When Bubbles Collide
Pennsylvania’s optometrists “want to do more”. Rather than simply prescribing glasses and contact lenses, a process that’s already very automated, they want to do some laser work on patients’ eyes. They describe it as burning away “humps and lumps” around the eye.
“Wait just a minute!”, the ophthalmologists have replied. “That’s our job! We, after all, have medical degrees! We can be trusted!”
Optometrists answer: “Now, things are so simple that we no longer need people with medical degrees to do a lot of laser operations. We can do a lot of jobs more inexpensively, and should be allowed to do so.”
Optometrists vs. Ophthalmologists
Lobbyists from both the Optometrists and Ophthalmologists are meeting with key legislators. Together, “a compromise will be worked out.” That way, both of the smaller bubbles within the larger Medical Bubble will be protected. Even more importantly, the “Legislature Bubble will be blown larger by contributions from both groups.
No one from any group, Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, or Legislature is making an obvious suggestion: “Why not let people decide whom they’d like to take care of their problem?”
Our entire system is made of such bubbles. Our Legislative Bubble is there to protect the system of bubbles. So, all of us pay more than necessary for almost everything we want. The difference between our system and outright slavery grows narrower every day.
P.S. Another war of “battling bubbles” is taking place within the larger Medical Bubble. Dentists are working to prohibit “Dental Therapists” and “Advanced Dental Therapists” from doing basic dentistry. As always, the established Dental Bubble professes to be “worried about public health”. If they were really worried about public health, they’d do everything possible to make dental costs lower so that more patients would be treated. Instead, “worries about public health” mask the desire to maintain and increase dentists’ personal incomes.
Thanks for reading When Bubbles Collide: Optometrists vs. Ophthalmologists, this post was brought to you by Catholic Fundamentalism.
