Change

Change is tough but it's inevitable. There is always fear of the unknown but you can't rule out the curiosity to learn something new. Personally I have gone through many changes in life as most people reading this blog. My first big change came when I left Pakistan at the age of 11 and came to America. At the time I had no clue where America was and what it had in store for me but coming here was my destiny, so I came. The next big change came about when I was through with college and had an opportunity to live and work away from my parents. This was a big shocker because in our culture, unmarried children no matter how old always lived with their parents. With a lot of begging and pleading I finally got permission to live on my own. This I would consider as one of the most enlightening phases of my life. I was asked questions like, "Why do you not live with your parents?", "Do you not get along with your parents?" Some people even branded me as being a loose character because no good girl leaves her parents' home and lives on her own. There were whispers among family members also with aunts and uncles calling my mom and asking about my intentions. They also didn't fail to mention that no eligible boy from a good family would consider me for marriage; boy were they wrong!

Next change came when I was scoping out prospective suitors for marriage. Most guys I talked to were surprised when they learned that I didn't live with my parents, but there was one man who admired my courage to be independent and make a life for myself so I married him.

Married life was a huge change. My husband and I had known each other for only a few months before we got married and it was a very big adjustment. The first year was tough as we were both getting to know each other and learning to love each other in the process but after that it has been smooth sailing. I am proud to say that he is my best friend. He is the most kind and compassionate person on the face of this earth and although I don't say it to him enough, I love him dearly.

So change is scary but it's necessary because it means progress. I thank my father for the first big change for bringing us here. I know that my sisters would agree with me because we were living a very poor life in Pakistan not knowing if we would be able to go to college or get married in a decent family. I thank my parents again in believing in me and giving me the freedom to pursue my dreams of higher studies and a great career. I also want to thank my husband for loving me and changing me as a person. I am more grounded because of him. I value people and and their deeds rather than jewelry and clothes.

There are many changes in store for me in the future and I know that I will embrace each change because change is progress.

R

GO RED!!

We all know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America, but do we know that treatment of women with heart disease rests in the hands of political bureaucrats and big insurance companies? Working for a Cardiologist has given me an inside look into the future of American health care. Recently Medicare has cut reimbursements for critical cardiac tests for up to 40%. This may not mean much to a patient until he or she realizes that insurance lobbyists have convinced our government to set high deductibles and premiums for average Americans who believe they have decent health insurance. For example, you are paying $300 a month in premiums for medical insurance thinking that you will get the best possible service when you need it but what you don't know is that most of the insurance companies impose deductibles on some very necessary tests. A deductible is the amount of money that you have to pay from your own pocket before your insurance even kicks in. If you are lucky it could be as low as $1,500 per family but it could go up to $10,000 a year. Which means that unless you get into a car accident or have a heart attack you will never meet your insurance deductible for that year.

Medicare has justified cuts in cardiology tests as too many tests being done and it is bankrupting the government. I agree that there are doctors out there who run a battery of tests unnecessarily but what about honest doctors who are in the profession to help people and only order certain tests to rule out major complications? They are being punished by the government for taking care of or even keeping their patients alive.

We had a patient come into our office the other day needing a stress test. Upon verifying her insurance we found out that she has a $1,000 deductible and considering the way insurance works we were not going to paid a single penny unless the patient paid something upfront. When I said that to the patient she almost had tears in her eyes because she thought that she had good insurance and all she had to pay that day was her copay. Although she needed the test, she left our office without being seen. Now I work for a great Doctor who would've seen her without worrying about the money a couple of years ago but considering his expenses, he couldn't afford to see this patient.

Bottom line is that Americans are getting sicker and need medical care now more than ever but the insurance companies and the government are tying the hands of capable physicians by not paying them for their hard work and also penalizing the patients by imposing high premiums and deductibles. This is all because of lobbying or should I say bribery by big insurance companies in congress. This may not effect an average healthy person right now but it will when you and I need a doctor and the good ones will all be gone.

R