Continuing to think about health care . . .
I like to read the opinion page of the New York Times, specifically the Op-Ed Columnist section. I found the article,
“How American Health Care Killed My Father”, referenced by David Brooks from his Sept. 3 column, “Let’s Get Fundamental”.
As Lisa and I navigate finding new doctors, pharmacy for medication, the new deductibles and paperwork governing our health insurance this article focused my attention on something I had not thought about: Does my doctor think of me or my insurance provider as the patient? In Lexington I believe the answer was yes and yes. My doctor in Lexington managed my care based on his assessment of my needs, my willingness to take meds, and my health insurance provider. Before his office began using electronic records he would ask me to remind him what insurance I had before making decisions about treatment. I never felt slighted, and given my own frustrations with the first insurance company I used I empathized with the headaches his office probably had with claim forms and letters.
This article by David Godhill, The Atlantic (September 2009), provided another way of thinking about health care. It is lengthy, but worth the time as you consider what changes need to be supported in health care reform, and how you may or may not lobby, encourage, or shame your Congressional representatives into making changes we can believe in, we can witness as substantive, we can experience as making the circle of live better for all the inhabitants of this nation.
How American Health Care Killed My Father – The Atlantic (September 2009)
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I read that article a couple of weeks ago. I too found it very interesting and thought provoking. Although he does have some recommendations, it is one of the first articles that does for the most part present all the facts fairly about something that is important to us all.