|synaptic disunion|

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

we're feeling better....a bit.

There was a moment, last week, during all the hubbub and mêlée surrounding the various illnesses in our little family, that I wanted to scream at the medical establishment for letting us down. But I couldn't. My voice had gone. My audible voice, that is. My internal dialog regarding the red tape surrounding trying to get appointments for all of us, call-backs from nurses, and etc, though clouded by fever and pain, was indeed, less than happy.

Today, we are on the mend. We are not all well, but the hassles of health care for the sick are, for the time being, behind us.

What's funny is, we're the lucky ones. We have insurance. Pretty good insurance, comparatively speaking. Clinics can be less than accommodating when the sickos come in, though. When you're somewhere in between something regarded as "life threatening" and "non-urgent," the system gets confused. Like trying to make a custom order at McDonald's, they "don't have a button for that." Come in for a regularly scheduled visit, and all goes smoothly. Come in to the emergency room because you've lost a limb, and you'll get immediate care. Come in with a fever, an inability to swallow or drink, and all-over chills, and "please wait for the next available provider, sir."

Sixty minutes later, be seen, rapidly, and be sent on your way. No number to take. No line to stand in. But still a bit of a wait, right? Oh, and that'll be ten bucks each, thank you very much.

Oh well. American healthcare is ok, right? It's ok to run a humanitarian industry like Wal-Mart, right? Sure it is. Capitalism will always work itself out, won't it? Sure it will, provided the bottom line is always more important than the human element.

Anyway, we're back. Are you?

: toadman : at Tuesday, November 13, 2007 |