A change of direction with my blog.

The economy is hurting. I am sure it has affected you. I know it has affected me.
My intentions when starting this blog was to share health care information specifically regarding the foot and ankle. I will continue to do this. But I feel that it is important that information be shared regarding health care as it impacts us as end users (patients/insureds (remember I am an end user as well)) and providers (hospitals and physicians).
Our health care system is still very good, but in many respects, is no longer the best in the world. Our health care system is broken. Badly broken. But, it can be fixed. It will require an effort on all of our parts. But remember it starts with you (I am also pointing a finger at myself).
Insurance was never designed to be "all inclusive." Insurance started back in the middle ages originally insuring ships as they went to sea. But it is important to remember, the insured shared a good bit of the risk. Insurance then started covering homes, lives, cars, boats and yes... our health. But we have gone from a "fee for service" environment to a complicated Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) environment where people feel that everything should be paid for.
Another term that bothers me is entitlement. "I am entitled to health care." The dictionary defines entitle as "to furnish with a right or claim to something." I agree... we are entitled to access health care, but not to have health care provided for us. If that is the case, then I should be entitled to... a free home, free meals, free car and gasoline, free clothes, free... you get the point. Somewhere during my soon to be 55 years of existence, America has become a nation of "I am entitled to..." We no longer want to assume responsibility for most anything.
I know that this is not everyone, but it is a lot of people. I am in hopes that with this blog/forum I can continue to inform you about various health issues regarding our bodies as well as issues regarding our American health care system.