Health Care Crisis or Culture Crisis?

[Don]

An E.R. doctor's short, two-paragraph letter to the White House.


Dear Mr. President:
During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.


While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one pack of cigarettes every day, eats only at fast-food take-outs, and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer. And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture" a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.

Respectfully,
ROGER STARNER JONES, MD

[Michigan Girl]

That's what I'm saying ...this infuriates me ...and we'll need to take care of the offspring too unless she's going to give up her luxuries for them ...is it possible?

[lights1961]

An E.R. doctor's short, two-paragraph letter to the White House.


Dear Mr. President:
During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.


While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one pack of cigarettes every day, eats only at fast-food take-outs, and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer. And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture" a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.

Respectfully,
ROGER STARNER JONES, MD

excellent... but you know the argument on the otherside is we are too stupid to take care of ourselfs... that is why the govt has to... from the time we enter life... to the time we die at least in their argument...and then after death with the estate tax... just saying... love the term here... ***culture crises***

[johnroxx]

In reaction to the good doctor's letter I say, quoting Metallica, "sad but true." I see this scenario play out every single day in my ER...

;^)

[Melissa]

I've seen this as a nurse for 16 years now. And it just gets worse. On Medicaid, which is supposed to be for people who can't "afford" health insurance right? Yet a large portion of them can darn sure afford BMW's, Louis Vuitton purses, iPhones, etc., etc. It's quite amazing.

[Angel]

I've seen this as a nurse for 16 years now. And it just gets worse. On Medicaid, which is supposed to be for people who can't "afford" health insurance right? Yet a large portion of them can darn sure afford BMW's, Louis Vuitton purses, iPhones, etc., etc. It's quite amazing.

So true! Not to mention the whole issue of feeling "entitled" because they have (as we call it) the Idaho Gold Card. People will go into the ER or the doctor's office everytime they sneeze. When they are told that all their condition requires is an over the counter medication they throw a fit because Medicaid won't cover the meds unless they are prescription-yet they have all the luxuries Melissa mentioned above....but they can't afford Zyrtec...hmmm?? Now, I fully understand that not everyone utilizing Medicaid abuses it like this but I do think it's common enough that something should be done about it.

[Rockindeano]

So let me get this straight. One person, who seems to be a leach of the system, should destroy the concept for the truly needy? Seriously? We should just continue to turn our backs on the less fortunate because there was a tattooed black girl on a new cell taking excessive liberties of the system?

Again, how many people die each year in this country because they do not have health insurance? I know it's a fair number.

[Angel]

So let me get this straight. One person, who seems to be a leach of the system, should destroy the concept for the truly needy? Seriously? We should just continue to turn our backs on the less fortunate because there was a tattooed black girl on a new cell taking excessive liberties of the system?

Again, how many people die each year in this country because they do not have health insurance? I know it's a fair number.

Absolutely not! But, there is enough abuse of the system that I think it would be worth while to re-evaluate it. I don't understand the "all or nothing" nature of the system. What would be wrong with a sliding scale type of system so that people are held accountable for the services they use? That way, those that truly could not afford the care would not have to pay anything but those that can afford hair extentions and Escalades would be held accountable for at least a portion of the bill.

[Melissa]

So let me get this straight. One person, who seems to be a leach of the system, should destroy the concept for the truly needy? Seriously? We should just continue to turn our backs on the less fortunate because there was a tattooed black girl on a new cell taking excessive liberties of the system?

Again, how many people die each year in this country because they do not have health insurance? I know it's a fair number.

No, and you're generalizing. I of all people doing what I do for a living as long as I have now know full well there are TRULY needy people out there. And programs like Medicaid are a great thing for them. But it's the TONS of leeches like the one mentioned in this letter that are causing a HUGE problem in this country, but it's become taboo to say anything about them It would be one thing if people like that, ABUSING it like that, were few. But they are not. There are TONS of them, and unless you work in healthcare, there's really no way anyone can get a clue just how bad it is, and how much it's worsening, and how fast. All the general public knows is either their own personal experiences, or what is spoon fed by the media.

PLENTY of the people you mention who "do not have health insurance", sorry but for plenty of them it's their choice not to have health insurance. I don't see why they should be allowed to continue to abuse something simply because it's there and they CAN and they are enabled to, so that they can spend their money on things that are "fun" like cars and purses and phones and crap like that... heaven forbid they buy health insurance instead, that's not "fun" . Or for the ones who claim they can't "afford" health insurance because they choose to live in $500,000 houses and drive a couple of $40,000 SUV's they can't really "afford" either. Sorry but that ER doc hits it out of the ballpark, and is 100% correct.