[geeks] now Health Care

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

On Thu, 22 May 2008, Sandwich Maker wrote:

> it's so skewed because many can't afford preventive care,

Everyone can afford to cook for themselves (instead of dining out or
buying prepackaged crap), eat a reasonable amount of raw fruits and
veggies, get a little exercise from time-to-time, and get a reasonable
amount of sleep.  Outside of trauma or a genetic disposition towards a
particular disease, that will go a long way towards not needing to see a
doctor.

In the last six years I've been to a regular doctor once for an ankle
injury.  I've been to the ER twice: once at the behest of my girlfriend
because I had a bad bout with the flu, and once because I'd gotten an
inner ear infection that hurt badly enough to feel like something Much
Worse at the time.

For the ankle injury, the doctor blew me off, despite it having bothered
me for months previous.  She wouldn't recommend me for PT or anything
else, so I researched the PT exercises myself, did them over the course
of a few weeks, and the problem quickly went away.

On the ear infection trip to the ER, they misdiagnosed it as a migraine
(I'd had migraines for about 5 years previous until I discovered what
was triggering them, so I know what one feels like).  On the flu trip to
the ER, they said "it's the flu, try to keep some water down and maybe
eat something tomorrow."

I just have -so- -much- -faith- in the medical industry.  Thanks, but,
unless it's immediately life-threatening or a mechanical problem caused
by trauma, I'll stay away.

But since I've really started trying to take care of myself (about five
years ago), I've not seen a doctor for any reason at all.  Nor have I
really been sick besides the occasional bout of 8 hours or so of feeling
cruddy when someone brings their kid's cold to the office.  I quit
paying health insurance premiums three years ago, and I'm in -better
health- than I was when I was eating poorly, doing fsck-all for physical
activity, and paying piles of cash to some insurance company.

> the new ma healthcare laws are aimed at this.  everyone has to have
> coverage, but the state doesn't provide it.  it is progressively
> subsidized for lower incomes, 100% if you make <$15k or so.  the goal
> is that this preventive care will be cheaper than emergency room care.

Why not require people to stop buying crap food, smoking, and drinking,
instead?  I mean, so long as we're going to say that it's "okay" for the
government to put guns to peoples heads and demand that they do
something[0], they might as well force them to do the right things.

> would you rather stop smoking or get lung cancer?

Anyone dumb enough (and anti-social enough) to smoke cigarettes, knowing
full-well what the result will be, deserves the expected outcome.  If
you can spend the money on the smokes, you can damn well spend that
money on cessation assistance instead.


[0] What was that about "freedom of association" again?  What if I don't
     want to associate with any health insurance company?  Oh, I get the
     a member of the blue-light gang (police) to haul be before a kingpin
     (judge) who will threaten me with kidnapping (jail time) unless I
     pay an exorbitant protection fee (fine) or do business with one of
     their associates (licensed healthcare companies)?  Thanks!  You
     know, the nice thing about the illegal mafias (as opposed to the
     legal one) is you can at least pick your side.
-- 
Jonathan Patschke | "There is more to life than increasing its speed."
Elgin, TX         |                                   --Mahatma Gandhi
USA               |