The following song, by brilliant social and political satirist Roy Zimmerman, offers his view of health plans’ real business model. His take? As far as health plans are concerned, sick patients would (literally) be better off dead:
Dear Number 1036924053887
Have you considered suicide?
It’s a healthcare plan you haven’t tried.
Enclosed please find a tab of cynanide…for your perusal
You’re getting to an age where your potential need for medical
Attention even intervention isn’t hypothetical
So, do it quick!
And solve this nation’s healthcare crisis
By not getting sick.
To hear more incredibly elegant rhymes (hey, there’s a reason Tom Lehrer likes this guy) here’s the full song:
Now, I’ll confess that I simply get a massive kick out of Mr. Zimmerman, whether in health parodist mode or not, but I think you’ll be amused by this one too. Maybe you’ll be inspired to lampoon some bad actors too. Street theater, anyone?
BONUS: While we’re having a bit of fun, here’s blast from the clinical world: Emergency Depatment rap! Seems there’s quite a trend going on here — maybe a dozen ED hip-hop videos cropped up on YouTube when I recently checked — but this group, from the University of Alabama’s Birmingham hospital, seems to be the Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel of the bunch.
Don’t know if I should laugh or cry. But laughter is great medicine. (It may be the best we can afford.)