So I found an article in which President Obama unsurprisingly defends Mexico against claims they are acting in a heavy handed manner in their crack down on drugs.  This is the country that raided a Catholic church during mass in order to arrest 33 people they thought might be members of La Familia Michoacana.  So why would the President of the United States defend Mexico, and President Felipe Calderon against the observation that they have gone too far?  I don’t know why, but it doesn’t suprise me in the least that he is unconcerned with the desecration of a Catholic Church.

The health care debate amuses me.  It amuses me that we are arguing over our government taking over health care coverage for the poor, imitating Frances failing medical coverage all while ignoring the real problem.  And it seems to me the majority of the arguments completely ignore the actual problem with our current health care.  The “Solution” is to subsidize health insurance, to allow the poor to pay for overpriced medication, unnecessary tests, and excessive malpractice insurance fees.  We should bring down the costs of obtaining medical treatment, not increase the demand for overpriced pills. 

I’m betting if we investigated the firms that sell the medicine used today, we would find that many of them are gouging the public.  I cannot fathom how a medicine can possibly cost hundreds of dollars for 30 pills that are smaller than a pea.  I understand there is research, and doctors don’t come cheap, but there is no way that type of cost is justified.  The companies need to take a longer term view, and reduce their costs.  In the long run they are going to make their money.

The fact that we end up paying such high malpractice insurance costs, (and face it, the patients are the ones who pay that) is because people sue for monetary damages for mistakes.  Are there cases the Dr. should be punished, absolutely.  I wouldn’t argue that a Dr. who loses a patient (or even one who doesn’t lose a patient) while operating under the influence of Alcohol should be sent to jail.  That is just negligent.  But suits in which people get a million dollars because of an honest mistake only hurts every other patient as well.  I’m not the only one who appears to feel this way.

The other part of this is the fact that doctors get paid by the insurance companies for each test they perform.  I have lost the link to this, but will try to find it again.  Basically, it pays for the doctor to have extra tests done as the insurance company will reimburse them for it.  To the Doctor, it is free money.  To the insurance company, it is an added cost to pass along to us.  For us, it is another round of vein drain. 

The big problem is greed. As the United Conference of Catholic Bishops recently stated, businesses need to act morally if we are to get out of our current global financial situation.  This goes for Doctors also.  I’m not suggesting that all doctors are greedy, but too many of them are.

Ok, I’ll get off this box now.  :O)