The Best Pledge We Can Make

   I was at the school rec center last week when a few people were registering as guests. I overheard the staff person as he was asking them to sign a liability waiver. He said, 

"This just means that you are taking responsibility for your body."

    I smiled when I heard it and I have thought about it ever since.  What an awesome concept. What if every person, better yet, every middle school child, signed a pledge committing to take care of their body.

   This commitment could be similar to those kids make about not smoking or doing drugs.  DARE to be healthy, if you will.

   Even better, it could be something required of us, before we get health insurance. 

 I hereby agree to take care of my body.  I will eat well, exercise daily and avoid all forms (active and passive) of tobacco smoke.  I will consume alcohol responsibly and protect myself from environmental toxins/radiation (e.g., sun, xrays, pollution, coal emissions). 

(The government needs to help us out with the last few). 

 I do these things in order to prevent disease and to promote my healthy active life.  

   Now if we can find away to 'police' that... ok, enforce .. ok encourage... though my radical, nanny self wants to add, 

and if I willingly break this vow, I will be responsible for my own health care bills and or higher insurance premiums and copays!

   Seriously, I do pledge to do every thing in my power to live a healthy life and if by no fault of my own, I get sick.. I hope someone will take care of me :)  Ok - even if its my 'fault'... I hope someone will take care of me... just saying.

Mandatory Health Insurance

I do no follow every word of the health care debate, nor do I know the intricacies of the proposals. I probably hear as much as you do and I try my best to stay away from the vitriol.

I can tell you that the system is not okay and that I'd rather they do something than nothing. I sense that there is much waste and that addressing it, (billing fraud, entitlement fraud and abuse, polypharmacy and unnecessary pharmacy, vanity drugs and procedures, and treatment spent on preventable conditions) would probably give us the money we need to expand coverage and care.

But unequivocally I believe that health insurance should be mandatory. I was reminded of my belief when a certain Congressman was speaking on CSPAN last night. I do not recall who he was or where he was from, except it wasn't Florida because I remember looking to see. Anyway, this person implied that forcing people to have health insurance coverage was not at all like forcing them to have car insurance. He said that if individual states, like MA decided to do it that was fine, but a federal program was an invasion of privacy. He said that people had a right NOT to have the insurance. Well, I say NO they don't. I know those of you who are healthy as a horse do not think you should pay for something that you do not need today. I understand that your plan is to pay for your health care on an as needed basis, but the ability of REAL people to do that, just doesn't exist. Of course, because there is great health disparity in the USA (and most countries) the people who need the most care have the least money. (and yes, many smokers are in that category, which is why tobacco should be outlawed, but I digress)

My counterpoint to the Congressman is more simple than that. He said that people should not be mandated to have health insurance - but that only works if the health care force can refuse to treat, and they can't. SO it is not American to mandate coverage, but it is American to mandate care. When people are in a health crisis, they CAN NOT be turned away - they will be treated and that means EVERYBODY will pay more for health care,. Those with health insurance will continue to cover that care in sky rocketing premiums, and all of us will see higher taxes. (i.e. we are already paying!) Not having health insurance is sort of like shop lifting . When someone takes without paying, the ones who do pay, pay more. It is not an acceptable option.

I do like the idea of insurance pools, interstate coverage and all that jazz - it absolutely should be like car insurance however, as Medicaid and Medicare are sorely lacking in reach and oversight.

PS a second "hey wait a minute" political moment occurred this morning when a radio show was discussing passage of the jobs bill, I think. The point was that the politicians worked together and something was passed. But that was not how the guest referred to this positive outcome, no, he noted that one of the sides "defected". Since when is working together to solve the worlds problems an act of treason?