The headline in the Huffington Post reads, "Giffords' Doctors Adjusting To Role As Rock Stars." Quite so. Drs. Peter Rhee and Michael Lemole are, indeed, heroes.
So why is it that nobody thinks of health insurers, public and private, as "rock stars." And the answer, of course, is that health insurance is not heroic. Medicine that heals is heroic, while finance that pays the bills is necessary, but something less than heroic. Sort of makes you wonder why politicians would put so much emphasis on healthcare finance.
As argued at National Review Online earlier this week, Serious Medicine is simply more important--to Gabrielle Giffords, and to all us--than insurance.
This was an excellent point Jim and I will tell you one reason of many. I was watching the striken Congresswoman surrounded by countless MD's and neuro surgeons and it was astounding how much attention and treatment she was getting. I turned to my wife and said, if Obama care gets to be a reality, will regular or poor folks get this?
ReplyDeleteGive me health care over health insurance!
ReplyDeleteAgreed that doctors can be heroes. My oncologist saved my life! However, my insurance company blocked a drug he recommended which saved me a lot more kidney/liver damage I would have experienced. Thank you Dr. Pascuzzo and HealthComp administrators for Blue Shield of California!!!
ReplyDelete