US Healthcare sucks

I was reminded this morning of just how awful it can be for people to get the help/care they need as I stood in line at Walgreens to get my $24.99 flu shot for the season. Surrounded by several seniors I stood and watched complete disorganization unfold in front of me. As pharmacists with little-to-no training in process management ushered a crowd of dead-virus-wanters through a workflow so disjoint it was hard to know whether I was there for a shot or just to watch this sad hilarity ensue.

Several of the folks from the senior center were confused as to whether their Medicare would cover their shot with cries of 'False Advertising' ringing out across the sanitary product isle. Others weren't sure which of their health conditions might preclude them from receiving the vaccination. Some weren't sure where to stand. A few sat in chairs and talked about how the movie 'W.', and who might win the election next Tuesday.

I watched this unfold in front of me and all the while wished that I still worked for a company that administered flu shots at the office. A no-hassle delivery of this now-popular antibodybuilder geared toward we yuppies who take comfort in our place of work being a one-stop-shop for all sorts of goodness. I also considered the day though when I myself might be in assisted living, when a trip to Walgreens would be my activity for the day and this type of line would become the source of my complaints in my weekly oatmeal connoisseur meeting.

Why is it that the thing EVERYONE needs... Health Care, has become such a business, owverrun with policy and understaffed by the exceptional? Should HC not be the thing that anyone in society wants and deserves the best of? Should a line for a routine vaccination not be one of the most efficient systems we encouter as human beings? These things happen ALL THE TIME!!! Why does Walgreens get their own custom implementation of a process that should be routine? Next year, I'm going to a Dr's office... I'll combine it with a physical and at least get some value for the 30+ minutes I lose from my day.





Oh, and as a little jovial tangent here, I stopped off for lunch with my girlfriend and while waiting for her in a crowded cafeteria, decided to jam out some tunes in my headphones and get some work done. I powered up Lappy, plugged in the phones, and let iTunes do its thing. The sound was quiet so I turned it up but still couldn't hear very well. I was at max volume... and then reality dawns on me... I plugged into the microphone jack and was giving the cafeteria a little free concert. Fortunately my choice was some mello tunage and not a hardcore serenade. Somehow I don't think the kiddies would've enjoyed 'Psychosocial' by Slipknot. Hrmm...