Grandma says: Child, fix what is broken!
Some of my earliest memories alternate between living in the city of Chicago and living in the country in Oklahoma. By the time I was in the second grade we had made our last move from Chicago so that Grandma and Grandpa Pickett could have their only child, my father, and his family living close to them. As a very young child I recall riding the horse around in a circle. The horse was the motor for the equipment which created bales from the freshly cut hay. At least that is my memory. Later, as we children grew, we were given more responsibility on the farm. Although it was clear that the person power – even that of young children – was very useful, in my memory it is clear that our grandparents, especially the former Oklahoma territory teacher, Grandma Fannie’s, primary goal was to teach us the life lessons which would serve us throughout our life journey. These lessons were often the same one taught by our parents or my favorite aunt and uncle, but somehow when taught by the “schoolmarm” Grandma Fannie they stuck to my young brain more. Perhaps she had a mental version of the horse hoof glue which she used to attach these lesson to our young brains!
At any rate, one of the lessons which has been in the forefront of my mind lately is: “Child, fix what is broken.” This lesson had a double meaning. It might mean, “Quit attempting to use a broken piece of equipment. Take the time to fix it. Do not leave it broken for someone else to fix.” It also might mean, “Take the time to identify what is truly the problem and fix that rather than rushing and perhaps breaking what is not broken.” This schoolmarm lesson has been coming to mind when I read about the determination to fix The Affordable Care Act by repealing it and then, perhaps, gradually, introducing a replacement plan. There is no doubt in my mind that the plan is not working well for millions of people in the United States. Many have enormous deductibles and monthly premiums which are using a huge share of the monthly individual or family budget. Many more are covered by the program entitled Medicaid whose increasing cost must be shared in an ever increasing amount by states which simply do not have the money. Often making a decision about which insurance coverage is the best one would overwhelm and confuse even those with multiple graduate degrees. Then there is the donut hole, the profit driven pharmaceutical companies, and many other issues which have left many having to choose between paying for health care or paying for other basic needs for themselves and their families. Health care cost for citizens in the United States continues to be the highest of any so-called developed nation. There may be many reasons for this.
If we are going to adhere to Grandma Fannie’s advice, we would be well served to more clearly identify the problem or problems which need fixed. This might entail backing off from what is politically expedient and what might satisfy a certain group of people. We, as a nation, might have to first answer some basic questions such as:
· Is health care a basic right?
· What level of health care is a basic right?
· Does basic health care include mental health care, lifesaving drugs, and decent housing at all stages of the life journey?
· Can health care be profit driven and most effectively serve the needs of all the citizen?
· Do we really believe that all citizens are deserving of the same level of care or are some more important to the nation and more deserving?
· Do we want to continue to attempt to extend the life span of individuals who have no quality of life?
· Who determines the meaning of quality of life?
· Should medical school be paid for out of tax money as it is in many other countries?
· Should health care professionals make more money than school teachers or other professionals?
· Do we have anything to learn from countries who provide good health care for everyone – socialized medicine?
· Do physicians who make a lot more money than the average person have a more qualitative life? Have we studied correlation of salaries over $150,000.00 and mental health?
· Do we really believe that those who are good people are able to make the money to procure good health care?
· If we do not believe in planned parenthood services – education, contraceptives, and occasionally abortion- are we willing to provide quality care for all children?
· Is education a part of health care?
I am sure that there are many other questions which need to be articulated and seriously examined prior to making a decision to repeal the Affordable Care Act and enact a replacement plan. Surely these are questions which all of us or most of us can agree need to be addressed. To be sure, they are difficult questions which may challenge the core of who we think we are as a nation. Yet, Grandma Fannie would insist: “Fix what is broken. First decide what is broken.”
Written January 9, 2017
Some of my earliest memories alternate between living in the city of Chicago and living in the country in Oklahoma. By the time I was in the second grade we had made our last move from Chicago so that Grandma and Grandpa Pickett could have their only child, my father, and his family living close to them. As a very young child I recall riding the horse around in a circle. The horse was the motor for the equipment which created bales from the freshly cut hay. At least that is my memory. Later, as we children grew, we were given more responsibility on the farm. Although it was clear that the person power – even that of young children – was very useful, in my memory it is clear that our grandparents, especially the former Oklahoma territory teacher, Grandma Fannie’s, primary goal was to teach us the life lessons which would serve us throughout our life journey. These lessons were often the same one taught by our parents or my favorite aunt and uncle, but somehow when taught by the “schoolmarm” Grandma Fannie they stuck to my young brain more. Perhaps she had a mental version of the horse hoof glue which she used to attach these lesson to our young brains!
At any rate, one of the lessons which has been in the forefront of my mind lately is: “Child, fix what is broken.” This lesson had a double meaning. It might mean, “Quit attempting to use a broken piece of equipment. Take the time to fix it. Do not leave it broken for someone else to fix.” It also might mean, “Take the time to identify what is truly the problem and fix that rather than rushing and perhaps breaking what is not broken.” This schoolmarm lesson has been coming to mind when I read about the determination to fix The Affordable Care Act by repealing it and then, perhaps, gradually, introducing a replacement plan. There is no doubt in my mind that the plan is not working well for millions of people in the United States. Many have enormous deductibles and monthly premiums which are using a huge share of the monthly individual or family budget. Many more are covered by the program entitled Medicaid whose increasing cost must be shared in an ever increasing amount by states which simply do not have the money. Often making a decision about which insurance coverage is the best one would overwhelm and confuse even those with multiple graduate degrees. Then there is the donut hole, the profit driven pharmaceutical companies, and many other issues which have left many having to choose between paying for health care or paying for other basic needs for themselves and their families. Health care cost for citizens in the United States continues to be the highest of any so-called developed nation. There may be many reasons for this.
If we are going to adhere to Grandma Fannie’s advice, we would be well served to more clearly identify the problem or problems which need fixed. This might entail backing off from what is politically expedient and what might satisfy a certain group of people. We, as a nation, might have to first answer some basic questions such as:
· Is health care a basic right?
· What level of health care is a basic right?
· Does basic health care include mental health care, lifesaving drugs, and decent housing at all stages of the life journey?
· Can health care be profit driven and most effectively serve the needs of all the citizen?
· Do we really believe that all citizens are deserving of the same level of care or are some more important to the nation and more deserving?
· Do we want to continue to attempt to extend the life span of individuals who have no quality of life?
· Who determines the meaning of quality of life?
· Should medical school be paid for out of tax money as it is in many other countries?
· Should health care professionals make more money than school teachers or other professionals?
· Do we have anything to learn from countries who provide good health care for everyone – socialized medicine?
· Do physicians who make a lot more money than the average person have a more qualitative life? Have we studied correlation of salaries over $150,000.00 and mental health?
· Do we really believe that those who are good people are able to make the money to procure good health care?
· If we do not believe in planned parenthood services – education, contraceptives, and occasionally abortion- are we willing to provide quality care for all children?
· Is education a part of health care?
I am sure that there are many other questions which need to be articulated and seriously examined prior to making a decision to repeal the Affordable Care Act and enact a replacement plan. Surely these are questions which all of us or most of us can agree need to be addressed. To be sure, they are difficult questions which may challenge the core of who we think we are as a nation. Yet, Grandma Fannie would insist: “Fix what is broken. First decide what is broken.”
Written January 9, 2017
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