Thanks for reading through my post and responding. However, I was making two basic points. Firstly that universal healthcare at any level is NOT "hyper regulated socialism". Secondly, that private for-profit healthcare as it is run in the U.S. is not only a complex maze of rules and paperwork, but that it is downright dangerous because one can be covertly denied a required treatment because it costs the healthcare corporation too much. And I honestly doubt if there is any safe way to realistically offer quality healthcare in a for profit system.
In fact I am willing to go a step further and say that the whole notion of competitive for-profit health care where one can shop around for services is inherently and seriously flawed. Because the basic idea that one can cut costs (to compete with other health care sellers) and yet offer standardized quality care is unrealistic as it carries the expectation that for-profit corporations are going to be ethical and well meaning in taking decisions which give precedence to standards over profits. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the idea of being able to shop around for healthcare as one does for cars can't work because if you did not buy a Volkswagen or a BMW or a Hummer and simply bought a Chevy Cavalier or Hyundai Santa Fe - it will still serve the purpose. But if an individual needing a catscan or an MRI was "carefully" screened based on a 30 minute interview in the doctor's office (as against a short 10-minute interview which is often used by doctors) it will not be the same thing. Or if a healthcare provider is required to see 10 (or 8 or 5) patients for each hour of time worked one cannot expect quality standards to be maintained, because there is no such thing as assembly line healthcare.
Please note that I did not take up your example of groceries, because
that is a can of worms in and of itself. However, I am not sure if
I can suitably respond to anecdotal information based on your experience.
And I am sincerely glad that that has been your experience. However,
as for the 10 Million people in the U.S. without healthcare, it may very
well be a higher figure. Take a look at these links I was able to
find with a casual websearch, seems like the figure may well be about 40
million without healthcare:
http://www.coloradosenate.com/results.php3?news_id=382
The PT Dept. website of Northeastern University:
http://www.ptd.neu.edu/pth1420/medicaid.htm
Ah well!!! Let us agree to disagree Jody.
Take care,
Biraj
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Biraj - you have written a long and thoughtful post. I cannot begin to reply on your level, but I will respond to a couple points.In a message dated 06/28/03 9:24:57 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
I found that I had to go through a maze of rules to walk into a doctor's office or avail of a health service.
<<<<< I too have found that as a health care consumer. But its not that I think our current system is good or that it is a good example of the free market at work. Its not only that I don't want Medicare and Medicaid to morph into Canadian style health care, its that the whole US system is already broken. The health care consumer has little incentive to adopt a healthy lifestyle to save on medical costs. The health care consumer has no incentive to shop around, since the costs are almost always paid by a third party, whether government or a for profit insurance. I am not advocating that the current US system is superior to Canada. I am saying I want a new system in the US, one where consumers buy healthcare like we buy cars and groceries. My vision is for a system with no third party payers for any expenses under say 10K per family per year. Something like the medical savings account concept, not tied to employment. This is a system which allows the consumer to set aside pretax dollars into an account to pay their own health care expenses. ( Sometimes called a health care IRA because any money left in the health care account later can be used for other needs. It is combined with a high deductible insurance policy to pay for really catastrophic illness. This would put the consumer back in the drivers seat. Those hassles, and that maze you mentioned, we don't deal with a hassle or maze like that when we buy a loaf of bread or even a car, do we?>>>>
To give one recent statistic, I forget the source (but perhaps it was "60 Minutes") there are 30 Million people in the U.S. who do not have access to healthcare.<<< I say hogwash. There may be 10% of the population uninsured, but most of these are young and healthy and intentionally have decided to go bare rather than pay the high insurance premium. Furthermore, I live in the ninth poorest county in the USA, one journalists like to compare to the third world, and I don't meet anyone who cannot get health care. All US hospitals are required to treat emergencies. Also, actual cash can still work in the health care system. My husband and I have been raising 4 kids for the last 15 years with insurance that has a $3000 per person or $10,000 per family deductible. Guess what ? Our kids have had the usual assortment of broken bones, colds, flus, tubes in the ears, two (one night) hospital stays, and we have used our insurance once. We have (gasp) paid for all those doctor, lab, drugstore, and hospital bills. And now we are starting braces on 2 of our kids. >>>>
Sorry if I am ranting. This topic is close to my heart. It rarely crosses over with the OT topics, and I know most OTs seem to be Democrats so I usually don't get off on these topics. -- Jody
