In your excellent editorial, I find that, perhaps, you may have underestimated the impact of psychological dysfunction and violence on the longevity of the American citizen. Domestic as well as foreign.
I do agree that physicians may be underpaid, but only so far as internal medicine and general practitioners are concerned. Their income is generally below 150K/yr, and cut into that is the required malpractice insurance... and if they have been practicing less than ... oh, about 20 years.... I'd toss in student loan payments. Then, with that particular section of physicians, it is not uncommon for them to put in 80 or more hours per week in work-related pursuits.... clinic, hospital rounds, consults, charting, most teach at local medical schools, their own research, attending or teaching at conferences...
Nurses are definitely underpaid. We are supposed to be the patient's last line of defense between them and poor physician judgment, surgical error, pharmacy error, and their own families. We are held responsible to and for everything, including the patient's life.
Pharmacy costs are way out of control. A single rescue inhaler, 30 doses, for asthma runs between 125 and 175 dollars at full cost. A vial of insulin: 135.00. The hospital charges over 30.00 for every accucheck done to test a patient's blood glucose level. What I can't understand is staffing cuts at the direct patient/staff interaction level while administrators get bonuses for losing money and they get bigger perks. Hold me back.
To keep THIS endurance related.... is it no wonder that we turn to our horses for honesty and emotional succor.... for VERY long periods of time....?
And I am finally getting off where I sit my saddle and making an offer for a trailer tomorrow night.... so I will finally not have the excuse of no transportation to start attending rides.
LizC
MN
--- On Tue, 6/9/09, Bruce Weary DC <bweary@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Bruce Weary DC <bweary@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [RC] Smoke and Mirrors To: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 3:02 PM
Hi Mike-- You are mixing your metaphors. The status of the health of the American people, it's health care system and the distribution of wealth are three very different topics. The life expectancy of Americans is lower than other countries largely because of how Americans manage their own health and diet, including the effects of illicit and prescription drug abuse, not necessarily because of inferior care. Our alarming incidences of cancer, heart disease and diabetes, are to a large extent, lifestyle driven. We need to improve delivery of care to make it more accessible and affordable. This is hindered largely by the tort/malpractice effect and insurance companies who are profit-driven, but who consume up to 40% or more of their revenues in administrative costs and executive compensation. Medicare only consumes about 15%, by comparison. Our primary care physicians are currently overwhelmed, underpaid (really) and
becoming in short supply as a result. We spend an incredible amount of money on health care only in part because of its price. Moreso because we apparently need to consume an inordinate amount of it for the reasons I have given. More millionaires were created in the Great Depression than at any other time in our history. There was rampant inflation and 25% unemployment, and many people were greatly affected financially, yet opportunities then, as now, abounded. Many people take advantage of those opportunities on a daily basis. Others don't and simply say, "It can't be done." Who is right? "Cash income is a crude indicator of how well off you are." I would modify that to say, "Cash income is a crude indicator of how productive you are." If you blow it all, you aren't very well off. Not every job is valued equally. Teachers, police and firemen don't make near what they should. Society apparently doesn't value their services as much as
movie stars and professional athletes. This doesn't mean better opportunities don't exist elsewhere. Clearly, they do. In every job that exists, there is someone doing it successfully. (I understand the Eskimo/refrigerator sales are a little off, lately :>)There is no business pursuit out there that isn't currently being succeeded at, though there will always be those who swear the game is rigged. We are only limited by our imaginations and our willingness. If our supply of these two things is low, chances are our incomes will be too. It often seems easier to blame Big Brother. That's the road to nowhere. To make this endurance related, I take satisfaction in knowing how many people's incomes I enhance through my purchases of hay, shoeing, grain, saddles, tires, insurance, tack, vet services, ride fees, etc.,. We should see the economy pick up around the time I have to order my next load of hay.:))
Bruce Weary
