UCR Medical Director Dr. Maletz talks to Spoiled Minds about his views on the current health care situation in the United States as well as future obstacles regarding health care legislation such as Obama Care.
UCR Medical Director Dr. Maletz talks to Spoiled Minds about his views on the current health care situation in the United States as well as future obstacles regarding health care legislation such as Obama Care.
I believe that any doctor who practices medicine and signs and Hippocratic Oath has a duty to the people whom they are serving. The reality is that medical world in the U.S. is not color blind and is discriminatory of people of low-income. Maletz is right, there is a price to pay when medical services are offered for free or at a low price. But, he uses a slippery slope example. If movies were for free, everyone would not go the the theatres and everyone would not download a movie. And, the replication of a film is incomparable to the limited resources of medicine as he had mentioned. To translate, because medicine is for free does not mean everyone is going to go loot a pharmacy. I believe that it can eventually be more postive for the people to make an investment in health, rather than have a continuous cylce of dealing with insurance companies. If we look at how this may affect doctors and pharmeceutical companies, the reality is that sicknesses are a business, and if there isn’t too many people sick, than there is a loss of net profit. I am only 22-years-old and I have cancer. I pay $20 for every visit to the oncologist. I pay $15 dollars for every refill of my medication that must be refilled every month for the rest of my life and I currently have insurance (Thankfully! Or else, who knows where I’d be or if I’d ever be diagnosed on time). In today’s society, according to cancer.org, 1 of 2 latinos will be diagnosed with cancer at the age of 69. Many of these cancers are work related, and many latinos are low-income. I agree with Maletz that preventative care is needed. But, who will it benefit when everything comes at a price? I strongly believe that there is a need for a medical reform, and that universalized health care may not be the perfect system, but at least it is a step towards prevention and change.
It has been such a pleasure working for Dr.Maletz, he is a man of integrity, vision and will be dearly missed.