Rush Limbaugh's Heart

Did you catch this story over the New Year holiday? Rush Limbaugh complained of chest pains while vacationing in Hawaii (perhaps he was invited over to the Obama's rental for a cocktail? NOT!). He was "Rushed" to the hospital, immediately admitted, spent a couple of days getting checked out, whereupon the doctors pronounced that there is nothing wrong with Limbaugh's heart.

Really???

I would posit that there are quite a few things wrong with Limbaugh's heart. Maybe not the beating, pumping organ thing in his chest. But with his heart, the feeling, caring about his fellow man thing located who knows where. Because upon being released from the hospital, our friend Rush held a press conference during which he announced that we have a wonderful health care system, that there is nothing wrong with our health care system and that he was treated just like any other patient.

Perhaps he meant to say, treated just like any other patient WITH HEALTH INSURANCE. Now, I don't pretend to know what coverage he has, nor what the total bill was upon release. And my guess is that the fine physicians in Hawaii sent him home with a list of instructions. Lose weight. Eat healthy. Have your personal physician check you out. Exercise.

I imagine that Rush, being all Rush, asked them if they could possibly give him a prescription. For the pain, of course. And they laughed and said, "What a kidder!." And Rush said, "I'm not kidding. Can you hook me up?"

So Rush leaves and continues on his vacation (I'm trying to keep the image of Rush in a speedo tanning on the beach out of my head) and when he gets back home, he hires a personal trainer and works out at a posh gym and has whoever cooks his meals buy those lean cuts of meat that cost a bazillion dollars an ounce. When he dines out, he tries out that swank new joint that serves silver-dollar-sized portions in the middle of a plate with pretty sauce drizzled on it. When he gets the co-pay bill of $50, he whips out his checkbook and with a flourish signs the check and everything is all right with the world. Oh, and his personal physician orders a thousand tests and confirms that the cardiologists in Hawaii were indeed right...there's nothing wrong with Rush's heart.

Really? Nothing wrong with his heart? Just like any other patient?

I'm guessing, odds being what they are, that on that very day at that same hospital, some poor slob (we'll call him Tanaki) came in with chest pains. Unfortunately, Tanaki is one of the 30 million (16 million? 42 million? Who knows?) people in our country who have no health care insurance.

Tanaki was parked in the ER for a couple of hours, then taken to a "triage" room where he cooled his heels for a couple more hours. (Oh, I forgot, the minute Tanaki came in the ER door, he was asked to show his proof of insurance and, barring that, some proof of income, so they would know he can pay.)

Then they ran an EKG by a tech who is new on the job (it's a holiday, remember, and the skeleton crew AREN'T what you'd call the most experienced pros) and the EKG was read after a time by a radiologist or cardiologist who is also new. They can't admit Tanaki 'cause there's nothing wrong with his heart, just like Rush. They can't hold him over for observation because, unlike Rush, he has no health care insurance.

Tanaki goes home with the same list of instructions. Lose weight. Eat healthy. Have your personal physician check you out. Exercise.

Except that Tanaki can't afford a personal trainer, nor a posh gym. Tanaki works 75 hours a week at two jobs, neither of which provide insurance because he's not "full time". Tanaki has no personal physician and he can't afford the expensive meat and the organic vegetables, etc. He was presented with a bill for a bazillion dollars upon leaving the hospital. He and his disabled wife stress about how to pay this bill off, a little bit at a time. With the $50 per month they have to squeeze out of their budget, they figure they'll be about 122 when they finally pay it off. Oh, and now, he has a "pre-existing condition."

Perhaps Rush should check back into the hospital and have another full work-up. 'Cause there's definitely something wrong with his heart. Not to mention his brain, but that's another blog.