While at our family doctor today for my annual "preventative maintenance" session, I asked one of the nurses hooking up my EKG how she felt personally about the on-going health care debate in Congress and elsewhere. Her quick and emotional response was simply, "It needs to get fixed and fast!"
She told me the health care program she was under (Anthem) was costing her family over $1000 a month, and that "stinks" (her words). She knew I was retired military, and said, "We just want something like you have." She was referring to Medicare + Tricare for Life. She added, "People keep complaining about the government getting too involved in health care, what do they think Medicare is if not "government" already?"
I asked her about the other nurses in the office and she said they all pretty much agreed with her assessment. She said she felt my Doctor felt the same way, but admitted his partner did not. By the way, my Doctor NEVER discusses his personal opinions about anything, so I did not ask his views on the matter. When I came home afterwards I started thinking.
First, I suppose those of us "retired military" ought to be grateful for the military health care we've received in the past, and also happy with post-65 Medicare + Tricare for Life. These are benefits we earned and were entitled to by our service.
Second, the folks working in my doctor's office (and my family doctor himself) are "down home" people I have grown to know pretty well over the past seven years. They do their jobs well and professionally. As such, I respect their views very much. When they say "We ain't happy with the present health care system", then I have to take their views seriously.
