Next Time On Emergency 911

As Steve Benen points out, the Republican fallback position on getting sick is "Just go to the emergency room."

Zaid Jilani reports on one of the more ridiculous recent comments I've heard about health care reform.

One of the most radical opponents of health care reform is Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA). He has said that a public option would "kill people." Last Tuesday, Broun was confronted by a constituent at a health care town hall who explained that he has gone into debt because he can't afford insurance for his major depressive disorder. In response to his constituent's story, Broun said that "people who have depression, who have chronic diseases in this country ... can always get care in this country by going to the emergency room."

Now, I was glad to see the crowd boo in response to Broun's answer. It represents a fairly twisted view of medical treatment, and the fact that Broun considers himself a leading GOP voice on health care makes his remarks all the more ridiculous.

Indeed, does Broun, who claims to be a physician by trade, understand that those dealing with major depressive disorders can't just stop by the E.R.?

But in the larger context, Republican officials' reliance on emergency rooms as a safety net is in desperate need of re-evaluation.

And while Steve is certainly correct, my big issue is Broun's treatment of depression and other serious mental illnesses as something you just need to wait to go to the emergency room for when it gets bad.

Now, maybe it's because my parents have both been in the mental health field for about five decades between them, but depression, mania, anxiety disorders, and other mental illnesses are serious issues that should not be taken lightly and relegated to "emergency room only" status.