Under the circumstances, I am extremely happy to be here in this UCSF hospital getting excellent care.
But here’s the thing. It reminds me that I must be one of the 5%, or 3%, or 1% of the population who have access to this kind of excellent care.
Our system concentrates health resources among those who already have lots of other social, political, and financial resources. To get here, it required excellent insurance, which Meda qualified for after working for the State of Hawaii for 50 years. It also required personal resources so we were able to get ourselves from Hawaii to San Francisco for the specialized care that they have been able to provide.
But there’s another thing that people don’t talk about. And that is that it often takes knowing somebody who knows somebody to get into an excellent system like this. Like so many other parts of life, it get’s down to who you know.
I called on an old friend who happened to have connections here at UCSF and one thing led to another, and I ended up using those connections to get into the system here. I can’t say for sure just how vital they were, but I think they were important in breaking through the. bureaucracy that screens incoming patients.
So that’s a big burden for regular people seeking healthcare without these layers of personal or family resources. We really do have to do something about it.
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AMEN.
Excellent! You have a purpose to live longer, exposing the system.
All that you said is Very True. Sadly.
Yes, it is very sad.
Do you then have any thoughts about the planned merger of HPH and HMSA?
It’s not that we have to do something about it, Ian, it’s that we should. But, here’s the thing. We won’t. Obama tried and made progress, but Republican resistance forced compromises. Now the Republicans and Trump have even undermined what Obama put in place. This country is now unabashedly devoted to the wealthy and well placed. Some, like you and me, get some spoils, but most do not. The good thing is that enough of our citizens like being abused and cheated to keep those who laugh at them in control. They just love being kicked in the okole. Let’s start to face it. It’s who we are.
Thank you for pointing out what is a sad fact.
Have a pleasant day.
Aloha
So very true, Ian. I have had the same experience several times – it seems that we are always bound by the reference system… I had an Endocrinologist in Austin who referred me to his former classmate at UCSF – now Endocrinologist at UCSF Mission Bay, when I stayed with my children in Brisbane during the move back to Hawaii. As you know, the same referral system is alive and well in Hawaii. Word of mouth is ‘everything’. As Gary said, I don’t see any changes any time soon…
So glad you are on your feet with Meda, on way back to cats, healing beach and investigating. Grateful for your posting health updates.
Yes! We need much more money invested in healthcare for everyone.
I saw the title of your article and thought you might be getting into the healthcare crisis in Hawaii, but your personal experience, while interesting, did not address the overwhelming crisis about to engulf our community. There is so much to cover, so much to uncover, and so many moving parts of this, I don’t know if any individuals or groups can make headway for the good of the community as we get pulled into the evolving panarama of Hawaii’s healthcare.
Take care, Mr. Lind, there is much to do ahead.