Holiday Health Care

National health care, that is what Americans need,
NO! vested interests said, rationing will come,
We won’t be able to get the extra labs we love,
Planned delivery in our health system indeed.

Better to have legions showing up at the ER
Without insurance or basic primary care,
How much longer must the poor and vulnerable wait,
Until Medicaid funding is no longer there?

Health care is a business claimed the suppliers,
What would we do if we lose some of our buyers?
Better risk management of course, that’s what we need,
Excluding high-risk cases said company greed,

Drug distributors are worried about their pipeline,
New dependencies to create for the consumer,
Sure to fuss over medication change rumors,
Reduced supply increase the consumer whine,

Everything available to everyone does not work,
When we ought to give the right treatments without shirk.
Pass through taxes from under funding payers,
Paying much higher premiums for unfunded care,

Let’s continue to spend twenty-five percent more
For health than any other country without fail,
How much longer can this health system sustain?
Talk of health care system change makes everyone sore,

American care is already bursting at the seams,
Diabetes, mental health, and other diseases
Often unmanaged, left to patient devices,
Emergency care only for greatest extremes,

Consequences to the consumer community,
Poorer health outcomes and higher long term costs,
How apropos for the land of great excesses,
Making sense of spending and health disparity,

Health care subject to economic utility,
Little help without access to a facility.

We can get more value for our health care dollar,
But more of you are going to have to holler,
To our legislators to bring relief in sight.
Wishing Health care for all and to all a good night!






This verse was written by Roberta Winter, MHA, MPA
December 22, 2007