Land of Dreams and Shadows | Australian Markets

Narcotics gained’t improve your world. However they will help you are feeling higher about it. You nod off…even when they’re chopping you open…and slide into your own dreamscape.

Right here, we forged our web far and broad to carry you the widest doable view of what’s going on. Dan on the high plains of Wyoming…Tom in some woebegone village in India…

And right here we’re in Johns Hopkins hospital, not precisely by selection however, regardless of the motivation, it’s a studying expertise.

Right here’s what to anticipate…

You go into the hospital. You give your insurance coverage information, your title and birthday. They put a plastic wristband on…and provide you with a badge. That permits you to go down the corridor the place the receptionist asks you to your title and date of delivery. You might be instructed to have a seat. ‘Someone will call for you.’

Somebody does call for you. You enter a smallish space. She scans your armband with an digital system.

‘Your name?’

‘You just called my name’, we reply.

‘Yeah, I know your name. I want to make sure you know your name.’

‘But I came when you called me.’

‘Never mind. But I’ve obtained some questions for you.’

You might be then required to signal a number of types the gist of which is that you just gained’t mild up a cigarette within the hospital, and that if something unhealthy occurs to you whereas on hospital premises, it’s your own damned fault.

Alongside the street to the hospital, nevertheless, have been a number of massive billboards from law corporations betting that it wouldn’t be your fault. ‘You deserve money. We collect $$millions$$ for our clients’, advertises one of them. One other: ‘Medical Malpractice? Know your rights. Get paid’.

However the questions are simply starting. Embarrassing questions — about bodily features, medicines allergy symptoms, earlier diseases and accidents.

All of this data has already been supplied, more than as soon as. However they need to be sure.

When this interrogation is completed, we’re instructed to return to the foyer, till ‘someone calls your name’.

Once more, after a transient wait, we’re greeted by a neat particular person in a hospital uniform and a masks. This time, we’re taken to a small room, curtained off, with a mattress and lots of complicated devices in it.

‘What is your name?’

‘William Bonner’, we reply.

‘Your birth date?’

After which come the questions…health standing…accidents, interventions…insurance coverage provider…and many others. Have we had Covid photographs? Can we get dizzy once we stand up too fast? Has any relative ever had most cancers?

Essentially the most important query was, ‘Can I see your insurance card?’ And for good motive. The system is staggeringly costly. The average health insurance coverage for a household of 4 is claimed to be over $20,000. The medical care expenditure per particular person is over $14,500.

The US now ranks forty sixth in life expectancy…and each one of these 45 international locations the place people reside longer, spends much less than we do. We’ve tried some of them — in France, Eire, and Argentina. The overall service appears related…at half the price; however the US is claimed to have a high-tech edge.

Our go to to Johns Hopkins gave us an event to see for ourselves. There are scores of people in hospital get-ups…and scores of people who ask your title and age. Once they aren’t asking questions, or truly serving to a affected person, they’re normally making small discuss with their colleagues.

Due to the complexity of remedies, insurance coverage applications and Medicare/Medicaid, the healthcare industry requires not simply medical doctors and nurses…however an military of directors. Of the $5 trillion spent on medical providers every year, at the very least 40% has little to do with taking care of sufferers.

At Johns Hopkins, the medical doctors, nurses and expert assistants have been nice and competent. However effectivity doesn’t seem like a main concern. There’s little price competitors to drive price chopping. We by no means knew what something price. We by no means needed to make a resolution that concerned trade-offs or costs. We noticed lots of advertisements for legal professionals wanting to sue…however none offering decrease price service.

And whereas there have been no apparent efforts to cut prices, neither was a lot thought given to rising revenues. We have been by no means provided an ‘up-grade’ at a increased price. The food was free. Nobody solicited a charitable reward or provided a ‘frequent patient’ low cost membership.

No one appeared to care. Together with us. In any case, the insurance coverage company was paying. Why medical care is so inefficient and ineffective, we don’t know. However we will take a guess: the feds have gummed it up with laws and subsidies. And if the new staff — headed by RFK, Jr. — have been severe about saving Individuals $2 trillion, they’d start by liberating the healthcare business. Whether or not that may end in decrease costs and better high quality, we don’t know both. However it could be value a attempt.

Our journey at Johns Hopkins continued…

We have been getting fairly good at answering questions, requested by one other nurse…an anaesthesiologist…and the surgeons’ assistant.

‘What are you here for?’ requested at the very least two of them.

‘What do you think we’re right here for?’ we replied.

‘We just need to be sure that we have the right person and that he is capable of understanding what is happening to him.’

‘What is today’s date?’ requested one. ‘Where are you?’

One other handed us a piece of paper with a circle on it.

‘Draw a clock that says 11:30.’

‘AM or PM?’ we requested.

Lastly, we have been laid out on the working desk…with a massive robot, like a many-armed Hindu goddess, able to go to work. The anaesthesiologist administered his dose. Our eyes rolled backwards…we have been getting drowsy, passing into the land of goals and shadows.

Then, essentially the most exceptional factor occurred.

The highest surgeon appeared. A tall man, wearing a black cape with a black hood and a deep stentorian voice.

He was carrying a scythe. His eyes have been like burning coals…his contact as cold as dry ice.

‘What is your name’, he requested, sounding vaguely like Darth Vader.

‘Jack Jones’, we lied.

‘Oh… Must be some mistake. You’re not the one I’m searching for.’

Regards,

Invoice Bonner,
For Fats Tail Every day