I can think of no better stimulus than SPUHC (Single Payer Universal Health Care). I do not know what you have experienced but I can not begin to tell you how many people I know that would be in business for themselves if they didn't have to worry about getting health insurance.

Sorry in advance, this is going to "ramble on". But literally MILLIONS like me need your help in making this case. This is the "A Little Help" Part.

So my thesis is as follows: The current system of healthcare in America is a major cause of the current economic crisis.

Just one quick example of American healthcare that could save billions overnight if just one policy was changed. I call it The Pain Tax or the tax on those that suffer with chronic pain. This is kind of selfish on my part because I have a chronic pain problem myself, (spinal stenosis, lumbar raduclopathy, "abiglongword" neuropathy forgive the spellings)  but here it goes.

Every month I AM REQUIRED to go to the doctor because it is forbidden for the doctor to put refills on the prescription for one of the drugs I take to manage the pain. Granted it is a pretty potent narcotic but just because a government agency (read D  E  A) chooses to practice law enforcement over the shoulders of BOTH doctors and patients I HAVE to go to the doctor 12 times a year rather than 4. Imagine the savings to Medicare, Medicaid and just folks in general if doctors were allowed to put refills on ALL medications they prescribe, JUST IN THE COST OF OFFICE VISITS ALONE. It would save me about $1,200 a year. And that's cheap, as I said, most GPs won't do it and the Pain Management docs normally charge $250.00 a visit and refuse to take insurance of ANY kind.

But wait there's more.

As I mentioned above It seems that certain state and federal agencies find it much more convenient to REGULATE DOCTORS than track down actual drug dealers. Try this experiment get your phone book and start calling General Practitioners and ask them if they do "pain management", you will find they don't because they are scared to death of being targeted by these government agencies. Seems these agencies send people in with counterfeit medical records and if a doctor treats the person 2 or more times by relieving the pain with pills, the doctor is open to seizure of their property up to and including their home. So those of us in rural areas end up driving an average of 90 miles to a doc that will actually treat us.

So now we add the cost of gas every month, to the monthly doctor's fees and the cost of PAIN goes even higher.

But wait there's more.

Because I have to go to the doc every month and it is a all day exercise, I miss 12 unpaid days of work a year. The cost of PAIN climbs more.

But wait....there's still more.

Because I take PAIN MEDS I also have to pee in a cup about every 8 months at a cost averaging about $750.00 to make sure I don't have to much or to LITTLE medication in my system. The cost of PAIN climbs higher still.

Now I understand the drug tests I have to take are to make sure O¿O isn't starting to like these pills too much (sorry about the 3rd person reference, won't do it again). What really bothers me about these drug tests is the "too little" column.  Who would be informed if someone had too little in their system.

By the way I have NEVER failed any of the 16 or so drug tests I have been forced to take and doctors are forced to administer. I've been told by psychiatrists that if I was going to become an addict it would have happened long ago.

See, if doctors don't keep watch on their patients then they become targets themselves.So doctors have to pay for all the work their office has to do to make sure they aren't being suckered by an addict or an undercover officer.

Then there are the pill counts. Pill counts are when you are called and have to drop whatever you are doing and either go to a pharmacy with your pills or take them into your doctors office and have them counted. Again missed work and more is added to THE PAIN TAX.

Finally The Pain Tax spreads to ALL other patients of that doctor because he has to pay for all the extra help he/she has to hire just to keep track of PEOPLE LIKE ME so he doesn't draw the attention a state or federal medical board.

Anyways that's my story over the last 10 years. I need your help to make our elected officials take note. Please call  your elected representatives and tell them to take a look at eliminating The Pain Tax that MILLIONS of AMERICANS pay every day. Oh, I didn't mention the costs involved in getting to the point where a doctor was actually "allowed" to treat me. Things like 11 MRI's, 6 EMG's, Required Psychiatrist AND Psychologist evaluations, spinal injections that didn't work and on and on and on.

Of course, I'm not a progressive, I'm a LIBERAL. I also believe that drugs should just be made legal and sold at your friendly neighborhood state store, just like liquor, and that car insurance should be paid for with a gas tax, the more you drive the more you pay. 

OK, I admit it wasn't that quick of an example but I hope you made it through and understand HOW MANY MILLIONS of AMERICANS are ran through this kind ringer EVERY SINGLE DAY and WE NEED YOUR HELP making this really easy to understand point with our elected officials. After all don't you think your tax dollars from Medicare and Medicaid could be used in a much more effective way than forcing patients and doctors to jump through all these hoops?

PLEASE let me know what you think, or IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS post them and I will answer them as best I can.

Also, feel free to copy this and send/post etc as your own.