America: We Love our Health Care!!

There's no doubt that we love our health care: especially the insurance. We pay more for it than any other developed country in the world! Fifteen cents of every dollar made in this country goes to health care! France is among the most expensive European systems at 11% , while Canada spends 10%, and England around 8%. Fine you have some critics, like Glen Beck, but in his defense his was an especially complicated condition that I'm sure he's happy to have behind him :^).

We don't want anything to change in our insurance plans that don't change already.

1. We like getting 6%+ annual increases in our premiums.
   
2. We're fine with denied coverage due to preexisting conditions.
   
3. It's OK to deny renewal because a family member was seriously ill the previous year.
4. We enjoy having our claims denied and talking to representatives for months to no avail.
5. Its fine to settle for another doctor because ours isn't on the list of participating physicians.
6. And NO, we don't want mental and substance abuse care to be covered by our insurance. I don't want to pay for something I never plan on using!
   

Frankly, I trust the insurance companies to continue putting the verbs in sentences with "health care" or "health insurance" like: increase, cancel, limit and exclude. Look where its gotten us so far? I fear what would happen if somebody else uses the word reform.

I am not about to look at the legislation options put forth by the house and senate. Its over a 1000 double space pages; too long and too boring for me to read. I don't care that in the first 40 pages, the legislation stipulates:

1. Guaranteed renewal
2. No exclusion because of pre-existing conditions
3. A competitive public insurance option offered by a cooperative of insurers
4. Tax credits for businesses offering insurance to their employees
5. Limiting the premium spread from highest to lowest to 2:1.
   
6. Stop the practice of duplicate and defensive tests
7. Standardize and automate claims processing and medical records management
8. Include mental health and substance abuse care
   
9. Provide fair competition
   
10. Provide uniform arbitration
11. Guarantee speedy processing and payment of claims

So what!?! After all, this is the same government that:

1. Prevented the collapse of our financial institutions
2. Saved America's automotive industry
3. And helped stop Polio.
   

I don't need to read my newspaper or Newsweek or Time. I get my news from Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity, Glen Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, John Stewart and Steven Colbert. They're the ones who broke the stories on:

1. socialized medicine
2. death panels
3. likening this legislation to a modern version of the Nazi's health care plan
4. Obama's US citizenship
   

Walter Cronkite can't hold a candle to these "journalists." Truly and verily, I trust the networks that also bring you reality TV.

That's why I follow the town hall meeting sound bites, and look at those concerned citizens, shouting their disapproval and shouting down differing viewpoints. I know they're right because I looked into their eyes and got a sense of their sincerity. And I too, will not write my congressman or senator, because I don't know who they are.

But if I did, I'd go to a town hall meeting so I could express my love of our health care system. I'd give my representative, and anybody else who cares look at me, the look... of a deer in the headlights ;^)