End of Life Care: A Beautifully Written Essay We All Should Read

The raging health care reform debate seems to evoke the most angst when discussing end of life issues. Nothing I might write would be as thought provoking and personal as an essay contributed by local cardiologist Dr. Bruce Wilson that appeared in yesterday's edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

I urge you to read his piece at this link.

Is The Public Option Dead?

In a marathon session ending at 2:15 a.m. today, the Senate finished its markup of their health reform bill. Two amendments earlier in the week proposing a Public Option were defeated and while I couldn't possibly have reviewed the Senate Bill as of this posting, it would appear - at least in the Senate - there is not enough support for that to resurface.

Why is that? Well, I think these two clips from YouTube might shed some light on the subject. In the first, a Harvard Professor by the name of Jacob Hacker - who many consider the 'architect' of the Public Option - makes clear his 'strategy'; i.e. that the Public Option is just a stepping stone to a Single Payer System.

In the second clip, those who have bought in to Hacker's strategy, 'confess' their intentions.

So the real question becomes, do you support health care reform that incrementally leads us to a total government takeover - Single Payer - or not. Last night on Larry King live, Michael Moore proclaimed that the majority of Americans did indeed support Single Payer. Fact checks of such proclamations can often be found at a Pulitzer Prize winning site called PolitiFact . Apparently a growing majority of Americans actually fear further expansion of the government's role in their health care. And growing deficits.

It will be fascinating to see how the CBO 'scores' the new Senate Bill. Things are about to get interesting!

Conspicuous By Their Absence

The most recent U.S. News & World Report on America's Best Hospitals ranks the top 25 hospitals in sixteen different categories. Not one hospital in southeastern Wisconsin - not one - makes the grade!

So, if I need anything other than the most routine care, should I be looking to go out of state? And if I do, are the most highly rated facilities considered "In Network" by my health insurer? With so many people considering year end 'Open Enrollment' health plan options, this might be a very oportune time to do a little home work.