Entitlement

It’s pretty safe to say everyone wants excellent health care, they want it to cost less, and they want it now. In fact it’s often referred to as the “right” to healthcare. Most “expert” opinions look to the existing medical system or government to provide solutions. However, most people don’t get it. The answer is not regulations, surveys, think-tanks, and policies. Sure, there are certainly system and government problems that adversely affect healthcare but let’s not start there. That only avoids the real issue.

The problem with the current system is entitlement. Everyone feels entitled to instant healthcare answers from the best specialist any time of the day or night no matter how minor their problem. No where is this more apparent than in the ER. My personal favorite entitled patient came to my ER with chronic, mild GI pain. He had already seen his PCM and had an appointment scheduled with GI in a couple weeks. I asked the important ER question for chronic problems, “What’s different tonight?” His answer was an earth-shattering, “Well today’s actually a good day.” I really didn’t know what to say. He wanted an expedited GI work up and didn’t want to wait for his appointment. That’s entitlement and that’s the problem.

Entitlement comes in many forms. From the overly concerned parents who want antibiotics for their kid with one day of sniffles to the short, 300-lb lady who wants an MRI for her chronic back pain because “there’s got to be something broken.” The possibilities that the cold will get better with time or that carrying an extra 150 pounds around may be to blame aren’t even entertained. The most concerning group of entitled patients are those that abuse their bodies and make no attempts to stop. These people treat their lungs and livers as toxic filters and then expect 21st century medicine to fix whatever ails them.

Uncle Ben explained to Spiderman that “with great power comes great responsibility”. I think the reverse is true and is the answer we’re all looking for…”with great responsibility comes great power.” Individuals actually taking responsibility for themselves will provide the power to change the system. Here are some simple ideas to start with.

You have the responsibility to:
Exercise.
Not smoke.
Not eat and drink excessively.
Keep your kids safe and healthy.

People are the answer…you and me and everyone else. The sooner we shift our focus from the easy targets like HMOs, pharmaceutical companies, and government, the sooner we’ll be able to fix what’s really broken.