What has happened to our once-robust health care system? – The Virginian-Pilot

Where do I start with what is happening to our health care system? When a patient has a medical issue and needs to make an appointment with his or her established doctors, there is now a common thread of anger, fear and frustration as a result of the patient’s attempts to receive help, which used to be readily available.

First, your doctor’s office doesn’t answer the phone; second, you are left listening to a mind-numbing stream of canned music for interminable lengths of time; third, if a real person ever answers, he or she immediately asks you to hold again for another stretch of time; fourth, you get cut off from the call on their end and have to start over; and fifth, if you ever get through to an office staff member, you can’t get an appointment for months to actually see your doctor.

Familiar sound? This system sounds eerily similar to a medical system called “socialized medicine” where the trade-off is you don’t have to pay for your health care costs, but the system is highly inefficient and leaves the patient stranded for months without proper medical care . Is this what we are paying for here in the US every month through our ever-increasing health-related premiums, copays, deductibles and reduced benefits? Nobody asked us if we wanted this change and, if we are being thrust into a system of socialized medicine, why are we still paying for it if we’re not getting the advantages of private health care?

Pamela Hammer, Chesapeake

On Jan. 2 those watching the NFL Monday night football game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals got an unprecedented vision. These two teams have some of the biggest, smartest and most physically fit people, gladiators of our day. These players are no strangers to pain, often playing while suffering with injuries that would disable most. Their stamina and courage are extraordinary.

During any NFL game it is not unusual to see players getting hurt and lying on the field waiting for medical assistants to assess their injuries and to help them off the field, if necessary. However, this Monday night game produced injuries rarely, if ever, seen before.

Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin after what appeared to be a routine tackle got up, staggered a few steps then collapsed. No one was aware that Hamlin’s heart had stopped. It didn’t take long for those attending him to realize this medical situation was serious. They faced a life and death situation.

What took place once the gravity of the situation was realized by the players, coaches and others on the field was astounding. Many in tears, crossing themselves, getting on their knees in prayer to their Lord and Savior, asking for divine intervention for their brother in his time of need.

This unabashed and open display of religious belief is positive proof of just how strong religion is still in America. God bless America.

Daniel Snyder, Chesapeake

In the late 19th century, Stephen Crane, novelist and poet, wrote a poem in which the narrator stands upon a high place and observes below “many devils running, leaping and carousing in sin.” Suddenly, one looks up at him, grins and says, “’Comrade! Brother!’”, according to The Collected Poems of Stephen Crane.

It doesn’t take much imagination to substitute Rep.-elect George Santos for the narrator and certain House of Representatives members for the remainder of the players. At this point in the new political year, a slim majority of the House isn’t about expel someone who is so like them no matter what lies he’s told.

If later, when Santos isn’t as useful as he is now, they decide to attempt his expulsion, House members will be paying lip service to the ultimate oxymoron — political ethics.

Gary Medlin, Virginia Beach