Of Rolls-Royces and Bicycles

Anyone listening to the health care debate might come to the conclusion that many members of Congress have the best interest of the American taxpayer at heart. These representatives of the masses claim they don't want to see the government intrude in the sacred bond we each have with our doctors. They are also, they tell us, acting as the diligent watchdogs of our tax dollars. The ladies and gentlemen of our Congress would like us all to be aware of their altruistic motives, their pure hearts, as many work overtime slowing change down to a crawl. In the meantime, we, the schlumpfs who pay taxes are providing them with some of the best health care available in this country today....the Rolls Royce of insurances.

These guardians of the public coffers have 75% of their health care premiums paid by us. In addition, they have doctors and nurses, x-ray technicians, and emergency health care providers on call at the Capitol at all times, in case anything should happen while they are working on our behalves. I don't know about you, but none of my past employers was ever able to provide those resources to me. If I had a fever, I might have to wait up to a week to get in to see my primary physician. If I fell down my steps, as I did last winter, I needed a relative to drive me to an emergency room, where I could wait hours to be seen, if more pressing emergencies have occurred.

In other words, I have normal health care in this country. These guys don't.

There are nearly 50 million adults in this country with no medical coverage, and many millions more behind them who have inadequate insurance. If they develop a fever, they just hope it isn't a strep infection or pneumonia. If they fall down a flight of stairs and split their heads open, they hope that those butterfly bandages they purchased can hold it all together so that they aren't scarred too badly.

Yet, our senators and representative, these "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" types, can piously sit on this important legislation and spout platitudes about their fears that the government will come between us and our doctors, when they are really keeping millions from seeing any physician at all. How many of those 50+ millions with no safety net would actually give a good damn about so-called interference, when they don't have the option of seeing any doctor at all?

On a recent visit to the oncologist my husband is seeing, I asked one of the clerks who helps us with our paperwork what happens to cancer patients who have no insurance. I know that the bills my husband has accumulated have been monstrous, over $150,000. Thank God, our insurance is very good and our costs have been minimal. But I wanted to know what happens to those with little insurance and those with no insurance. Does charity pay for them? She told me, in hushed tones, that it's pretty bad. There is limited charity available at hospitals, and treatment like ours probably couldn't happen. So, that would pretty much be a death sentence without good insurance. But hey, Congressmen, no hurry there.

I'll spare you my cynicism about all the fine representatives, the men and women who wear their religion on their sleeves every election cycle, yet don't seem to have an ounce of real charity and concern for the health of their constituents. What would Jesus do? I doubt that very many of them are asking themselves this very religious question. One of the insurance lobbyists might overhear.

I would, however, like to make a modest proposal. Let's all band together and write our representatives and ask them to opt out of the government health insurance coverage they now have. Ask, heck, let's demand that they do it. If health care similar to that which they and their families are receiving can't be available to all, then the fair thing for them all to do is settle for whatever health care coverage they can afford out of their own pockets.....the kind that most of us have. Seems fair to me. How many do you think would be willing to consider it?

My guess would be that if we tried to get them to discuss it, they'd all climb into their Rolls Royces and leave us there to peddle home on our bicycles....or walk.