...not to mention the afternoons with "Start Making a Reader Today" (SMART) early literacy program, the domestic violence shelter and self-sufficiency program, Meals on Wheels, etc. I give away a lot of my TIME to causes I believe in, but prefer more accountability from the Government when it comes to spending my MONEY. But, the Bureaucrats always want More Money, not TIME, but money...
I've always believed that Government works best for people when it works nearest to them...
Chew on this: About 4 years ago I offered to volunteer my time at the local Community Health Center seeing Medicaid Chronic Pain Patients 1/2 day twice a month. The word on the street was that the only Suboxone prescriber they had was buried up her eyeballs in opioid-tolerant-poly-co-morbid-high-dose-chronic-pain patients. Since Medicaid reimbursement doesn't pencil in a private practice setting without a site-of-service differential or capitated wrap-around fees, I thought it would be a good respite/burn-out prevention for their RX'er to maybe go spend some time with her kids/husband or catch up on charting every other Friday afternoon while I look after her clinic.
So, I called the Executive Director of the center and pitched my idea and it was a solid Green GO until I emphasized that I want to "VOLUNTEER" my time...I don't WANT to be paid. I thought that it was important that I volunteer my time in order to keep the expectations about the relationship clear for both parties. In other words, I wanted to DONATE my time for a worthy cause--seeing the WORST OF THE WORST chronic pain Medicaid patients that their facility could back into a half-day twice per month.
But, apparently, in Federally-Subsidized, Medicaid Contracted Community Health Centers this is virtually impossible--a doctor CAN'T work for free (unless they're a trainee)...It's ironic because Medicaid WOULD pay for the patient to be seen in the private practice specialty office (minus SOS and wrap around fees of course) under a payment pro-forma that would amount to a financial loss, but would not accept my discretionary effort for FREE to see the patient in another facility. Then, to add insult to injury, the overwhelmed/burnt out provider found out about my idea and called and chewed me out accusing me of trying to low-ball her boss and come after her job!
So, it's no Humblebrag when I say that putting your blind faith in Big Government to solve complex problems is stupid. Keep in mind that prior to 1959 the IRS REQUIRED that hospitals provide a certain amount of charity care in order to keep their non-profit tax status. And, Doctors were REQUIRED to offer a certain amount of charity care at hospitals (usually call coverage and working in the ED) in order to maintain medical staff privileges--it was a quid pro quo between hospitals and doctors. Simpler times. After passage of the un-Affordable Care Act, the Obama Administration directed the IRS to completely waive the charity care requirements for non-profit hospitals replacing them instead with nebulous "community benefit programs." The Goodwill has become monetized. And, that is what you will get in a Single-Payer-Socialized-Government-Run health care system...Monetized Goodwill: Everyone will be covered, but no one will really get anything of real value.