Me, Me, and Me- the Healthcare Rant

I don't like writing about myself. You may think, from the writings here, that I do, but I don't. I'm a private person. I don't even have a Face Book account anymore.

But I'm going to make a startling and very personal admission: I don't have any healthcare insurance.

And I haven't had any for the last five years.

Luckily, I haven't had any accidents. Knock on wood, as they say. I'm almost reluctant to say this, but my health is pretty good. I have untreated Type II diabetes and I remain about 50 pounds overweight, but aside from that I'm good.

But the diabetes and weight are time bombs. I know that one day they'll go off and I'll be screwed.

I've gone onto websites offering health coverage and applied to several carriers for the kind of insurance that has a $10,000- $50,000 deductible, but I was always turned down because of the diabetes. The pre- existing condition clause.

I can't get my diabetes medication without going to my doctor for a check- up and that would cost over $400.00, including the mandatory blood tests. And it's very difficult to think of myself as being worth $400, when I could spend it on someone else who really needs the money or what it can buy.

All of which brings us to Obamacare, or the Affordable Healthcare Act.

I had such high hopes. No pre- existing conditions, income based, affordable, keep your current physician, etc. I couldn't wait.

Now all I read about is the disastrous roll out. And that you can't get on it anyway. And that it's incomprehensible.

At first I thought this was all Republican sour grapes. It's not giving anything away to point out that the country has been divided politically since the current president was elected, but I had put that down to the old problem of racism in this country. Which, of course, remains rampant, whether you think it does or not. If you think that it's not, ask one of your black friends and I'm sure they will be happy to straighten you out.

As it turns out, the rollout is a disaster.

I'm no closer to healthcare than I was when I lost it five years ago. It was a great policy, by the way. I went for check- ups and wellness visits as often as I could.

I actually felt like a real grown-up for awhile there.

So, why is it a disaster? Why couldn't the government have hired the best and the brightest to handle the Health Care Act and the roll out?

I think I know the reason. Somehow,  in this age of information, we no longer know who the experts are, or even why we need experts. Instead of the most competent people guiding us though these incredibly complex matters, we have hired, or voted in, the most mediocre people.

Because we no longer appreciate the nuances of true expertise, we can't even tell the difference between excellence and mediocrity. in fact, I will go so far as to say that Americans are suspicious of intelligent people, and feel threatened by them.

Stupid people are running this country deep into the ground.

And how could they not? Most of the vast personal fortunes in this country that are not digitally based, such as Bill Gates, are inherited. And these heirs, although very good looking, like, say, Mitt Romney, have all the intelligence of inbred canines. They're like newts.

The spirit which created the fortune in the first place is gone, having been subsumed by private schools and Ivy League educations (which can be bought, in case you didn't know that), where the heirs cavort with each other in eating clubs set aside for these inbred morons.

Meanwhile I can't afford to have my diabetes treated, and I'll probably have to hack my leg off myself eventually, maybe with my fine Swiss Army knife (those things are amazing!), since I won't be able to afford to go to a doctor.

Luckily, unlike buying decent healthcare, it's not that hard or expensive to get some some heroin, so I'll at least be pain free when I do it.