Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from Diane, Arnie, our 17 year old cat, and me, one of his staff.

Legalize Medical Marijuana

It is time to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. As one who is recovering from several surgeries, and the accompanying pain that goes with them, marijuana should be available for pain relief under doctor's supervision.

For years, doctors were stingy with the amount of pain medication given in the hospital and later at home. That seems to be changing, in recent years, painkillers are much more liberally administered to those who need them. Good pain management is proven to speed up the healing process.

Although I am not a marijuana user, I've read reports that people with certain types of cancers and other types of debilitating diseases find pain and anti-nausea relief when smoking marijuana. If we could devise a low cost way to deliver it to appropriate patients through prescription from a doctor, and purchased from a legal outlet, like a pharmacy, I am all in favor of it. Users would have to obey the existing traffic laws and would not be able to resell it to family and friends.

Many of the current drugs we take come from plants. In this case, you would get the relief directly from the plant itself, rather than in pill or liquid form.

If you agree with this point of view, contact your Wisconsin legislator.
They are currently discussing this issue.

Alan

A Private Sector Response to Health Care Reform

I have had several dozen responses to my recent blog: A 12-Point Program for Health Care Reform. It pleases me to say that almost all were positive and appealed to the readers's common sense. Since it was written, I've benefitted from many articles, broadcast reports, personal conversations. I also learned more about the thinking in Congress at a meeting of the Milwaukee Press Club, of which I am a member, featuring Rep. Gwen Moore (D), and Rep. Paul Ryan (R). Although miles apart on this issue, I was struck by how collegial these two members of Congress were to each other.

Since I began thinking about this issue several years ago, I never thought government control was the answer. I travel to Canada several times a year, and have never met a Canadian, liberal or conservative, who had anything good to say about their national health plan, or the outrageous taxes assessed to pay for it

I am still optimistic reforms must, can and will take place in the private sector. Have you ever seen the folks in "fly over country" so riled about any one issue before?

Congressman Ryan thinks there are many best practices in the private sector that need closer scrutiny and incorporation into our current reform efforts, and so do I. I agree with him that the Swiss model has merit and should be looked into more closely.

The first positive part of the Swiss plan is it is all private sector and covers 99% of the Swiss population, including the indigent. Second,
their system has good outcomes and is only 11% of the country's Gross National Product (GNP), as opposed to 17-18% or ours. Third, 87 private insurance comapnies compete for the Swiss to purchase their offerings. (Currentlywe have to purchase our insurance in the state where we reside, and often have a handful of offerings). They really keep a close eye on provider charges, and pressure them to reduce excesses in their systems. Quality of care is high, as well is patient satisfaction. Fourth, they top the profits of each health insurer at 5%. This eliminates many industry excesses.

Before we turn over our health care system to the same people who ran the "Cash for Clunkers" program so well, and who are on the verge of bankrupting Medicare and Medicaid, I think we need another push to have the private sector take the appropriate response, or we just may end up like Canada or England, hating our health care system.

Alan L. Gaudynski