So Dr. Jack Cassell, a Lake County urologist, is getting his 15 minutes for posting a sign saying, “If you voted for Obama…seek urologic care elsewhere.” He should have added, “And if you lose your job or if you have a pre-existing condition and can’t get health insurance, you should also go somewhere else.”

I’m willing to wager almost all of Dr. Cassell’s patients currently have health insurance. The health care reform bill is most important to those who don’t. And all of Dr. Jack’s patients should recognize the fact that they could easily be denied coverage under the current system, through no fault of their own. And even if they have insurance, one serious health issue could bankrupt them.

The cost for health care for the working poor and even the middle class is going to be paid, in part, by taxpayers with or without the reform bill. Is it somehow more righteous to insist the poor suffer through preventable and treatable health issues until they end up in an emergency situation, at which time, we, the public, will still pay for their care and at a much higher rate than earlier intervention would have cost us?

Is it in the best interest of society to let our citizens postpone health care indefinitely because they must choose between seeing a doctor and feeding their kids? Or to allow middle class families to be driven into bankruptcy because of a serious illness or injury with the losses being tacked onto our next doctor’s visit? I prefer to be upfront and proactive about it, supporting positive healthcare through my taxes, rather than paying through both hidden, passed on increases to our health care bills and societal costs.

As for Dr. Cassell, while I recognize his right to speak his mind, I question the specific avenue he chose. I would be hesitant to put my, ahem, urologic health in the hands of someone who exhibits such disrespect for his patients, lack of professionalism, and questionable judgment. Then, again, maybe it’s just a PR grab for his wife’s candidacy for Lake County commissioner.