I’m talking about the Health Care system.  And, I would think that since most of you reading this blog are also self-employed, you’d feel about the same way.

I don’t often use this blog as a soapbox, but I’m making an exception today. 

I have about had it with our exalted elected officials and the Health Care Reform issue. 

The cost for my health care coverage has risen 168% over the last five years.  And, to keep a lid on the costs rising even more than that ridiculous amount, I’ve raised the deductible each year, and it is currently at an almost idiotic level.

When the pundits say that they’ve taken a poll and that the majority of people in the U.S. are happy with their health care coverage, I have to wonder who they are asking.  I’ll wager they’re not asking people with individual policies or people who can’t afford insurance.  So, the first thing all our leaders need to understand is that the health care system is broken.  Really.  Notwithstanding any of those silly polls you take that can be interpreted however you want them to come out.

And, what’s all the panic about a government option?  The Congress uses it.  I’ve heard officials say that it will move us toward a single payer system.  Is that their heads talking or the special interest groups? 

As far as I’m concerned, the result of a government option would be some real competition in the industry.  And, I’ll wager prices would come down.  And, besides that, think about the fact that not everyone who is eligible for Medicare uses it.  Many people have other alternatives – some sign up for Medicare supplement policies.  So, if Medicare hasn’t resulted in a single payer system for seniors, why should we think that every American will decide to use the government option?  It’s just silly.

Sillier still is all the panic about the proposed plans.  Who came up with the theory that there was something floating around that would pull the plug on Grandma?  Scare tactics.  One senator on a news show cited 2 or 3 things that the legislation might contain (but probably didn’t), and if you took those things – and twisted them beyond recognition and then stirred them back together - you’d end up with someone pulling the plug on Grandma.  And, the senator said that his constituency was scared.  Good grief.  Talk about mob mentality.  What have these people seen in the fabric of this country that would lead them to believe we’d suddenly start killing off old people???

A few years ago, Blue Cross and the only hospital in the “Southern Crescent” of Atlanta where I was living, got into a big fight.  Blue Cross decided that they would remove the hospital from their provider lists.  The hospital said that was OK with them.  It was a lot like two little kids facing off in the school yard.

I wrote more than one missive to the heads of both organizations, with this message:  I don’t care who did what to whom.  I don’t care who is being unreasonable, or who won’t compromise.  The bottom line is that neither of you can meet your burden to serve the public by continuing this disagreement to the point where you eliminate your agreements to work together.  You’re both highly educated, capable people, and you can find a resolution to this – you just have to decide you want to.

So, I now say the same thing to our elected officials in Washington.  The health care system is broken.  I don’t care if the Republicans think the Democrats are being bratty, or the other way around.  You all have a duty to the people who elected you to use your brains and common sense to finally find a way to fix this problem.

I expect you to work together until you come up with something reasonable in a reasonable timeframe. 

Blue Cross and the hospital I cited earlier ”suddenly” found a compromise position, and lo and behold, there was no interruption of care in the Southern Crescent. 

I just pray our elected officials can pull themselves together and be as successful.