I know that today, more than ever, women are choosing between paying rent or mortgages and caring for their children over medicine.

How can we address this better as a health care.policy community?

Below you will find my response to a recently proposed question by a LinkedIn member.

If this interests you just join LinkedIn and ask to join the group where the discussion is held. 

You can follow the group when you join Linked In and follow the

sub group Innovations In Women's Health

Anthony Zelinko • Lisa, hope your son is all right.

Great discussion and thanks to Dr. Scher, Dr. Watson for their candid input and the rest of you for keeping this discussion alive.

I would like to say a few things about Sharanda's insight.
"It is my belief that healthcare, politics, business, broken families... are all related in the worse ways possible."

Sharanda, you hit the nail right on the head!

Many think healthcare and related costs exist in a vacuum! It doesn't it is part of our societal fabric but the problem is no one but maybe a few have looked at it that way. The reason being most people only concentrate on areas that directly affect their bottom line or lively hood.

Let me explain

1. The insurance industry by it's own definition if you look into it will never lose money and is designed to keep raising rates at the expense of the consumer. Look at who can afford to air commercials Drug companies ie. Big Pharma and Insurance Companies. Tort reform is badly needed but that gets crushed by the Lawyer lobbyist. Insurance premiums continue to rise to absorb any lawsuits so much so it's driving many doctors to close their practices.

2. Politics, Hmmm Who has political clout in Washington and gives large political donations. It's major corporations and Big Pharma again. Funny how they pop up.

3. Now Business. Corporations by their very design are for profit entities. They exist for profit and their shareholders. Where the US got it wrong was to let jobs go overseas without any repercussions. What congress needs to enact is a law stating that any corporation that exists or falls under the advantages of being a corporation as long as it sells or markets 75% or more of it's products or services in our country needs to contribute 5% of it's pre-tax profits. That would do a number of things we can discuss later.

4. Now lets touch on Broken families. Let me just say in one of my posts I stated that single moms in first year of their babies life she should get assistance and stippened to stay home and raise the infant. Single mothers with more than one child should get paid for staying home and raising them as long as they meet certain educational and designed guidelines. We as a society pay 10 times over to incarcerate kids from broken homes.

5. Get off medications and understand that many "It's my belief cause more harm than good". Especially antidepressants! Basically if your not taking them someone in your family is. It's really sad. Somehow anyone who is slightly ADD or ADHD needs to take Ritalin. Where do you think Richard Branson would be now if he would have taken drugs to temper his ADHD.

6. Lastly the consumer needs to know multi billions have been lost due to fraud and mismanagement with our healthcare system ie. Medicare and Medicaid. Over the past decade we have been fleeced, but you will never get any of the people running those programs to admit it.

7. Lastly I tried to comment in a respectful and civil manner. The more I learn about this subject is making me cynical about our healthcare system and how it relates to politics. I have an analytical background and try to apply that skill to whatever I'm looking into. As Benjamin Franklin once said "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days". I think something is fishy with our healthcare system!

I'm sorry for not posting for awhile. We have been very busy. If your reading this chances are you viewed some of the exceptional medical and mobility products our company offers.

Here is a letter that I've recently received and it references our Herdegen "Advance Padded Handle Forearm Crutch" . It showcases the value and functionalityof our crutches and I couldn't have written a better testimonial if I had to.

I hope you find it humerous as I did.

Dear Tony,

 I placed an order, the one you suggested, thank you.  I work in a large Urology practice in Utah that has many elderly men as patients....lots of little wobbly old men with a variety of canes, crutches, and walkers.  There was one patient we recently saw in his 80's that was using one of your forearm crutches, and he is the reason I found your product online.  He was walking so fast down the hall after me to the his room that he almost ran me over, so I commented on it.  He said that his hip and knee surgeries had left him with one leg shorter than the other and using a traditional cane left him feeling wabbly and vunerable, but since he had gotten one of your fancy forearm crutches, he could "Go like Hell!!!"  We had a good laugh at his description, and that made me remember the product when I was here in California visiting my Dad.  I searched for a hour or so on the internet until I found the very product that he had.  I was only worried that the adjustments would not be enough for my Dad's 6'6" height, and you told me that would not be a problem.

 I wish I would still be here visiting in California with my Dad when the product arrived so I could see him in action with it.  We just ordered it today, October 22, and have to fly home on on Monday morning, October 25.  I don't suppose you are magical enough to pull that off.  The order is for my Dad, Jim W.

I hate to see him hunch over on his other cane that is too short for him because it hurts his back and hurts his knees.  Hope this works for him, because at 87 he says he is too young for a wheelchair.

 Thank you for writing back to me so quickly,

 Sincerely,

 Betsy T.

and My Dad, nicknamed "CHIEF"   :)

Janet's Story "The Girl with the Jersey Accent"

The contents of this post was mentioned in one of my first blogs. I feel it's important to not forget some of the important lessons that we have learned and sometimes to mention them again. You see Janet was a very special woman and her story needs to be retold time and time again.

Throughout our lives we are constantly making choices. Just deciding to write this article was a choice I made. It became apparent to me that there are a lot of untold stories that need to be told and precious monments that need to mentioned.   Our company distributes medical products and supplies throughout the United States and we connect with people daily. I will try to convey how one of those people who is named Janet feels and give you a glimpse in her world.

It is myintention to make your time reading enjoyable and entertaining. Recently I was contacted by a women from Florida who had a distinct “Jersey Accent”.  I asked where she was from and sure enough she came from New York.  We went on and continued with introductions and casual conversation. I guess she was in her 50’s by the way she talked and the way she labored with her breathing. I speculated she had a physical condition and was handicapped  but not sure. Why was she calling? Was it for our crutches, canes, deluxecommodes, mobility or senior products. what was it? 

Our conversation was  both casual and revealing, she mentioned she was a former  Special Education Teacher and is now living with her mother. As we continued, she told me at 28 her life changed. She revealed to me after that period she was considered handicapped . Her disability is daunting, not only does she only have one arm, she is also in a wheelchair. That is why she contacted me to order one of our Herdegen Adjustable Welded Commodes. Here is what she said ”I have looked for two weeks and am tired of the flimsy junk out there, that is why I’m contacting you”.  I went on and took the order and felt light inside. I did not press  for specific details how the accident occurred,
by this time she was pulling at my Heart Strings and I just appreciated everything I had.

One moment you’re the teacher of special needs and the next moment you’re the one that needs them. It really is a poignant story. Life is kind of like that. We never know  how long we have and sometimes we just roll along and take things for granted, sometimes  we take things for granted too long. Many of us complain and try to impose blame on others, when in fact it was just the circumstances and not really anybody’s fault. Take time today and tell your kids you love them, give them a hug they will never forget. Call yourDad or make a donation. Whatever you do just express a level of gratitude with an open heart. You never know when you may need help or comforting.

All the Best

Tony Zelinko