In yesterday’s edition of the WSJ, Jonathan Kellerman, a noted author and clinical psychologist wrote an opinion piece entitled the “Health Insurance Mafia.”

I thought this article was somewhat simplistic but all the same interesting because it shows a way out of the Healthcare mess. It points to the fact that the route out of all this might be through Health Savings Accounts.

Please click here to read this article.

jnkdg

Many years ago in high school, I had to read and memorize the sonnet below by John Donne. It just seems to fit the circumstances…

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so ;
For those, whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy picture[s] be,
Much pleasure, then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou’rt slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better than thy stroke ; why swell’st thou then ?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And Death shall be no more ; Death, thou shalt die.

My dad’s sense of integrity and fairness was exemplary.

He worked all his life for a pharmaceutical company as Head Pharmacist. At one point, the company needed some printing work done. He vetted the printing companies out there and settled on on owned by an elder in our church. This elder’s company got the contract because his company did great work.

Well, to show his gratitude, this man brought my dad a present. My dad refused to take it. His point was that it was a kickback. It did not make a difference that it was a sizeable amount of money and the family was strapped for cash at that time. It went against his beliefs and principles and that is all that mattered.

Another example happened on a trip with him. We had to use a toll road but I knew a shortcut to the road that saved you the toll. As I was driving, I decided to use this shortcut. He was dozing when I made this decision. He woke up after a while, at which point I was about a mile from the toll road and maybe 10 miles from the toll booth. He asked where we were and when I told him what I was up to, he made me drive the 10 miles back to the toll booth so we could pay!

I hated it back then but now I find myself doing some of those same principled things dad was wont to do. Now I understand. Thanks dad!

nana