'Mergonomics'

An “erg” is a unit of measurement of available energy. The term is often used in industrial work-load calculations by analysts attempting to configure operational assets to produce their product most efficiently.

“Ergonomics,” the perfectly good word characterizing the study and employment of ergs, has been etymologically hijacked from its macro role and instead trivialized into the definition of designing work chairs to fit people’s ever-growing rumps.

Some large law firms call similar studies of the net allocation of their legal resources to meet their workload as the “ergonomics of legal practices:” “lergonomics” for short.

They analyze the needs of their clients; parcel the work among secretaries, legal assistants, private investigators, computer tools; and finally allocate the remaining load among lawyer associates and partners.

I propose a new and explicit body of knowledge to be called “mergonomics:” the allocation of the net (as in “all”) public and private financial and medical treatment resources to best meet the health-care needs of us all.

On Thursday of last week, I attended a “futures” seminar.

An officer from Kaiser Health Care enthused: “From now on, we will save health-care costs because with coverage, no one has to wait in overcrowded emergency rooms anymore.”

She later admitted that no one knows what the workload will be, who is going to pay for it, and where the necessary professionals are going to come from.

It appears that Obamacare was enacted without even a cursory assessment of the “mergonomics” involved.

This is legislative la-la land at its worst with the health of hundreds of millions at stake.

If the purpose of Obamacare is to provide more coverage, why have Medicare doctors been notified that their reimbursements will be reduced over the coming years?

How will reducing doctor income grow the necessary platoons of medical professionals? The answer is: it won’t.

I recently had occasion to compare several health-care systems and initiate my own mergonomic analyses for your benefit.

Last summer I traveled through Canada to join friends canoeing down the fabled Yukon River.

Only after arriving in Canada did I discover that I had failed to pack an adequate supply of a prescription eye drop called Cosop.

Then I found that even though I had a written prescription faxed up from my San Diego doctor, it could not be filled in Canada: only Canadian prescriptions can be filled in Canada.

Worse, the pharmacist informed me there were no private doctors in the entire state of Alberta and that my only choice was to wait for a possible opening at the nearby public clinic.

I visited the clinic and found no opening for days.

Fortunately the pharmacist told me he had emergency powers to write Cosop prescription and fill it, which he kindly did. But it shouldn’t have come to that.

A week later, we had another demonstration of Canadian health care, this time involving one of their own nationals.

On the river, we were asked for help by a local native who was apparently suffering appendicitis. Though we were only 15 air minutes from White Horse, a medevac did not arrive for three hours in spite of our repeated calls.

The man survived, but no thanks to their tardy medical response.

I had an opportunity to compare the Canadian system with the German socialized plan later in the year.

Linda and I ended up in Munich after a long trip where I ran short of a prescription.

I asked the hotel for the name of a doctor who would write me a prescription based on the one I had faxed over from the United States.

The concierge said: “You don’t need a doctor; I can take care of that for you.” Germany accepted the American prescription and allowed a stranger to pick it up. The price was reasonable.

The format of the German system, while socialized, is entirely different from the Canadian.

The Germans allow private health care to coexist with their public “co-ops” and Germans can pick and choose the best from each thereby keeping a measure of competition in place against their socialized model to the benefit of both.

Also, every German has to cover their co-pay out of their pockets.

Meanwhile, back in the good old USA, an old friend of mine, who has a family, had occasion to need some very serious health care but had no insurance.

He and his family are exactly those that Mr. Obama champions in his various speeches.

I researched the myriad of already existing programs, asked around of friends in the business, and finally settled on the appropriate government program for my friend and his family.

I helped him fill out the paper work and he submitted them, now months ago.

His health care problems continue, but neither the county of San Diego, The state of California, nor the federal health care authorities can find his paper work or give him a status check on when he might be covered.

Just like Canada, his health care is “free” it is just unavailable.

Time for the government to study “mergonomics.”

Stirling, a former U.S. Army officer, has been elected to the San Diego City Council, state Assembly and state Senate. He also served as a municipal and superior court judge in San Diego. Send comments to larry.stirling@sddt.com. Comments may be published as Letters to the Editor.