"F.O.A.D." wrote in message ...


A significant number of prescription narcotics abusers ended up hooked
because the drugs were the only way they could alleviate the pain from
a
work-related injury so they could get back on the job.

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Yes, and to young people also with any kind of injury or pain. It's
too easily prescribed by too many doctors. Same with prescribing
young kids Ritalin for miss-diagnosed ADHD. I've posted before about
my daughter's experience about this with her son. They were strongly
encouraged by one of his teachers (a 22-24 year old) that he should
be taking it because *she* took it. Thankfully the family doctor
vetoed the whole thing and he is fine.

Several years ago I had some oral surgery done. The doc gave me a
prescription for oxycodin for pain. I am old school when it comes to
this stuff. The strongest pill I take is an occasional aspirin.
Later in the evening of the surgery I decided to take one of the
oxycodin pills. Hated the feeling it produced ... and I was a much
bigger guy then than I am now. The mild pain at least made me feel
alive. I flushed the rest of them down the toilet the next morning.

Which brings me around to one of my pet peeves ... health care and
it's cost in general. We finally got the final bill for my little
overnight stay at the hospital last December. Even though I stayed
overnight, it was still regarded as "out patient" treatment for a
stress test. The tab? Over $14,000 to find out that I drank too
much high test coffee. We purposely have a health insurance plan
with a high deductible to keep our monthly premiums somewhat in
control. Still pay about $1,200 a month for my wife and I. Our
portion of the $14,000 bill came to just under $4,000. It applies to
the yearly deductible (which I think is $5K) but I still can't
swallow $14,000 for a few EKG's, some X-rays and a nuclear stress
test.

My guitar playing doctor friend just gave up his general internal
medicine practice for similar reasons. He's one of the old school
docs who was in it to help people with financial rewards being
secondary. He finally got sick and tired of the administrative
policies and cost to his patients that hospitals charged and he shut
down his practice. Instead, he took the exam to become board
certified for elderly and hospice care, something he finds much more
rewarding.