Health Care and the Boomers

The big group that has not yet been discussed in this Heath Care debate is not “Grandma and Grandpa”; it’s the Baby Boomers, of which I am one.

My generation, this big lump of humanity flowing through the body politic, has transformed American society for the last half-century, or more, and we will continue to do so until we die – and when we die, we will transform the mortician industry.

Well, let me tell you something, since the Clinton era, I’ve been hearing about “Big Insurance” and Big Pharma” being spoken about as they were the dragons to be slain in search of “Health Care reform”. I have to say, I’m not so sure about that and never was.

I’m 56. In the last year, I’ve had some pretty serious health issues; I was treated by a “Big Hospital” corporation and “Big Insurance” picked up the tab - and the tab was enormous. I now take a myriad of medications that, keep me alive and productive. All of these medications were developed by “Big Pharma” and are being subsidized by “Big Insurance”. During this debate on Health Care, I have to ask myself how I would have fared under a government-run system.

In short, where would I be now, under the care of “Big Government”, better off or worse off?

Now, let’s take this one step further. We Boomers are aging and all of these health issues will only get worse. Sure, we’ve had our fun with the “Death Panels”, but seriously, when Boomers are in their 80s or 90s and are subject to a government system, how will the scarce resources be distributed?

By then, we will have likely bankrupted the Social Security system and we will likely come close to bankrupting a national health care system. So, will finite resources be expended to keep us alive, or will those resources be funneled to the “more productive”?

If you are younger, don’t contemplate that fate of the Boomers, contemplate your own fate; you’re next on the list.