Tangentially related, but it is increasingly obvious that there's an ever-growing chasm between these two aspects of medicine in the U.S.:
- What's possible for medical professionals to do for certain conditions, in large part due to the amazing levels of investment into research and implementation.
- How difficult it is for ordinary people to receive care. Primarily due to private insurance companies intentionally making it more difficult to get care.
Like the fact we're giving stem cell therapy to fetuses successfully is amazing, yet any time I go to a doctor's office or bloodwork company I hear an elderly person explain to the front desk person that they've been on the same insurance for decades and only recently started receiving bills they can't afford, or listening to the front desk person explain that now medicare no longer covers them for a routine thing.
Ideally, we could have both great research _and_ great general care in this country. I just don't know if I will ever see that day.
- What's possible for medical professionals to do for certain conditions, in large part due to the amazing levels of investment into research and implementation.
- How difficult it is for ordinary people to receive care. Primarily due to private insurance companies intentionally making it more difficult to get care.
Like the fact we're giving stem cell therapy to fetuses successfully is amazing, yet any time I go to a doctor's office or bloodwork company I hear an elderly person explain to the front desk person that they've been on the same insurance for decades and only recently started receiving bills they can't afford, or listening to the front desk person explain that now medicare no longer covers them for a routine thing.
Ideally, we could have both great research _and_ great general care in this country. I just don't know if I will ever see that day.