PODCAST #1

-health reform in Washington

Obama’s reform policy

Post polio syndrome (Joe Shapiro)

Healthcare Reform

“We’re doing some stuff on healthcare…”

– 9-10 guidelines down to 3

○ 1. Contain costs = don’t spend too much $$$
○ 2. Choice of doctor and health plan
○ 3. Has to include all people 47 million people = universal healthcare
 Phased in coverage
– Presidential plan = let congress write the bill
– Reverse Clinton plan
– People who supported “single payer system” don’t support Obama
○ But we’re not starting from scratch
○ Historical system of employer based health care
○ Don’t want a huge disruption to fuck w/ economy
○ Obama wants to set up system that would allow people who have
heath care or are satisfied w/ heath care, can opt out of universal plan
– Single player people—think we should start from scratch and govn’t should
pay for ALL health care
○ This would transform 1/6th of the US economy
○ Public support for this plan is less than 50%
– Republicans fear that the cheaper rate choice will overtake private insurance
sector—too many people would switch and govn’t would take over ALL
healthcare
– President taking “Cheerleader & Chief” role/backseat
○ Pres brings in PR table players – drug companies, med supply
companies, etc
 Basically all the people who shot down the previous plans
– What can we expect?
○ Change OVER TIME
 Next few years? Maybe 1 decade
 Step by step
○ More choices
○ Lower premiums / slower increase in premiums

Post Polio Syndrome

– Last case of polio = 1979

 – More than ½ million of people still alive who HAD polio
– About ½ people who had polio develop new symptom
○ Fatigue, muscle degradation, sometimes pain
– Few doctors still know how to treat polio/involved in post polio system
– Dr Laurel Holstead (73)– published early findings on post-polio syndrome
(25yrs ago)
○ Edith Girder (83)
 Couldn’t get visa b/c she had polio
 Started falling down
 Multiple childhood surgeries fused her ankle bones & now can’t
walk
 Options: uncomfortable leg brace or scooter = immobilization
○ Himself—motorized scooter
 18 yrs old when he got polio on a trip to Europe (train to Madrid)
during Franco administration
 Taught himself how to play piano w/ one hand while in hospital
 Never regained full use of right arm
 His friend made him a special instrument to be played w/ left
arm
 Goes to Italy to support education and group efforts there
○ Julie Lewis (55)
 Until now, she had been able to hide her polio
 Her sign of her hand, muscle between her thumb and hand
 Waited 6months for appointment
– Post Polio Heath International
○ Holstead was one of the 1st promoters of education on PPS

ASSIGNMENT
This podcast was particularly engaging as it delineated the division between
the supporters of the single payer system and the Obama plan’s supporters.
Obama’s plan is to allow citizens more choice from their heath care provider and
benefits with respect to cost. He proposes a compromise between the historical
system of employer based heath care and a single payer system, where the
government accounts for the whole tab. My dad, a staunch Republican, feels like
this plan is still too liberal and will cost the nation far more than it will provide, while
my mother realizes the need after dealing with our own recent family insurance
crisis. Since my dad lost his job last year and my mom had to shut down her
architectural office this past March, I have been without heath care due to the
expense. Luckily UT offers reduced rates, apparently subsidized, which will save me
over two thousand dollars per annum. I, however, as a student, am in the minority
of family members left bereft of benefits and heath care safety from job cuts and an
ill economy. Most people in similar situations are not students or attend a school
without some form of subsidized aid. While the plan probably will not see universal
application for at least a decade, I am hopeful that it will eventually give not only a
safety net to those in need, but also offer an alternative to price gouging heath
insurance companies. Altering one-sixth of the economy, as this broadcast
emphasized, will create other issues aside from cost, my father’s greatest worry.
Noting that Obama has taken a “Cheerleader and Chief” role while allowing
Congress to work out the details, this attempt at heath care reform has some hope
of a chance. I wish this topic was explored with more depth, though considering the
time limits of broadcast, it succeeded in initializing my interest and I look forward to
investigating the topic further.
My great uncle, the youngest of nine children, was diagnosed with polio in his
youth but died from heart disease in his late forties. Though he did not live long
enough to develop post-polio syndrome like the posited quarter million of survivors,
I am told he wore leg braces for most of his life, like Edith Girdler (83 years old)
must now do. I believe Dr. Holstead’s work is highly important as public awareness
seems to be on the decline and a new symptom of the disease on the rise. Also,
diseases once thought to be a problem of the past have shown rebirth. If no doctor
can recognize that Julie Lewis (55 years old) had polio from the muscular
deterioration between her thumb and base of her hand, it is likely that some cases
of polio and polio-related diseases will begin to phoenix without treatment and
spread. Education and awareness have proven to be the best preventative
measures, thus making Dr. Holstead’swork of great import, both domestically and
abroad.