I've been asked a lot lately about why I hold such strong views about universal healthcare in our country. Invariably, the argument against adopting it is, "talk to people in the countries that have it. They don't like it." My question is why they don't like it? Do they have anything to compare it to? If the only discount store in my town is Target, and that's the only place I ever get to shop, eventually I'm going to have a gripe.
On the other hand, I don't feel we have much to brag about here, either. People are denied life saving treatments by insurance companies every day. Those who are lucky enough to be insured. Even the small stuff is bad. Recently, my wife and I waited for SIX hours in an emergency room (from 9:30 PM until 3:30 AM) when she sliced open her finger and needed stitches. We had someone look at her finger after the first hour and were told "ooh, that's pretty bad. You're going to need some serious stitches. Now go sit back in the waiting room and we'll be right with you." After waiting a couple of hours, I asked the receptionist when they would see her. She said she had no idea. Finally, my wife insisted we leave. The bleeding had finally stopped. This is not an indictment of the people who work in the emergency room. I know they had their hands full. However, under a single payer, they could have told us, "Hey, St. Generic's emergency room is slow, why don't you zip over there and they will be able to help?" Our insurance would have been just as good at either one.
I think what it all comes down to is this question: Would you rather have a bureaucrat from a non-profit government agency deciding on your healthcare or, a bureaucrat from a huge for-profit insurance conglomerate deciding on your healthcare with profit as the main priority? Give me the government every time. At least I get to vote on the leadership.
Below are the links to a series of articles that illustrate why I feel the way I do and why it's the best direction for this country.
The Only Sure Way to Fund
On the other hand, I don't feel we have much to brag about here, either. People are denied life saving treatments by insurance companies every day. Those who are lucky enough to be insured. Even the small stuff is bad. Recently, my wife and I waited for SIX hours in an emergency room (from 9:30 PM until 3:30 AM) when she sliced open her finger and needed stitches. We had someone look at her finger after the first hour and were told "ooh, that's pretty bad. You're going to need some serious stitches. Now go sit back in the waiting room and we'll be right with you." After waiting a couple of hours, I asked the receptionist when they would see her. She said she had no idea. Finally, my wife insisted we leave. The bleeding had finally stopped. This is not an indictment of the people who work in the emergency room. I know they had their hands full. However, under a single payer, they could have told us, "Hey, St. Generic's emergency room is slow, why don't you zip over there and they will be able to help?" Our insurance would have been just as good at either one.
I think what it all comes down to is this question: Would you rather have a bureaucrat from a non-profit government agency deciding on your healthcare or, a bureaucrat from a huge for-profit insurance conglomerate deciding on your healthcare with profit as the main priority? Give me the government every time. At least I get to vote on the leadership.
Below are the links to a series of articles that illustrate why I feel the way I do and why it's the best direction for this country.
Universal Health Care Can Save Our Economy
Universal Health Care Can Save Our Economy Part II: Quality Control
Universal Health Care Can Save Our Economy and Keep 1.7 mill
Obama on Health Reform: The Dog That Didn't Bark
The Health Care Cave-In
The Only Sure Way to Fund Universal Health Care
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8:58 PM
If this post were a painting, I'd hang it on my living room wall! You are spot on and I wish I wrote it. Can I please borrow this post? If I had a nickel for every time someone told me, "well, I have a friend in Canada..." or "well, my friend's Aunt has a friend in Canada..."... Any other time, most of these people don't know anyone from Canada, but when you start talking about Universal Healthcare, oh, suddenly they all know someone from Canada, and that someone is waiting in line in an emergency room and about to die (but of course, some government official is holding things up). Blah. Give me ethics over profit any day! No system is perfect, but right is always better than wrong.
10:49 AM
Thanks, Jason. Feel free to quote it or link to it. There's another blog post by Dr Mohit entitled "The Human Faces of For-Profit Health Care" where he talks about specific patients who have been victims, or near-victims in one case, of the current system. http://tinyurl.com/obmbxx