Please pardon my absence from the blog. I have been battling hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE). Not to worry though – it looks like I’m winning that battle. My stay at the Alpha Animal Hospital wasn’t all downtime from the campaign as it gave me some new insight into health care in America.
Like most dogs and many other Americans, I’m not covered by health insurance, and Dad does not have steady work yet (the down side of political appointments), which means cost was a concern. Now, I don’t think you should be taxed so I can be covered, but I noticed some cost-saving steps that could be incorporated into people medicine:
· After listening to the folks describe my symptoms and the onset of my illness, Dr. Segl gave them a detailed price estimate of the lab work, radiograms, IVs and care she thought I would need – before she did anything. The folks mentioned that my hips have been stiff lately, so she said she would make sure she got the hips in the picture when she shot the radiograms. An upfront estimate, two diagnoses for the price of one and no unnecessary referrals to specialists.
· Dr. Segl did everything in-house – no lab techs, radiologists, etc. That meant we got the results of my blood work within minutes, and treatment could begin immediately. And when the first radiogram suggested torsion, the vet talked to Dad and then did a few more radiograms to make sure that was not the problem. My health care wasn’t at the mercy of a lab tech’s or radiologist’s busy workload, and the folks approved any costs above the original estimate. Meanwhile, I was already starting to feel better. In-house, immediate, no third parties.
· To help keep costs down, Dr. Segl suggested the folks take me home for the night and then bring me back for observation the next day. That way, they wouldn’t have to pay for overnight care, and they rested better knowing I wasn’t alone in a strange place. Family care.
· Since vets aren’t sure what causes HGE – the best guess is that it’s viral – we discussed some lifestyle changes to try to prevent future episodes. That means no more eating snow or tracking deer. And for my arthritic hips, I have to get more exercise and take glucosamine. This is my responsibility – not the government’s. Lifestyle changes.
· Central to my health care was having a doctor who knew what she was doing and who would discuss options so we – not an HMO, insurance company or a government agency – could make an informed decision. Obviously, we needed to be able to trust our vet. Rhetoric may sound nice, but when it comes to my health care (or my government), I want people who know what they’re talking about. Record, not rhetoric.
I’m Joey, and I’m glad to be alive. And, yes, I’m still running for Congress.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Joey’s Take: Weathering the Storm
There’s nothing like bad weather to bring neighbors together. The elements have a way of reminding us that we’re all in this, so we smile as we break out the winter gear and join forces to push vehicles out of the ditch, shovel out the drives and pool resources to pay for a plow. When bad weather strikes, neighbors band together to come up with practical solutions that work for everyone.
Given the economic and security storms we’re weathering as a nation, our government officials could take a few pointers from the nieghborhood:
1. Be prepared. You can’t wait for the storm to hit before you even start thinking about how you’re going to handle it. That includes having a “rainy day” fund – not a deficit – so you can handle the unexpected expenses.
2. Don’t make your neighbors your enemies. I know, the president said pretty much the same thing last week when he met with congressional Republicans. But that’s not the advice he gave his fellow Democrats later in the week.
3. Work together – not at cross purposes. In other words, don’t pile your snow in your neighbor’s cleared drive. The sign of a true leader isn’t always being right – it’s being able to recognize and choose the right course when it’s presented. It’s also being able to change courses and admit you’re wrong when you see that what you’ve been doing is only making matters worse.
4. Experience helps, but everyone has something to offer – even the freshman members of the minority party. At least let them introduce their bills; they may have some ideas worth considering. I know our young neighbor kid is an asset to his family and the neighborhood. If it weren’t for his hard work and energy, our car would still be encased hood high in snow.
5. Sound bites don’t get the job done. And speaking of sound bites, the president got a lot of airplay when he told Republicans they need to be concerned about Americans’ jobs rather than their own jobs. My response? If ALL the people on Capitol Hill and the White House were doing their jobs instead of spending our money, the rest of us Americans wouldn’t have to worry about our jobs.
I’m Joey. I’m a dog. And I’m running for Congress.
Given the economic and security storms we’re weathering as a nation, our government officials could take a few pointers from the nieghborhood:
1. Be prepared. You can’t wait for the storm to hit before you even start thinking about how you’re going to handle it. That includes having a “rainy day” fund – not a deficit – so you can handle the unexpected expenses.
2. Don’t make your neighbors your enemies. I know, the president said pretty much the same thing last week when he met with congressional Republicans. But that’s not the advice he gave his fellow Democrats later in the week.
3. Work together – not at cross purposes. In other words, don’t pile your snow in your neighbor’s cleared drive. The sign of a true leader isn’t always being right – it’s being able to recognize and choose the right course when it’s presented. It’s also being able to change courses and admit you’re wrong when you see that what you’ve been doing is only making matters worse.
4. Experience helps, but everyone has something to offer – even the freshman members of the minority party. At least let them introduce their bills; they may have some ideas worth considering. I know our young neighbor kid is an asset to his family and the neighborhood. If it weren’t for his hard work and energy, our car would still be encased hood high in snow.
5. Sound bites don’t get the job done. And speaking of sound bites, the president got a lot of airplay when he told Republicans they need to be concerned about Americans’ jobs rather than their own jobs. My response? If ALL the people on Capitol Hill and the White House were doing their jobs instead of spending our money, the rest of us Americans wouldn’t have to worry about our jobs.
I’m Joey. I’m a dog. And I’m running for Congress.
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