If Only Mangione Had Called His Mother
Our Broken Healthcare System and What We Can Do About It
Yes, I realize I’ve been a little preoccupied, okay FINE, obsessed with the suspect in the healthcare CEO murder case.
But I’m not the only one. It seems like everyone is talking and reading about Luigi Mangione and coming up with theories as to why he did what he did.
I have my own. And it stems from the fact that Mangione did not call his mother. Actually, he hadn’t been in contact with anyone for six months. His mom filed a missing person’s report in November in San Francisco because she thought he might have been working there.
Withdrawing from friends, family, and society is never a good sign. It could indicate depression. Left without a support network, he clearly became radicalized and hyper focused on the ills of the healthcare system in this country.
Mangione did succeed in bringing the topic to the forefront. In the note police found on him when he was arrested, Mangione wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive system in the world and that the profits of the major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not. Nor does our quality of life (my words, not his).
[Again, I must reiterate that I am in no way condoning what he did. Murder is NOT okay.]
Plainly stated, our healthcare system sucks. And is getting worse every day. In case you missed it, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield was planning to cap the length of time anesthesia can be covered during medical procedures in three states. Which naturally prompted outrage, causing them to halt their plan. I mean come on; they want doctors to play beat the clock during surgery? “Hey doc, close him up because we are out of time!!” I’m guessing when the fury dies down, they will once again try to implement this ludicrous plan.
I just heard of a case where a pediatric oncologist prescribed Zofran, which is an anti-nausea drug, for a child who was vomiting after chemo. The prescription was denied by United Healthcare. So the doctor wrote a strongly worded letter with the heading, “Dear buttheads of the Insurance Company.” Aptly put.
And don’t even get me started on this country’s lack of mental health resources. After every shooting people talk about the mental health crisis yet no one addresses it.
I could write a million words on how bad the situation is and how greedy the insurance companies are, but you already know that. I’m sure you have your own horror stories that you could share.
What can we do? It was suggested to me that we all go on strike until someone does something. Bring the economy to a halt. A National Day of We Won’t Take This Anymore. Apparently, they do it in France. WE NEED TO SPEAK UP!!!
We’ve become a country of oligarchs. Not so different than Russia. And the administration that has been elected will make sure that the rich only get richer.
Back to Mangione. I wish he could have reached out to his loved ones who might have possibly helped him see that murdering a CEO was not the answer. But since he didn’t and what’s done is done, I truly hope something good will come of this tragedy.
Let me be clear, I am 83 and still kicking. Wish I could be more positive about the healthcare in this country, but I am, after all, in my dotage and on Medicare. Just had a bit of a shock when I went to pay for a Rx and the pharmacy informed me that it was $160.00, when I had been paying somewhere around $60.
I am now in the so called “donut hole”, and i’d like to know who came up with that asinine term..it is the gap that I will stay in until I have paid my way out of the donut to the tune of around $7,000. My daughter said that it’s supposed to change next year, but we will see. Thank goodness I live with her and get the benefit of “free stuff” like room and board. I contribute where I can and she gets to take me off her taxes as a dependent. I have been retired for a number of years now, but I can remember living on my own with $ to spare with less that I receive now, and now I don’t know how I would make it without my family. Good news is that Tim in great health and aiming for 100 and at least I will outlive Cheeto, which makes me proud.
Our healthcare system has been broken for a very long time. 20 years ago two of my doctors told me I needed surgery (a hysterectomy). My insurance company said no. That although I did have the three items from column A and four from column B they required the insurance company said my tumors were not big enough. Yet. Thankfully both my doctors fought with them and won. I sure the system has only gotten worse since then.
Now we have elected a government that also wants to tell women what they can and can’t do and what they need and don’t need. I cannot imagine how many may die in the next four years because of this.
As for Mangione - I know he had a surgery. I guess we don’t know if it didn’t turn out as doctors said it would or thought it would. But he did have the surgery. I am assuming his doctor’s request was not denied. Or if it was his family could pay for it.
But either way taking the life of someone else is a horrible thing. He needs to be held accountable and prosecuted for his actions.
We cannot make him into a folk hero.