We were able to perform a bedside paracentesis on one of our hospice patients this past week.  Overall, it went well, and the patient felt better.  We were prepared for complications, but none occurred.

Normally, this procedure is done in the hospital by a radiologist.  In this case, I felt the procedure could be done safely at home.  I would never perform a procedure at home if was likely to cause harm.

This home visit was a good example of how properly-executed, and physician-directed hospice care can improve people’s lives while minimizing costs.  The hospital charge for this procedure was going to be $3,500.00.  Our services cost Medicare nothing.

That gets me to the new health-care law.  The more I process it, the less I like it.  Although more Americans will have health insurance (which is a really good thing), there are going to be harmful consequences for all of us.  I’ll list a few:

• Teaching hospitals, which provide free care, depend on uninsured patients to train medical staff.  Where will we train doctors?
• I’m quite convinced that many of our leaders consider this law to be a step toward government take-over of medicine.  Although many good people are for this plan, I am not.  No room to go into that here.
• The new Independent Payment Advisory Board has authority to cut medicare fees to physicians without congressional approval.  Good luck getting star college students to enroll in 7 or more years of intense training, and rack-up $150k in debt, so they can make $90k a year.  Medical schools will be accepting lesser candidates, and our quality of care will decline.
• New taxes hurt economies.  Americans who start businesses create 80% of new jobs each year.  Many of them already pay over half of what they make in some form of tax.  This law raises their taxes to the 55% range.  Each time the tax level increases, our job creators will stop taking the risks required to create new businesses and jobs.

OK, I feel like I am ranting.  Probably because I am.  Spending some time in Kenya and Haiti gave me such an appreciation for our country and our government.  It is far from perfect, but it is the best in the world.

A Chuck Colson speech segment has been echoing in my head ever since the bill was made law.  Colson said, “Where is the hope?  Our hope is not in what laws are passed, or who governs us.  Our hope is in the power of God working in the hearts of people.”  That sure cleared up the clutter of my misplaced faith.

In the parable of the talents, Jesus tells the story of three people, each left with a different level of responsibility while the boss was away.  When the boss returns, He praises the two who invested and worked with what they had.  The boss fires the one who, out of fear of loss, did nothing.  The message is simple: love the loving Father God so much that you will risk everything in His service.

The new law doesn’t change my opportunity to follow so close to Jesus that I get the dust from His sandals all over me.  What it may change, though, is the duties He has given to me,  i.e. how will we, in the Fort Worth medical community, continue our mission to improve peoples’ lives without well-trained medical teams?  Or, how do we in the business community create jobs and wealth within a reduced rate of investment return?

We will have to be creative, and,  I am afraid, we will have to lower our expectations.  Come what may, we will love our Lord, in whom we have faith for life and meaning, and, we will love our fellow humans, those in our community who bear the image of God.

One last thought.  Although I probably will vote for more Republicans than Democrats this November, I want to encourage all of us to civilize the dialogue.  Let us keep it well-thought out and respectful, the way I believe the Founders would have wanted it.