Ed. Note: Rose Wei submitted this entry for our 2009 Healthcare Blogathon. Prizes include $150 in cash, free tickets to our Annual Gala, and more.  Send in your entries by Sept. 25! Like in the Oscars, You the Reader will then get to choose the winners.  More details to come.

Concerns of  a Young Adult

At 5:30 A.M., Grandma feebly shuffles from bed and proceeds to painfully swallow, one at a time, a stack of colorful pills from her weekly dispenser. Because her stomach reacts to anything too cold, or han qi, she washes every pill down with only hot water, and only then, when her internal body feels sufficiently warm, does she undress to apply a layer of medical ointments onto her wrinkly skin. Thus begins the complex medicating routine of my grandmother, who raised me in China until my parents in America were financially ready to receive me. However, the ointments and pills that she relies so heavily upon also incurred exorbitant costs. Due to her aging, deteriorating health, we begged her to immigrate to the US, but little did we know, America’s advanced medical treatments also encompass thick strings attached: unaffordable healthcare.

Although Obamacare promises to resolve all that, I wonder if universal healthcare will upset health practitioners, who will soon be, if not already, overwhelmed with an increasing patient population on top of a prospective salary decrease and more paperwork. But as an aspiring physician, I reevaluated and reflected upon my motivation toward the profession and realized that it truly lies upon my passion to help others, because certainly no amount of money, job-security, or prestige will compensate for the stressful and demanding lifestyle of a law-suit-prone career. In fact, isn’t that why medical schools interview students to assess this very dedication? To make sure it’s not our so-called ‘Asian’ parents who pushed us into this study, but rather our ambition to serve societies larger than ourselves? Thus, universal healthcare lies parallel with my goals; the sacrifice is small, and everyone else will also be sacrificing in taxes for a greater good. You never know when you may just lose your job or suffer a motor vehicle accident where others will be paying for your health needs.

“Still, I don’t want to pay for those who perpetually lead unhealthy lifestyles. It’s their fault they’re sick,” you might say. But it’s a poor argument, because certainly no one intends to subject himself to constant sickness. Most likely, they lack the education to make healthy choices, which is why we rely on our health practitioners to fulfill their role.

“And, how would you know if practitioners will provide quality treatment? With universal healthcare, multiple relapses are in the health practitioner’s favor, because they’ll be paid regardless.” But universal healthcare relies on the fact that statistics will be open to the public. Citizens can see and critique provider’s pay rate, which is not only determined by the diagnoses, the procedure, or the physician/patient demographics, but also by the provider’s treatment quality, as indicated by patient ratings or even relapses. Thus, providers certainly won’t let their reputation be tarnished by patients who abuse the system due to failure to adhere to treatments plans. In fact, I see that providers will be more likely to refuse these patients if they continue their negligence.

– Rose Wei

Posted by Richard Chen on Sunday, September 13th, 2009 at 8:08 am.