Some Thoughts on Health Care

The Tri-Committee Health Care Plan of Massive Awesome Doom (yes, that's the official name) was just released, and I gotta say, it looks pretty good. This brochure, titled "What's In It For You?", sums up the goals of the health care reform legislation, and it says things like "No more rate increases for pre-existing conditions, gender, or occupation" that make me smile. In fact, I generally approve of most of what the nifty brochure says. This phrase confuses me, though:

"America's middle class deserves better."

Wait wait wait... do America's poor not deserve health care?

It confuses me how "America's middle class" seems to be code for "normal people you care about and support." It really is not-so-subtly leaving out people who aren't middle class... I guess because we're so freaked out by the whole "welfare queen" stereotype that the committees writing the brochure have to make sure everyone knows this isn't some government hand-out, it's good old capitalism with payments and competition and everything?

Because, I mean, we all know what happens when you suggest that health care is for everyone. I mean, look at the kind of crap the National Heath Service in the UK puts out:

A National Health Service leaflet is advising school pupils that they have a “right” to an enjoyable sex life and that regular intercourse can be good for their cardiovascular health.

...

Alongside the slogan “an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away”, it says: “Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and veg a day and 30 minutes’ physical activity three times a week. What about sex or masturbation twice a week?”

We can't have that over here. I mean, it's not like our rate of teen pregnancy here is twice the rate in the UK or anything. Our health care system obviously does a fabulous job addressing teen sexual health without the government running around talking about embarrassing things like orgasms. I mean, goodness.