Health care reform

"Did the President's speech change your mind on healthcare?" asks one FoxNews poll. 92% said NO.

That's because you cannot solve this problem with rhetoric, Mr. President. You cannot stand with a fraction of the United States' nurses, crack a few jokes about "So You Think You Can Dance" and your wonderful history with nurses and think this will solve the healthcare crisis the next morning.

This is bigger than a speech to the joint congress.

Nancy Pelosi's favorite line is "The Republicans aren't offering any alternative plans." I'm sorry, but Jim DeMint, Paul Ryan, Tom Price, Tom Coburn, David Nunes, Richard Burr, are just a few offering up ideas. It's the DEMOCRATS who aren't willing to listen and compromise.

I agree that this should be the last generation to take up the healthcare debate. Wouldn't it be wonderful to reform a system and allow those who work hard and pay for their healthcare to keep it? Wouldn't it be great to see "pre-existing conditions" like migraines and arthritis (to name a few), covered? Wouldn't it also be great not to have to worry that Uncle Sam is taking my money to cover someone else's abortion?

Let's talk about preventive medicine. Let's talk about taking care of ourselves, exercising, eating right, sleeping and drinking water, not smoking, moderate alcohol drinking, etc. Believe it or not, those simple changes can mean reversing the diabetes diagnosis, healthier hearts, fewer cancer cases, etc.
I bet quite a few lives would drastically change. And, I'm supportive of considering
reducing abuse and fraud in the Medicare program, giving supplemental health insurance to those low-income families that need it - but that are also working, and other changes that would truly reform healthcare without infringing on the American citizens that dutifully pay their taxes and work hard for their coverage.

And lastly, a personal anecdote. (What political diatribe is complete without one?)
What do you say to the doctor that tells a 74 year old woman after finding suspicious spots on her mammogram to wait 6 months and come back- "it's probably only a cyst," despite the woman's family history of breast cancer???? Upon a second opinion, that precancerous tissue is coming out.

And why? Because it's expensive and she's elderly and in "6 months it might be a benign cyst or it might be cancer but we'll deal with it then" ?

I say that doctor is ill-fit to practice medicine.
I say that doctor should be stripped of his ability to consult patients.
I say THAT is a situation screaming out for healthcare reform.

The debate has to center on more than cost this time around.