I don't talk politics or religion. These are the two most polarizing subjects on the planet, and we all know that I don't like confrontation. But PK made me watch the debate tonight, and I happened to be on twitter during that time, so I got to see everyone's responses. Sometimes it pissed me off because people are so clearly biased for one candidate or the other (which is expected - some people are hardline Dems and some are hardline Pubs, and it's hard to change someone's mind with regard to their political affiliation). Some of the things my friends were saying were so rude and against what I believe in, in my political affiliation.... which is funny because I've always sort of identified with both parties, but I digress.
A very large part of tonight's debate had to do with Obamacare (and apparently Obama has grown fond of the term). I've never really been fond of the idea of Obamacare. Granted, when it was first proposed, I was excited about the prospect of getting real healthare at hospitals other than the VA since my current health status prohibits me from getting covered under any private insurance policy. But the more I think about it, the more I realize what a BAD IDEA Obamacare really is.
Before you jump down my throat, let me explain.
Obamacare is universal healthcare. You can go to any doctor, any hospital, whatever, and get care because all insurance companies will be forced to cover EVERYONE. I'm not saying insurance companies covering everyone is a bad thing. Believe me, as someone who's been unable to be covered for the last 10 years by a private company, I think the concept is a good one. BUT I've also had to deal with the kind of care that we'll end up with under Obamacare for the last 10 years.
If you know nothing else about the military, you know that military medical is kind of a big fucking joke. I say this with my Twin being part of the military medical system. But it's true. You go to the doctor, and you get Ibuprofen for everything. Have a headache? 800mg Ibuprofen. Stomach pains? 800mg Ibuprofen. Cut off your arm? 800mg Ibuprofen.
We call it "Vitamin M" in the military. After my car accident last month, the doctor gave me 600mg Ibuprofen and I laughed in his face. Sorry dude, but this won't do shit for me. Not with how much Motrin I've taken over the past 10 years. But I don't want to look like I'm a drug seeker (which is possible these days, since the DEA is looking over everyone's shoulders so much that they won't even give my mom -who NEEDS pain medication to battle her chronic pancreatitis pain and the after effects of TWO botched surgeries..... that's an even longer story and will only serve to piss me off more if I get into it now) so rather than ask for something stronger than 600mg Ibuprofen, I just sit here and suffer through it.
Getting into the doctor either for the military or the VA has become such a process that most of us decide that we're just going to suffer through it. At Lackland, they had same day doctor appointments, but when the appointment line opened at 0800, the appointments for the day were usuallly all taken by 0803 since there were THAT MANY PEOPLE calling in. So the ER was always packed for stupid shit like a cold because they couldn't get in to see a doctor for antibiotics or Nasonex or whatever. At the VA, they don't do same day appointments by phone. You have to go to triage (which is in the ER) and wait for about 5-7 hours on average. Even when you DO have an appointment, you can pretty much guarantee that you're going to be at the VA all day because they're ALWAYS behind. Pack a lunch or make sure you've got money (the food there isn't awful, though I'd much rather have something I made myself at home) because going to the VA is a "process".
Do you honestly think that the American people are going to want to deal with this kind of system? Do you think they're going to want to be just another number? I know that not all civilian doctors are going to be as awesome as my daughter's pediatrician, who sits with us and talks with us about what's going on with her and genuinely cares about what happens to her. I know that they won't all be like my mom's AMAZING doctor, Mary, who kicks off her shoes in the office and talks to my mom for HOURS to make sure she understands her diagnosis, the side effects of whatever medication she's on, or generally just to see how my mom is doing. I'm not under the impression that either continuing or repealing Obamacare is going to make doctors into superstars of patient care. But I do think that it'll turn all healthcare into the bullshit I have to deal with at the VA, and I wouldn't wish that shit on my worst enemy's DOG. Going to the VA induces a panic attack for me. I hate the drive up there (and I only live 30 miles away... there are times when I go there that I meet people from other states since the Houston regional office is apparently the closest VA hospital to them), I hate all the waiting (my appointments usually run 30 minutes to 2 hours late), and I hate the fact that my doctors talk to their computer screens more than they talk to me.
Is Obamacare a good idea? In theory. But I don't think it's going to work. Ou healthcare system is going to be flushed down the toilet and go swirling.
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