On the PBS Newshour last night, they had an interview with T.R. Reid, the author of the book The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care.
Reid traveled the world to study how other countries offer health care to all of their citizens for generally half the cost of that paid in the U.S. He said he started this journey asking the question how do other countries do it?
In time he replaced that question with why do other countries feel that universal health care should be a right for all citizens. He is amazed, as I am, that we are one of the richest countries in the world, and yet many of our citizens die daily for lack of proper health care.
Why do so many Americans feel others do not deserve the kind of health care that they themselves enjoy? Are we really so selfish and ungenerous as a people?
Reid said many Americans would say we cannot afford proper health care for all of our citizens. But in other countries the citizens decided that this was their top priority, and then they found a way to MAKE it happen.
I remember when I lost my job a few years ago and could no longer afford health insurance. On top of feeling terrible about my life circumstances, I also felt like nobody cared about me or my health, at one of the worst times in my life. Life happens to all of us. Sometimes we become injured or ill. Is that our fault? Do we still deserve health care?
Our health is our most precious possession. When you don’t have your health, nothing else matters…
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Laura Lee,
Couldn’t help but comment today because I feel our executive and legislative branches are going a little wacky on health care/insurance reform.
We have a lot to do in the U.S. to make health insurance more available at a decent cost to more folks, but I don’t believe for a minute that our health care system is inferior to that of other countries.
First of all, by law, all patients who seek emergency care at an emergency room or trauma center must receive treatment, regardless of whether they have insurance or not.
Secondly, John Stoessel did a documentary report on ABC not long ago where he interviewed people and doctors in Canada to discover why Canadian patients continue to come to the U.S. for treatment. Seems patients, sometimes those who need a quick diagnosis and treatment protocol (as with breast or prostate cancer), must wait for weeks or sometimes months to get on the waiting list for a preliminary diagnosis.
And although I can’t cite the source or the exact statistics, I understand that the overall death rate in the U.S. is higher than in Canada and G.B., but the five year survival rate for breast cancer and prostate cancer is much better in the U.S. Makes me want to break down those statistics for a better understanding of the arguments being used in this debate.
Here’s my take on the cheapest and fastest route to aid for uninsured folks who need medical care — take the existing Medicaid system and change the financial and social criteria for receiving free care. People who lose their insurance when they lose their jobs should receive this governmental help, even if taxes must be raised to cover the cost.
There are other changes that can and should be made within our existing system, but overthrowing the part that’s working to fix the part that’s not working is silly and very expensive. Our economy is in so much trouble already that we must be fiscally responsible when we make these decisions.
Do you deserve excellent health care? Yes.
Are you “Entitled” to free health care? No.
These foreign countries with universal health care seem to often be socialist oriented with frightening unemployment rates.
Can we do better? I’m sure of it. Do we need to sign up everyone, beat the medical industry to it’s knees while creating more massive debt for our children’s generation, then figure it out from there? No. I don’t think our current government is smart enough to figure it out without ruining it for every one.
My 2 cents
Brad
Brad:
Too late to ruin it! It’s already ruined. If we continue exactly the way we are there will be no social security or Medicare for you or me, and the country will be in ruin from debt.
Have to do SOMETHING SOON!
Laura Lee