay for those uninsured because they will go to hospitals for treatment covered or not.
It’s a moral, financial, logistical and industry discission. It’s too complex to be taken as separate pieces. In my opinion it must be fixed as a whole. It’s going to still include painful decisions. Do we spread the cost for those in need of the greatest financial care due to the complexity of their illness or disease. Or do we change them much more for insurance, making the cost for others less.
How do we structure prescription and insurance industries. How do all the hospitals survive, do the profitable ones share with the rural ones struggling? Same with people, those decisions are being made every day in every country including this one. Many different levels of care are available to those with the money for it than those without resources.
There are some brilliant articles from many scholars on the issue of healthcare. Many with some good ideas. But it comes down to you and I and how we vote to solve this. I don’t see anyone on any side pushing any plan that will get to the heart of the issue because it all involves tough choices.
So, we push the broken barrel down the road for another year while the system gets worse. And more people go bankrupt each year from medical bills, (you should look at those numbers). Hospitals continue to struggle till they shut down. People in the profession get burnt out or don’t have the supplies, tools or meds needed or aren’t paid for the incredible job they do.
And when lots of people go bankrupt, hospitals and doctors don’t get paid so they pass it on to those of us still able to pay.
It seems we’re starting from a strong point. The following is an assumption on my part. I’m guessing we have some of the best hospitals, doctors, equipment, prescription meds, research, caregivers, Ems, insurance people and systems in place for healthcare in the world. How we work on it, change it, modify it again, or just push it down the road will say allot about us as a society and the leadership we choose to address it.
We need to talk about this and many other issues. We need leaders who have plans that can adapt and modify to make a better plan and then get consensus and implement.
Found this link below for the Maryland folks wanting to know about what is going around the state now with flu, covid and rsv.
Maryland Combined Respiratory Illness Dashboard –
