On The Failure of Healthcare Services Delivery in the USA

Why do I like to get myself involved in continuing the present dialogues people out there have about this topic? It's mainly because I'm involve in it, on a parttime basis, whenever I do a weekend job as a homehealth aide to a retired lawyer, currently. I'm involved in the healthcare of a single person together with other individuals so that someone would continue to live a quality life. I gather important lessons in the process. And I do hope each one of us who have been left here by those of our beloveds who have passed on, will have and lead quality lives even when we grow older, less healthier than we are as compared when we were younger and more healthier. These are the points that are being missed out and not highlighted in the discussions on healthcare practices, I gather.

(Bear with me as I continue with my grumbles on this turning-out-to-be disgusting topic on hand....)

And I happened to have many business partners (in my Market America / Shop.com online distribution business) whom I've always heard talking about their frustrations over the continuing failure of healthcare delivery services in their area. They're nurses, physical therapists, medical doctors, pharmacists, among other professionals involved in the system. They've always complained about people whom they have known to have been rigging the system, and taking advantage of the loopholes, which highlight the failure of providing the utmost care required by the patient. It seems to me that their main concern is highlighted by the fact that the healthcare delivery system is heavily focused on curative, rather than what is, most importantly, the preventive. And of course, as everyone knows, it's a very costly, complicated system to find oneself in if one is sick, which situation attracts a lot of businesses and entrepreneurs who would like to have a slice of the pie, which further makes it more expensive. 

Actually, I dread being in hospitals myself. Not because I know I have greater chances of getting sick when I visit a hospital, which is generally a fact (it's basically dangerous being in a hospital, come to think of it, which healthcare professionals won't, like most people tend to believe, tell you or even admit to you----I know this fact, basically because I've a Mom who's a retired nurse who has told us, her children, many times about it). 

Have you also noticed that people who are brought to hospitals tend to become more sick than they originally were? You may have to exclude those whom you know have got well after being hospitalized----these are, most probably, those who have been into accidents and planned surgeries. But because I know from personal experiences and regular contacts with people who are involved in the delivery of health care services, and based on their experiences, I'm petrified to say that people who work in providing healthcare services are basically in the practice just for the money, which is a very poor way of  measuring success, accomplishment or personal fulfillment in a field as fragile and important as 'health.' Healthcare is far more complicated an issue to be just reduced to monetary figures. And the sooner all of us understand this, we'll get to overcome our biases over the delivery of healthcare services.

First, healthcare is actually an individual responsibility, which is very difficult to make people to recognize and practice as long as they're alive. We all get lazy, complacent, fail to do daily physical exercises, eat bad foods consistently, tired, distressed over taking charge of our individual states of health, sooner or later. And accidents happen all the time and unexpectedly, which insurance companies and most people involved in the business take advantage in casting fear to so many people, so that they can market successfully healthcare products and services. Nothing bad in that, really. Sooner or later, someone will offer such services if you decide you won't get into it yourself. Failure to do so will actually deprive you a very good source of income, which comes from a job that won't easily be taken away from you because such a job is very difficult to be repackaged and moved abroad.

Second, healthcare is also a group undertaking. So many people are involved in its delivery, other than yourself. You need all the help you can get when it comes to the delivery of healthcare services. The delivery should not be subjected in any way to limits, and it should not be elitist in its approach. Each one is very important in the delivery of healthcare. In fact, the best strategy in receiving good health services is to start studying and facing your own demons about your health. You'll need to know the most accurate information about your health. And you'll have to identify those people who will help you get the best care, treatment, attention at the most affordable costs, possible. Have a ready list of people you can relate to very well when it comes to your health issues---it's very similar to the idea of having real estate sales people as among your friends. As such, you'll always be on the loop when it comes to valuable help and information on health issues, with other identified members of your health care team.

Third, healthcare services are inherently very expensive to deliver, which is a fact I must have mentioned somewhere here. This starts from the very costly education of medical professionals, most especially medical doctors. Patients pay very dearly for experience, which is a known measurement for them to have trust on their healthcare service providers. And the continuing efforts to use to technology in the delivery of the many areas of healthcare services would mean more costs. Companies involved in developing these technologies would like to earn from their investments and sunken costs made in research and development. 

Fourth, we seldom hear about inputs from the other members of teams who are involved in the delivery of health care services. Other than the medical doctors, you seldom hear loud voices from the nurses, the pharmacists, the physical therapists, and other practitioners. We haven't really figured out why would they like to continue doing their work, given all these changes happening in the processes of health care delivery. You get a sense that every step of the process have just been viewed upon in the perspectives of legislators, analysts, business people, and the like.

So what exactly is my point behind this very long posting?  Don't leave these healthcare issues to the care of others. You have to be on the lookout for these issues yourself, as you have your own body, mind, spirit to take care of everyday as long as you're still around. And each one person has to pitch in any kind of service related to healthcare delivery, other than just paying premiums to be covered for something like an insurance. You just don't cover for insurance services like healthcare; it simply won't work in the long run. It's your business to keep yourself healthy by being always on the lookout for yourself. In so many words, in your efforts to take care of others, you have to take very good care of yourself first. You simply can't deliver something that you're failing to provide yourself first.

Also, can't each one of us deliver a healthcare related service for someone at least 5 hours a week, for example? This can start with companionship, the act of being around, engaging in conversation, providing direct help to someone who needs care among our wider network (not only our core families). If some of us can do such services for pets, we can probably do such things for human beings, too.