Health care for every American

I am fortunate to live in a country where preventive health care is plentiful and reasonably-priced. (Uh, that would be France; it's not quite so accessible in the US). I am lucky that my husband's employer provides us with excellent insurance and medical care, no matter where we are in the world.

But what if I didn't have that support? What if I returned to the US and continued working as a freelance writer and photographer? Would I be able to afford a decent healthcare package, without stretching my financial resources to the limit? Unlikely.

Here's the thing: health care is not political. It's personal. And it matters just as much to me as it does to you and the person sitting next to you on the bus. In the richest country in the world, being able to receive proper medical care should be the right of every single citizen - not just the wealthy or those employed by corporations large enough to afford to share in costs of their employees' coverage. In the United States of America, THIS should not be happening.

For those of you with the comfy cushion of employer coverage, thank your lucky stars! But what if you lost that safety net? God forbid you are stricken with some terrible illness and the life-saving treatment you need is denied, as in Megan's case.

What if you lose your job and suddenly have no coverage whatsoever? Would you then be more sympathetic to the plight of the uninsured or under-insured? Would you stop worrying about the ridiculous slings-and-arrows of politics and the self-serving rhetoric and distorted arguments of insurance lobbyists? Would you simply focus on the essential issue: proper health care for every American?

In the United States, we believe in equal rights for ALL - not just for the wealthy or those earning comfortable incomes. So why, why, WHY do we have health care comparable to some Third World Country, where only the most fortunate receive the treatment they need??!! This is unconscionable, no matter your political persuasion. A country that makes health care -and good education - available only to some of its citizens is failing to uphold democratic ideals, "with liberty and justice for all."

Read more and decide for yourself:

Paul Krugman writes about health care realities in The New York Times. Every American should read this piece!

In Newsweek, Jonathan Alter wonders "What's not to like?"

Healthcare tyranny: David Sirota writes in Salon how politicans with ties to the insurance industry are keeping the US from real healthcare.

US Rep. Anthony  Weiner calls on Republicans to "put up or shut up." Video at Crooks & Liars.

Standing up for Obama's health plan: A doctor who treats the disabled and injured explains why the reform bill helps America.

This may hurt a bit: Mike Madden writes about the advertising blitz  - pro and con - for health care reform.

Weekend fitness buffs crossing the bridge to St. Cloud.

In a dawn raid eerily reminiscent of Nazi storm troopers, this act of unprovoked Israeli aggression is not only cruel, but morally wrong. It also violates international law.

Comments

[Catherine]

Megan's case is not a good example of what is wrong with the American health care system. Many countries with "universal" government funded health care (ie funded for every citizen) would not be able to provide her with the enormously expensive radiation and chemotherapy treatment that may at best give her a few extra months. As the story says, she has stage IV cancer. Providing her with all that treatment will benefit the drug companies and rich doctors more that it will benefit her, although I understand that when you are desperate, you will try anything.

When I see on the news photos of a clinic in rural America, where the poor queue up for a once a year visit from a mobile clinic, someone is sitting outside in the rain with an intravenous drip attached, and treatments are being given on tables outside, that is when I think something is wrong with American healthcare. The same amount of money that Megan needs for a few extra months would provide hundreds of rural Americans with better basic healthcare. That, I believe, is what President Obama wants to do.

Apparently the US spends 16% of GNP on healthcare, and it is not universal, whereas France and Germany where it is universal spend 12%. By making healthcare private, it becomes a profit-making activity - that is why Americans get less healthcare for more dollars.

[Amanda Nicole]

Here in Canada, we have a fantastic health care system. I get so angry when I hear loudmouths in the media painting the Canadian health care system as farcical and as if we're all unhappy with our system and we're really going into the States for better care. Absurd! They're just looking for a way to convince Americans that they don't want government funded care. Which is also absurd. Grrr.

[Di Overton]

I can never get over the state of the US heath system (if you can call it that) and those poor Palestinian families my eyes welled up when I saw it on the news. How could one human do this to another?

[Allegra]

I find that our country has its priorities completely upside down. I know this is a tired argument but I would like for anyone to justify to me the fact that while spending trillions of dollars to support war efforts that result in thousands of deaths, we do not use the same mathematics to provide health insurance that could result in thousand of lives saved.

What is wrong with us? Until we stop and I do mean stop all lobbying in Washington I see little reason to hope for a better for the people and by the people government. And as far as the blue dogs go, time to throw all the rascals out. How easy for them to deny basic human rights to all Americans when we are paying for their health insurance.

[Stephanie]

Our health care system is a travesty...my daughter has to now find her own health insurance, this has been an eye opener for all of us. She can afford either health insurance or rent, so she is home (not complainin'...just sayin')

[Colette]

It's a great mystery to me why there is no universal healthcare in the U.S., and why so many are against it -- the same people who tell us it's the greatest country in the world, the richest, the best, etc. It worries me because I have immediate family in the U.S. They don't have healthcare insurance because it's so expensive. It's cheaper for them to fly home for treatment. Also, as a Canadian who enjoys universal healthcare in Canada, and have always had topnotch treatment, I've been shocked to hear talking heads (and politicians) on U.S. TV denigrating the Canadian healthcare system. I just hope commonsense and compassion prevail.

[urbanartiste]

The reality is that we are already subsidizing whoever has insurance and leaving out those who don't. It takes about 5 healthy people to subsidize one sick person within the current healthcare system in the U.S. Keep in mind there are some conditions that allow insurance companies to drop patients and medicare takes over regardless of age. One thing I learned this year really angered me: insurance companies can choose not to cover an individual with dialysis after 33 months and medicare takes over regardless of age. Then the insurance company returns and offers to "manage the care" of the individual. So, medicare is paying out 100% reimbursement to the insurance company, while the insurance company reimburses the healthcare providers 80%. Talk about a scam! What do they need to manage?!

I am a little disappointed in the lack of discussion and push for a single payer system.

[Marilyn]

Thanks for the links. Neither one of my two adult children can afford or have health insurance at all. I worrying often about them and pray they will stay healthy. I want to lock them in a vault and keep them safe. I know that France and many countries take better care of their citizens than the US does, it is disgusting.

[MiddleAgedWomanBlogging]

What Peter said!!!!

[Elyse]

This is a great post! I think it's so completely wrong that we can't supply health care for everyone. I have really bad neck problems, and I do yoga regularly to try to regulate it. Still, about once a year, I need to go to a chiropractor...however, my insurance has a $1,500 deductible...so I have to get really, really sick and pay a lot of money before they'll cover anything (and I'm a college student, so I'm not exactly making a ton of money).

I read somewhere that the U.S. is the last fully industrialized country without some form of universal health care. Very, very sad.

[JanePoet ~ JP/deb]

Well said. I hope that the Dems back Obama and not deliver a water-down, ineffective plan in order to appease the Blue Dogs and Republicans.

As for Israeli policies ... I continue to be disgusted.

Wonderful photos!

xx,
JP/deb

[ainelivia]

have just quickly read your post Tara, I share your anger. A few days ago I saw some anti health-care tv ads from US where they used some Brits talking about the failures of the NHS. Forgive me for being cycnical, I wonder if these people are aware that their views have been used in this way, or were they real interviews? Or are these fict-doc-ads?

Heard a comment on the radio in the past week or so, that the problem with the American Dream is that it's about becoming wealthy, not healthy.

[Peter]

The fact that the US still denies a
basic human right (heathcare), in
order to allow mega-insurance corporations
to make outrageous profits
shows that ' believing in equal rights for
all" is at present a travesty.