The Slavery of Healthcare

What if you could take a chance and start your own business? Or be a consultant... or take a few months off for a break from working?

You might be able to but not if you have kids. Not if you have any type of health issue.

The current health system in the USA is squeezing innovation out of our economy. It increases risk related to venturing out and doing new things.

This is because you are afraid of losing your health care and all the negative impacts that could have on you and your family.

It reminds me of the Pink Floyd bricks in the wall music video... we have become slaves to this system.

I am just returning from a trip to Canada. I was greeted in the office with many friendly faces and it turned out that it was the day that people were getting flu shots at the office.

I thought that it was good timing because I sometimes have trouble making it to our flu shot sessions at work... so I got in line.

The process was quick and at the end I pulled out my wallet to pay the standard $30.

I got a strange look from the nurse... "no no sir, it is free".

This to me seems like the way it should be. Health care needs to be a public responsibility like roads, schools, police and fire fighting. Why should there be so much PROFIT in the American system.

Take out the profit and the cost goes down and more benefits can be provided.

Later on my trip I went to the local Real Canadian Super Store... right inside is a medical clinic. This seemed convenient. It was a busy place and there was a wait but again I thought that this seemed like the way it should be.

I took an evening trip to Niagra Falls and the major news story on the radio was about where a new clinic was being build in Ottawa. I wish we took our health care so seriously; that it was on the front burner rather than something only rarely talked about.

I am a creative person, a go getter and if I was not enslaved to corporate health care I would like nothing better to start my own business consultancy. With 4 kids and some special medical needs that is impossible. It is sad that in a country that prides itself on innovation that we have become trapped by the health care corporate barons and the politicians that support them.

From now on, when someone says beware of "socialized medicine" I am going to challenge the notion that this is a bad thing. We have "socialized" police and fire departments and that seems to work pretty good. I vote for socialized medicine... it certainly can not cost more then the lost innovation and real dollars taken out of my check every payday.