GIVE ME A BREAK

On my yearly visit to the optometrist, I noticed once again his offices had been redcorated and fancified. Since I had started with him in a bare, white-walled office in a strip mall, I realized he is making entirely too much money.

My visit began with his assistant trying to sell me an additional exam on a machine that made pretty pictures. Since I know my eyes have changed very little over the decades, I refused. As if I had committed a heinous crime, I had to sign a paper stating my refusal. I figured if he can't see my retina and optic nerve well enough with his ophthalmoscope, he needs to hang up his white coat and call it a day.

During the examination, he told me about his wife's spa, located next door, and all of the services it provided. On leaving his office, I felt as if I had visited a used-car lot.

More toys in medical offices don't improve health care. They just increase revenue. In the United States, we pay more for health care than do our European counterparts, without any significant improvement in health or longevity. Escalating medical costs in the U.S. have reached such epidemic proportions that many people are going abroad for their medical needs and, believe me, if I ever have a serious illness, I'll be country and health care shopping.

Give me a break. All I want is the bare-boned basics in health care. Give me the plain, white-walled offices without the bells and whistles. Then, I will feel more confident that my visit doesn't support the practitioner's decorator and spa.