On Friday, I caught Chris Rock on Bill Maher’s show. And he had a message for all the Tea Partiers out there: If you only knew.
The two comedians were discussing health care, when Rock recalled visiting the hospital with his dad back in the day, and then more recently with his mom. At 22, Rock said, he was broke and not in a position to financially help his sick father. Consequently, his dad went to a third-rate hospital for a ruptured ulcer and died days later.
Fast-forward almost two decades, and a much richer Rock stops by to see his mom only to wonder if he stumbled upon a hotel rather than a hospital. There was a “concierge in the lobby,” Rock quipped, before noting “if the average person knew the discrepancies in health care, there would be riots in the street.”
He ain’t lying. When you get a taste of what good health insurance can get you, you realize how much of an advantage the have-mores actually have.
For the last two years, I’ve been being treated at one of the best cancer centers in the country, and I’m still shocked at the level of care. Like Chris Rock said, it’s like getting an upgrade to first class.
Last week, for example, I had an appointment with my chemotherapist. We talked about the results from my latest blood test, which had spiked in recent weeks but then subsided. I told her it was likely caused by stress, and she suggested that I talk to a shrink.
“This can be a lot to deal with,” she said. Maybe she was right, I thought. So I agreed to talk to a therapist on the spot.
An hour later, I’m getting my juice in the chemo suite when the phone rings. And guess who’s on the other end? That’s right, the therapist’s office.
In the 60 or so minutes that it took for me to see my doctor and then wait for my meds to get mixed in the pharmacy, my doctor told her assistant to contact the therapist’s assistant, who contact me. And there I was on the phone, with calendar in hand, coordinating schedules.
The kind voice on the other end told me that my doctor was worried about me and that she wanted me to talk to someone who could help. Talk about thorough. I felt like I was in that scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and crew are getting pampered before going to see the Wizard. Remember all the dedicated attendants? Several were curling the Lion’s hair, while others were combing Toto’s fur. And still others were buffing the Tin Man’s armor? It was like an assembly line of excellent service.
That’s what the right coverage can offer: a close network of people providing first-rate care. It sure is a beautiful thing.
Unfortunately, though, so many middle- and working-class Americans will never know what that’s like. If they could just get a taste, it would change they way they view health care forever.
And this access, or lack of, is what’s so perplexing about the Tea Partiers. Many of them are among the 38 million uninsured and underinsured in this country, but they are the most anti-health-care-reform people around.
And all they have to do is look inward to see the health care contradiction at its most absurd. The lawmakers that the Tea Partiers support have the kind of insurance that gives them access to top-tier treatment centers like mine. The voters who got them elected, however, don’t fare so well.
For the life of me, I can’t comprehend their reasoning or their anger. They were rioting in the streets all right. Only they didn’t know they were mad about the wrong damn thing.
Great post! I howled when I saw that clip the other night. Why is something so simple and basic so hard?!
You know my strong position against the Republican Tea Party Hatriots.
We were told that our son was having some ‘issues’ with his heart before he was born. When he was born he wasn’t breathing. (This was a few mins before I emailed you to say he’s here.) Today at 4 months our son is said to have a heart murmur that he is believed he’ll grow out of. But looking at him you wouldn’t know it. He is a very healthy eater and is developing fast. If we didn’t have good health insurance there is no telling what life would be for us. Theres more, but I am glad you are ok.
It’s sad but we live in a world of haves and have nots; and we all seem to accept this. The more money you have the better your healthcare will be. That is terrible and the Obama bill does nothing to fix that. Look at the very poor who have government healthcare like medicaid. They aren’t getting therapist, a concierge or the best that modern medicine can offer. On the contrary, they get the worse doctors; the ones that misdiagnose and have very little concern about their patients. I grew up on welfare in extreme poverty and medicaid offices were horrendous. Do you really believe this bill will give the commoner the level of healthcare a Chris Rock has. The issue is class-ism. This is a millionaires bill that takes care of the healthcare corporate interest.
Dre, I don’t think health care reform will fix everything. Far from it. I’m simply saying that the people who are against health care reform of any kind are the ones who don’t even have insurance to begin with (many of them anyway). And Obama’s plan definitely disappoints (no public option, no universal care), but at least it’s a step in the right direction, a way to get the nation talking about how we think about coverage. It’s simply not enough that many of us (me included) just luck out regarding insurance. Lord knows where I would be if I didn’t have any. Probably trying to get some coverage for freelancers and getting denied for my pre-existing condition. So, this is the first step of many that I hope our nation will take in search of health care democracy. Maybe somebody like Chris Rock can serve as a catalyst.
Excellent! You are so right. The tea party group protesters are a small group. They get a lot of media attention because they make a lot of noise. The sad thing is what you pointed out. They are some of the very people who need health care insurance. These are not white collar professional people out there protesting. The real issue with this MONEY. A lot of the GOP members have interests (investments/seated on boards) in insurance companies and don’t want nobody messing with their money.
Like many others, I don’t understand the strong & violent protest from the public—those who would benefit from a revised healthcare plan. It’s sad how the most ignorant are usually the loudest detractors and the ones who resort to the basest of behavior. They are manipulated by the few who hold dear the status quo. And, I’m amazed that the health issue has become a racial issue. Again, a smoke screen created by the conservative Republicans and Democrats via the media to protect their own interests and the interests of the insurance companies and pharmaceutical conglomerates. Nothing scares these people more than believing that those people—the blacks, Hispanics, and illegal immigrants—are taking away their American rights.
Yes, I agree that these initial stages in health care reform are not the answer to fixing what’s wrong in this society or level out the disparities between the haves and have nots. However, baby steps are needed before we can run.
Again you’ve outdone yourself. GOOD OBSERVATION.
Chana as usual you knocked this one out of the park!!!
I’ve been to a public hospital four times in the last month with a friend who has Medicaid. Dre’s right, it’s nowhere near concierge service. It looked more like jury duty or Ellis Island — “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.” BUT it’s a whole lot better than having no insurance. We were able to get adequate emergency care, follow-ups, and diagnostic tests. This bill may not be the end-all, be-all of fixes, but we gotta start getting everyone to at least a basic level of care.
I agree. We have to start somewhere.
Great post, Chana.
Thanks for taking us behind the wizard’s curtain and showing us the differences in medical care.
I just found you and your blog through Body+Soul, and I really like your writing. So many good points and inspiring attitude towards life. I’ll stop by again for sure. Have a wonderful week, Chana!
It’s amazing that people are up-in-arms against better healthcare. It reminds me of the people who protested against making Martin Luther King’s Birthday a holiday even though it meant an extra day off with pay for most people.
Sometimes our party affiliations (or bigotry and hatred) can allow us to be easily manipulated into opposing changes that are clearly in our own best interest.
Keep on shining your light gyrl!