This
morning brought the
news that health
care spending in
this country will
equal nearly 20% of
our national gross
domestic product by
the year 2017. This
means that nearly
one fifth of our
entire economy will
go towards medical
and health related
spending in that
year. Our health
care cost by 2017
should reach
approximately 4.3
trillion dollars per
year. A number that
is double what we
spent in the year
2007.
This increase is
partly due to the
number of baby
boomers who will be
eligible for
Medicare in a few
short years.
OK, so what’s the
big deal?
Well, I’ll tell you.
I’m not concerned
about those who are
supposed to be on
Medicare (I am) what
concerns me are
those who aren’t (In
my opinion) supposed
to be on the
government dole.
Take a news report
just last night. ABC
news reported that
several women were
suing different
medical practices
around the country
for certain medical
operations they had
undergone.
What’s wrong with
this, you might ask?
Well, their law
suits (against the
doctors and
hospitals) are the
result of surgery
and treatments they
were subjected to
without their
knowledge.
Without their
knowledge? How is
this possible?
Well, it seems these
ladies cannot read
so when they went to
their doctors’
offices they signed
whatever forms they
were given but were
too embarrassed to
admit that they were
illiterate and did
not understand any
part of what they
were agreeing to
have done. Now they
feel that they have
somehow been
‘victimized’ and
want the courts to
restore them for the
pain, suffering and
emotional distress
they have suffered.
Give me a break.
Didn’t these women
have a mouth?
Couldn’t they speak
up and ask the
doctor to explain
what they were
signing and agreeing
to have done?
I’m certain some
sympathetic judge
and jury will award
these women millions
and millions with
the thought in mind
that ‘malpractice
insurance’ will
cover the loss.
Guess what happens
next?
The doctors
insurance premiums
will rise and so
will his or her fees
to their next
generation of
patients to
compensate for their
increased insurance
cost. So who pays
for the actions of
people who are too
embarrassed to admit
they can’t read?
You and me, that’s
who.
Next case. Just
heard about a young
woman, who was on
several different
prescription drugs
and goes to a bar.
Leaves the bar
headed for home when
she gets into a
horrible traffic
accident.
Her fault.
She is going to be
in therapy for years
to come and it might
be years after that
before she can
return to work. Her
medical bills are in
the hundreds of
thousands.
Her parents tell me
that one of the
hardest things they
had to do was to
sign her up with
Social Security for
disability payments.
The forms were long
and detailed.
I’m asking why she
is eligible for any
type of social
security in the
first place.
They look at me in
the same way a calf
looks at a new gate.
“Because she doesn’t
have any income.”
I understand that,
but why is it the
responsibility of
the government to
dispense a check to
her for years to
come because of
something stupid she
did in the first
place?
So, now I get the
news that if you are
on drugs or drunk
and get into an
accident and as a
result cannot work,
then that makes you
eligible for
governmental
assistance for many
years into the
future.
How nice.
All of us who work
and pay taxes should
be proud. We are the
life line to those
other unfortunate
people who are
either too stupid or
too irresponsible to
accept
responsibility for
their actions.
Do all the drugs and
drink you want, the
government will take
care of you.
Ignore the fact that
you are an adult and
can’t read, just
fake it and then
when you sign a
document that you
don’t understand or
didn’t ask what it
was about, then you
sue those that
people.
It’s their fault….
No, it’s your fault.
We have programs in
this country to help
people who are on
drugs or alcohol. We
have literacy
programs to help
people who cannot
read.
I’m sorry you didn’t
get a chance to read
or that
circumstances might
have prevented you
from going to
school, but don’t
blame others for
your own
shortcomings. There
is help for you out
here; you need to
ask for it.
I’m sorry you were
injured and may have
to be out of work
for some period of
time, but how is
this my
responsibility? I
didn’t force you to
take drugs or drink
and drive, why
should my tax
dollars go towards
your continued
support?
Perhaps I am too
harsh and not
showing any
compassion, but at
some point in time,
if projections are
correct, we will run
out of money to pay
for all of the
multitude of
programs and
entitlements we have
or are about to
establish.
Then we will all be
in the same boat,
won’t we?
