Thinking about Health & Society is enough to trouble a fellow.

Submitted by Rob Brown (guitar)

When I think about all the things that could happen as I journey around the city, I really have to thank God at the end of the day. I am one of the many individuals traveling around without health coverage. I also don’t consider myself to be in the best of health, having consumed more than my fair share of sugar and salt during my younger years. Considering my past eating habits, I could suffer a random situation of the heart at any time, perhaps anywhere. I am compelled to wonder what would happen if I were suffering on the bus? Would I be subjected to what psychology calls diffusion of responsibility? And, come to think of it, would I act to help someone else who was suffering on the bus? If I put myself in their position, I would have to, for fear that God would hold me accountable. Or would I freeze up, fearing that someone would accuse me of some sort of wrong doing. For example: the victim could arrive at the hospital only to find his/her wallet missing. Who do they blame? I would at least be a suspect. The aforementioned set of scenarios are my first take on the title topic.

For about six of my ten years of employment with a well-known health system, I’d made the occasional inquiry about how a typical part-time employee might obtain health coverage. As always, I was discouraged. Someone said there was such a thing as partial coverage where the part-time employee would contribute significantly more towards their coverage than a full-timer. Eventually, and elder employee had retired and my seniority afforded me that newly opened position. This occurrence was in the middle of the year. Further inquiry revealed to me that I had to wait for the beginning of the next year to, I believe the term they used was, elect a health care provider! I thank the Lord/God/Jesus that I had/have no pressing health issues (merely a desire to enjoy some transitions lens, prescription glasses and the good dental cleaning that all of our well-to-do society does).

In class, we discussed how certain members of society are locked away from some of not just the finer things in life, but even some of the necessary things in life. I use the included “Blondie©” comic strip to indicate the rock-and-hard-place some employers are placed in with regards to appreciating their employees and staying in business. Depending on the size of the corporation, the employer and his workers may be more accessible to each other than either of them would like.

Submitted by Rob Brown (guitar)