Dread and Awful Czar ,

Today was a weird day for Dr. J in that both a Facebook buddy and a colleague in the Ivory Tower both made snarky comments to Dr. J. regarding Mr. Cheney’s clockwork heart given that the 112th congress will be voting to repeal Obamacare. I suspect that a recent article discussing Mr. Cheney’s return to public life after his July operation prompted their vitriol.

Both of these otherwise very intelligent individuals felt that because Vice President Cheney is a retired government employee with a very expensive medical device, that he should be forced to turn in his Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) at the nearest Federal office building after the House votes to repeal Obamacare because:

a) It’s so obvious that there was no way he would have gotten a VAD if it were not for the Government-Run-Health-Care that he eschewed.

b) Vice President Cheney is a mean old evil man who would make the world a better place if he were dead, and it isn’t happening on their time table.

c) It is a nifty meme that, while completely irrelevant makes libs chuckle.

While I didn’t feel like going there on Facebook, I made these points to my colleague:

1. The Democrats in the House and Senate made sure that their gold-plated healthcare plans, which last into retirement and unto death, would be immune to the ravages of Obamacare. The health insurance that Minority Leader (that feels good) Pelosi and Vice President Cheney enjoy is paid for by taxpayers as a result of their government employment. It is not government run health care, nor is it subject to Obamacare. Dr. J. added that he would be very happy to discuss the excess benefits that government employes enjoy whenever his colleague would like.
2. Government-run health care (through the DoD, VA, or Indian Health Service) requires hoops to jump through, but our VA does provide VADs for eligible patients. It is a limited and challenging resource to obtain, however because there are few VAs and affiliated hospitals that can provide and support this complex device. Vice President Cheney did not receive a guv’ment VAD at the expense of one of one of our servicemen or women.
3. Vice President Cheney is very likely a wealthy man, in addition, his time working for Halliburton probably also afforded him a lovely retirement health insurance package. Because he has been relatively private about his health care, there is no proof that he is enjoying health insurance provided from Halliburton, the United States Federal Government, or if he was cash pay.

What will be interesting to see is if Mr. Cheney chooses to be listed for heart transplant. A transplant is trading one set of problems for another. Furthermore, he may not be the best candidate, and poor candidates tend to do poorly post transplant.

Regardless, Dr. J. wishes Mr. Cheney and his family a happy and healthy 2011.

Best,
Dr. J

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.