HEALTH CARE
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NEEDED: MAJOR HEALTH CARE REFORM IN THE USA
Would You Be Willing To Give Up Your National Health Care Plan For A Year?
The other day I heard a man talking about national health insurance, and why it is such a terrible thing. So after he got done talking, I asked him if he would be willing to give up his national health insurance for a year. He seemed puzzled and said, “I don’t have national health insurance.” “Yes you do,” I replied. “You have Medicare.” I reminded him that “Medicare is the biggest and most expensive single-payer, socialized health care system in the world.” He seemed shocked. “It is?” he said. “It sure is,” I said, “And you and millions of other Americans take full advantage of this tremendous and very generous federal government health plan.”
Then I said, “Let’s go back to my first question.” “Would you be willing to give up your national health insurance for a year?” He said, “I couldn’t give up my Medicare for a year. There is no way I could afford to pay 100% of all my medical bills. And if I have to go into the hospital, it would wipe me out financially within a week. There is no way I could make it without my socialized, national health care plan called Medicare.” I looked him straight in the eyes and I told him, “Now you know exactly how I feel, and why I support major health care reform for our nation. It seemed like “a light” finally started to come on for him. He didn’t say another word. Thoughtfully he nodded his head, and then walked away.
So, I support health care reform. As a lifelong conservative, this has not been an easy transition. But a couple things have encouraged my change of position on this and a few other subjects. I like to think I am getting a bit wiser in my “old age” but I am sure that others will promptly refute that. Maybe I am just more open to see the value of listening to and finding value in opposing viewpoints, than I have been for most of my previous life.
One thing that has occurred this year has been my own medical condition. I have spent thousands of dollars with very little benefit. Certain procedures were rejected or postponed by my insurance company, even though my doctor and I felt they were very important. Certain medicines that doctors wanted to me to use where either “not allowed” by the insurance company or they cost hundreds of dollars because they were not on the insurance company’s “preferred list.” After meeting my $2500 deductible, where I paid 100% of all doctor visits, tests, procedures and drugs, I have to pay 20% of all further expenses for the rest of the calendar year. As you probably know, 20% of the costs of some medicines, tests, procedures and hospitalization, can be extremely expensive if you have a serious illness. Of course, starting January 1, I will have to deal with the $2500 deductible again. Some may think that I do not have a very good health insurance company. Well, it is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, which is not a new or small company.
I realize that multitudes of Americans have it worse than I do. Many do not have any health insurance. Others have plans much inferior to the one I have. My physician has told me that a large number of his patients do not get the tests and procedures they need because their insurance company does not cover it or they “under-cover” it, or they don’t have any health insurance. This should not happen in a so-called “advanced” western society.
Another thing I have come to better understand in the past couple years is that the national health plans in other western countries are not “terrible,” as the conservative media in America would have you believe. I base this primarily on the experiences of my family. For instance, our son has been a missionary in several European counties for more than ten years, including Iceland, France and the United Kingdom. In all of these countries he has received very good health care. He is married and has three children, all born in Europe, and all who have received very good "free" health care.
Canada’s health care system has been unfairly criticized by the politicians here in the U.S., especially by those who are supported by the big health insurance companies. I have two members of my extended family who have showed me the “other side” of the story. My wife’s uncle and aunt are Canadian citizens. They are elderly and have many health issues. They love the Canadian health care system. In addition, they have a grown daughter who has Down syndrome. She has not only been given all the special health care she needs but many others helpful programs have been made available to her. These good folks have spent their lives as pastors in a small evangelical church group. They would never have been able to afford the fine medical care they and their daughter have required. They are very thankful for the Canadian health care system.
And I just heard this one. My wife’s grandfather had duel U.S./Canadian citizenship. Later in his life he was living in California, when he was informed by his doctor that he had some serious health conditions which would require surgeries and hospitalizations. He knew that he could not afford the medical expenses he would occur here in the United States. So, for health reasons, he had to move back to Canada.
And, of course, we have all heard for the past twenty years, about how the prescription drug prices are considerably less expensive in Canada. Everyday thousands of Americans risk breaking the law to take advantage of this reality.
Of course, no health care system is perfect, and there are always “horror stories” that can be used by all sides to try to make a point. And I realize all health care is expensive regardless of how it is delivered. Countries that have total national health care, most likely will have higher taxes. But, health care for all Americans should be as important as civil rights for all Americans. And the current system in this country is broke, and it will take major reforms to fix it. I only hope that it is sooner than later, before more people die or have to live in pain just because they don’t have health insurance and cannot afford paying for the extremely high price of health care in this county.
I conclude where I started. There are millions of Americans who have a comprehensive national health insurance plan called Medicare. There are millions of other Americans who have a comprehensive national health insurance plan called Medicaid. I don’t think there are too many people in either one of those groups who would be able to give up this tremendous benefit even for a one year. The wealthy don’t need a plan; they have enough cash to pay for whatever health care they need. But what about those of us in the middle class who are struggling to provide for the health care of ourselves and our families, and for the most part, are very unsatisfied with the high medical costs and inadequate insurance coverage. Why don’t we deserve the option to participate in a comprehensive national health care as well? Would you be willing to give up your national health care plan for a year? Then don’t try to deny me the same privilege.
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IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE
It is hard to believe that only 150 years ago, here in the USA, slavery was not only tolerated but it was the "Law of the Land." We say, "How could those people back then be so blind? How could they justify denying freedom to other human beings? How could they treat these enslaved people so terribly, often worse than they treated animals?" I believe that some day in the future, citizens of the USA will look back on our generation and say, "How could our fellow Americans back then be so blind, so cruel and so unjust as to not provide adequate healthcare to all its citizens? Why did they consider something as precious and vital as health care only a privilege for those who could afford it, instead of a right for every citizen of the wealthiest nation in the history of the world?"
The USA spends billions of dollars each year fighting unnecessary wars, trying to police the entire world and sending up manned and unmanned rockets into space looking for "life on Mars" or some such thing, yet is unwilling to provide basis health care for its citizens. This is inhumane, especially for a nation with a Christian heritage such as ours. We need
major health care reform in this country, and we need it now.
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Are We Becoming Socialistic?
Too late, we are already a socialist society. The US spends more money on social programs than all the other nations of the world combined. Over half of the population receives government funds in some form or fashion, for aid, support, child care, medical care, etc. It started with Social Security under FDR, took a big jump under LBJ with Medicare and Medicade, and then Bush topped it off with one of the biggest social program expenditures in history, the Prescription Drug Medicare benefit.No wonder we are in debt. Everybody wants a government check but no body wants to pay for it. Simple economics, isn't it?