Suddenly it occurred to me that though Natasha Richardson got injured in a country with universal health care and therefore insufficient funds to keep a med-evac helicopter anywhere near the ski resort, her wealthy if left-leaning family wasted no time getting her out of the Canadian hospital she was late to and over to New York. Seems to be rare indeed for people with money to waste time leaving their sick or injured loved ones in countries that claim to take care of everybody. I'm not sure how proponents of universal health care address that fact. Sorta reminds me of those folks who think gun control is a reasonable response to crime, yet are unable to claim that Republicans and the NRA and others who fight for gun rights are actually soft on crime.
Not that I'm opposed to everyone having coverage. But to serve everyone, a society really has to build up the wealth first. Not there yet. Keep the pressure on, by all means. But the problems of war and economic disparity precede. Freedom comes before justice.
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Don
I'm too serious
Tell me, tell, me, if you think you know
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12 comments:
I'm not a fan of universal health care (my capitalist is wrestling with my socialist again) but the system has to change. The money and effort it takes to bill insurance to bill you then advise of the billing and the amount due and the amount still under consideration with your provider culminating in a paper bill to you in the amount of $2.34 creating more human processing…yikes.
There are more receptionists and temporary secretaries in my doctor’s office than doctors.
Since when did your war have anything to do with freedom?
Not every war does. Whether or not this last one could be justified as being about freedom (and whose), I wasn't being so specific. The conditions that lead to war prevent human society being wealthy enough to guarantee sufficient medical etc. for everyone. The near-term redistribution solutions favored by leftists / socialists / liberals (pick your degree) require assaults on freedom (some of which may be acceptable). But they don't solve the underlying economic problems that lead to war without also creating more problems that lead to war.
I'm more a proponent of a slowly rising tide driven by cooperative self-interest. The flip side to my comment here could be that, while Canada's leveling system might have prevented a helicopter being available for Natasha Richardson, it is only in the last decade or two that we have gotten so used to the idea of med-evac to even notice it missing.
Don, did you go and start war again??!!! Dangit! I can't trust you alone, can I?!
Love you both ;)
Wha? I thought they brought her back to NY cuz she was already brain-dead and that's where her family was. Granted, rich peeps from other countries do tend to come here for medical care, while our poor people get nothin'... That is a trade-off sure. Let's see, more of our poor Americans getting treatment while rich Saudis have to stay in crappy hospitals in the desert... Hmm.
Yeah, maybe you're right, I dunno. I started this off of something I read somewhere, but eh. I'm tired of being so serious.
Break out the strawberry for a bit!
Seems to be rare indeed for people with money to waste time leaving their sick or injured loved ones in countries that claim to take care of everybody. I'm not sure how proponents of universal health care address that fact.
Oh, people with money do very well with healthcare in the U.S. It's the other 95% of the country we're worried about. That's how we address that fact.
Despite all you hear about America having the best health care in the world, the World Health Organization does not agree. Using the barometers of Life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and number of doctors and nurses per 1000 people, we are nowhere near the top. Yet we pay twice as much per capita into the system than any of the higher ranked countries.
Example: Germany's Life expectancy is 80 years, IMR/1000 births is 4, their per capita expenditure is $3,521. 17.3 % of government revenue is spent on health, and the government pays 76.9% of health costs.
In Sweden, the numbers are, respectively, 80.5, 3, $3,532, 13.6%, and 84.9%
In the U.S, they are 77.5, 6, $6,096, 18.9%, and 44.7%.
We pay twice as much per person, yet not every person is covered. Obviously, we're not getting that great a deal. There may be things that American health care excels over the world in, but it isn't helping us live longer than in other developed nations, or keep more babies alive. Perhaps it's boob jobs. Anyway, the system needs to be addressed with patients rather than profits in mind, and THAT is what really bugs the people in government who pretend that every "European" health care system is exactly the same.
It's the other 95% of the country we're worried about. That's how we address that fact.
Address it by worrying? No wonder nothing ever gets done.
Freedom before justice? Are you kidding? Freedom is justice.
Freedom is justice. Yes, true. If people truly have freedom, then justice will follow. This is what I said. Some contend that there can be no freedom until there is justice. I don't want to open yet more debate but it is usually the socialist types (left and right) who insist on fixing problems before ensuring liberty.
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