Now available in black, black, and black

One remark I've heard repeated numerous times during the current health care debate is the idea that if the government takes over health care we will lose our choice of health care plans. As it is now we are free to go out into the health insurance marketplace and find the plan that fits our specific needs the best.

However, I have never done this. I doubt that many other people have either. Like most people who work for companies that subsidize employee health insurance I use the insurance that my employer has picked out. It would be foolish not to. At most I get to choose between a crappy HMO and a crappy PPO. Two years ago I got to choose between a crappy PPO and a crappy POS. It turns out that in this context POS stands for Point of Sale, although the more common meaning of POS would also apply.

In eleven years I have worked for five different companies, and had probably a dozen different health plans. I wish now that I had kept track of them all. It would make a nice picture to have all of the insurance cards lined up in a row. Looking back on the myriad of insurance plans that I have had none really stand out as particularly good or particularly bad. In reality they all cost about the same and all had about the same level of benefits.

So the choice in this case is no choice at all.

The lioness and the thorn

Many years ago in a far away land there was a lioness who stepped on a thorn. Despite her best efforts she was unable to dislodge the thorn and soon the paw became infected. Unable to bear the pain any longer, she laid down in a partially covered swale and waited for death.

Several days later a man happened across the lioness, almost tripping over her in the dim morning light. Shocked he began to run away, but when the lioness did not give chase his curiosity got the better of him and he slowly returned. The man soon discovered the thorn and being a kind and gentle man he pulled it out, giving the great beast immediate relief.

Then the lioness, delirious from hunger, promptly tore the man apart, and had him for her supper.