Obesity, Organ Donations, Prescription Pain Medications

The holy trinity of our healthcare system and it was all tackled on the season finale of Monday Mornings.  I have always loved lawyer and doctor shows, huge fan.  I really love David E. Kelley, LA Law, series; he and Aaron Sorkin are my favorite writer/series creators.  Anyway, if you get a chance to watch it, it's the episode entitled, "Family Ties."  I am sure this was a statement episode.  The obese 16-year-old male patient who has a heart attack at school.  The woman who is injured by a skateboarder, brought to the ER by and dies; even though she's an organ donor (signed the back of driver's license) her son sues to stop the harvesting.  The man who is addicted to painkillers going from hospital to hospital (he also looks very normal) seeking more painkillers; he is denied a prescription by the Attending (Ving Rhames); he then approaches another ER physician in the parking lot whom he has previously manipulated and when she tells him no, she is attacked and severely injured.  

While I was watching this show, I was astonished that these "issues" with healthcare were being addressed.  The obesity part was particularly poignant.  The doctor was angry and definitely crossed many lines but she was correct in addressing it.  "...this country spends $190 billion in obesity related healthcare costs...as physicians we just stand idly by and we should be outraged..." I promise that I haven't given away the episode because it's packed with revelations and aha(s).