Health Care - What's Going To Happen?

Gosh, I wish I knew.

I heard a story on the McNeil-Lehrer news hour tonight on the way home where senior citizens were being told that they all were going to be visited by representatives of the government to be asked how they wanted to die. Now, to me, this sounds like undiluted horsepoop for several reasons. First, how would the government have so many representatives to fulfill this task. Second, would the same rule that we have to abide by when talking to government representatives (ask three times and see if you get the same answer) apply in reverse? And third, it's just plain ridiculous.

One of the stories I've heard floating around is that you should get more input in how you want your long-term care to be managed if you have a terminal illness. If that's a true story, I think it's a good idea. Because I would want hospice care. My grandmother suffered a stroke in 2003, and when it was determined that she would not be getting any better, she was transferred to a hospice facility (this one was inside Baylor-All Saints Fort Worth) where she (and my family) received wonderful care during a very difficult time. It barely seemed like a hospital at all, and the nurses were there to make sure that not only was my grandmother able to face her final days with as little discomfort as possible, but that my family had the support necessary to deal with this impending loss. I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my days on life support.

At one time, I thought that socialized medicine would be the way to go, but now I don't think it's the best option. I've heard reports from other countries where government-run health care doesn't necessarily equal quality health care for all.

Can they identify why the health care costs keep rising here and why it is so hard for so many adults and families to afford even basic health care coverage? My brother, for instance, works full time at his job in retail. I'm not sure what he makes now, but I know it's a struggle for him sometimes, and retail jobs do not like you to work overtime. He is having to really look at the coverage offered and the costs involved to see if it's something he can afford, because the coverage is very expensive and would take a big chunk out of his hourly wage. Fortunately, Shane is only 36 and is healthy, but I know he wants to have some kind of health coverage. We all want him to do this. Part of the issue is that his company is not such a large employer that they can command such low benefits for their employees. Small businesses -- at least, the ones that offer benefits -- really struggle to provide this for their employees.

One of my Facebook friends posted some thoughts about letting the free market help contain costs. Sounds like an interesting idea. The power of choice is mighty. In today's economy, so many businesses are struggling because there's so much competition for the reduced amount of dollars floating around. Would insurance companies be fighting to hang on to their customer base? And for that matter, would doctors?