Posted by
Andrews on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 10:44:57 AM
I know I said I would write an article about the FairTax, but something else has irritated me and I have to put a little post about that up first.
As some know, I have had ongoing health problems, so have been to more than my fair share of doctors recently. And, as a new patient, I have to fill out the pre-printed "health" inquiries. And that is where my newest complaint arises.
On almost all of those forms there are questions that seem to fall outside the area of "medicine" as I understand it. Being male, I seem to be spared the "domestic violence" questions my wife says appear on a lot of gynecological forms, but I do get asked if I use a seat belt and if I have a gun.
How is this possibly a medical question?
Some will argue that it relates to "overall health", but I argue that it is part of the AMA's political agenda, the same one that called gun violence a medical epidemic. (That's right, another professional group has gone into gun grabbing.)
Also, even assuming doctors have the right to pry into every area of our life in the name of "total well being", why guns? They don't ask if I have no-skid appliques in my bath tub, but more people die in the tub than through gun accidents. Sorry, but this is clearly a political statement, and that has no place in health care.
(In the interest of full disclosure,my wife is a nurse, but she also asks why I get so upset by these questions on medical forms, so not sure what influence, if any, her career has on my thoughts here.)
Well, having had my little rant, which is probably of interest to no one but myself, I will get back to working on my critique of the FairTax and my proposals for better alternative tax plans.