Checks and balances

I read the following excerpt in an email my medical university sent out last year. It had repeatedly pervaded my thoughts, and so thankfully today, I happened to come across it once more. Thoughts? Especially in regards to future health reform endeavors, current problems with "checks-and-balances" in government entities, and medicare/medicaid abuse, etc.

(Also-->see: http://fragmented-shilpagogna.blogspot.com/2009/12/sutton-robbed-banks-because-thats-where.html)

Futhermore, in my current Health Law classes at GW, I have come to understand more the evolution of the "no-duty" to treat principle, non-disparate treatment under EMTALA, and the civil rights law's pertinence to health care accessibility. I posed the question if it statistically significant, that health care professionals would treat a racial minority (with equal or less symptoms) before treating a non-minority patient (with equal or worse symptoms)? In terms of health care accessibility and usage of Medicare/aid, these racial minority groups tend to be African American. Since it is not entirely quantifiable, do you think it is the case that health care professionals end up violating such laws in the opposite direction, as to avoid a bad reputation?

"Dear Mr. President:
During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.


While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one pack of cigarettes every day, eats only at fast-food take-outs, and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer. And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture" a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.

Respectfully,
ROGER STARNER JONES, MD"