Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issue
 

A letter to the Editor in Jackson, MS

Dear Sirs:

During my last night's shift in the ER, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient with a shiny new gold tooth, multiple elaborate tattoos, a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and a new cellular telephone equipped with her favorite R&B tune for a ringtone. Glancing over the chart, one could not help noticing her payer status: Medicaid.

She smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and, somehow, still has money to buy beer.

And our Congress expects me to pay for this woman's health care? Our nation's health care crisis is not a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses.

It is a crisis of culture — a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance.

A culture that thinks "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me".

Life is really not that hard. Most of us reap what we sow.

Don't you agree?

STARNER JONES, MD
Jackson , MS

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

There are so many people for which the above is not the case, who would be helped tremendously for a healthcare overhaul.

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

You're breaking my heart. On my business route I have to drive by the WICK office. Sometimes it is diffecult to get around the late model Jags (I can't afford one) and the Cadillac Escalade double parked in the street with their sterios blaring, while the lazy jerk sits behind the wheel waiting for the woman (possibly not his wife) goes in to collect the coupons for the groceries I paid for. Then I stand behind someone in line while they buy junk food with food stamps. I wouldn't be afraid to guess that they have big screen TV's in their living room. Yes there are many who need help but too many take advantage of the system. That is why we are in the condition we are in. My wife spent a lot of time in the hospital before she passed away. She almost always had a nut case in the room with her. We asked why and one of the nurses said they were in there because they didn't have insurance and we did and that helped to cover the expenses of the room.

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

I realize there are real needs, but how do you sift through the ones that abuse it to get to those?

We needs a healer!

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

It isn't Obama!!:foottap

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

Definitely puts things in perspective, just seems like a total disregard for what is being handed to her, many times people do not respect what they get for free.

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

I worked in a grocery store for seven years. I could almost always tell which customers were paying with food stamps by what they bought. The exceptions were those who were only on them for a short period of time. The vast majority of those on welfare were purchasing multiple boxes of mostly sugar cereal, cookies, chips, soda, microwave dinners, etc. It is not like they don't have time to cook a real meal while they sit at home watching TV.

Then to top it off they usually had some non food items, beer and magazines and needed me to get them a carton of cigarettes.

Welfare isn't a safety net, it is a way for lazy people to live.

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

I too worked in a Grocery Store for a short period and was always amazed at the Clothing and purses and cars these folks drove...

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

When my wife(now deceased) was 4 years old her dad died at the age of 35 leaving seven children and one on the way. The family had help from the state or county until the two oldest girls got a job and supported the family. Seven of the eight became successful in life. The eighth child was disabled. My wife was always a little ashamed because the family needed help for a short time. These were the people that the system was meant to help not those who stay on it for generation after generation.

Re: Wraps Up How I Feel About the Health Care Issu
 

Correct.

It needs a major overhauling!