Editorial Commentary:
I think, before we go forwards with any healthcare plan, America needs to answer some basic questions.
The real issues we must answer are:
- Do we agree as a Nation that it is the role of Society to pay for everyone’s healthcare?
- If so, do we also feel responsible to feed every American? How about providing housing for the homeless? The list is endless.
Once we have *decided* these issues one way or another, the solutions should be pretty obvious.
IF we believe we should have socialized medicine, then cut out ALL the Insurance Companies (and the profit motive), and hire doctors on a fixed income, and fill the hospitals with the required numbers of providers. That should include ALL forms of care, medicine, chiropractic, acupuncture etc. It will be much easier and cost-effective to research the benefits of any form of care once they are all institutionalized.
Will doctors and insurance companies appreciate the loss in income? Sure, but so what? Let them eat cake! There will be plenty of new doctors who will appreciate a fixed income and the chance to help sick people. It’s do-able.
And of course, prevention needs to be emphasized. It’s a LOT easier to stay well than to *get well*. Until Wellness is promoted, we will remain a sickly, fading empire.
Before we go down that road, we should take a look at the Swedes. They found it wasn’t so “do-able”
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0803/international-invest-guide-obama-sweden-public-downsizing.html
Well, the fact that other countries fail at doing something doesn’t phase me…we’re Americans. But before we commit to any path, I believe it’s important that the majority of Americans think this through thoroughly, and then agree on the course of action. I’d rather NOT leave this up to Congress…I think we need a plebiscite so that we kinow everyone’s on board….one way or the other.
I’m just as pro-America as anyone. More reason to NOT go the way of complete socialized medicine as other European countries have done. And, just because we are America doesn’t mean we don’t fail, look at government run Medicare, it’s going bankrupt. I agree, I rather not leave this up to congress. It’s scary that they are trying to push the healthcare plan thru so fast
I’m no socialist either. However, if we have the will to provide services to the un-served (and I think we should) then we will have to radically overhaul the current system (health for profit) to make it work. It’s up to the people, and not just the rich ones.
I’m not a PhD in Medicare, but my understanding of the problem is that Medicine gets most of the pie, and they gobble at it incessantly. To make social medicine work there will have to be a disincentive for people letting their health go…for example, if you smoke AND get lung cancer, I feel you should not be eligible for heroic care. Pain meds yes…surgery no. And this should be decided disease by disease. Considering that most of the causes of premature death are all life style related, perhaps it’s time to shift to wellness planning, instead of disease maintenance. Is this radical? You bet-cha…and that’s how it could work.
Profit can work for you and against you. Take the profit out of healthcare, people and companies will be less inclined to work hard to please the patient or the stock holder. There will be less life saving procedures and medications developed etc…People for the most part work or develop ideas procedures for some kind of reward whether that is to feel better about themselves or to get rich. Of course medicine gets the greatest part of the pie, chiropractic is minute in comparison. I think that with any national health care, chiropractic, for better or worse, will be left out, deemed as nice but not necessary. No doubt there will be rationing of health services to save money, but I doubt it will be for services of the poor and less educated (about nutrition and exercise) since these are the supporters of the current administration but will be also of the elderly not receiving certain medications, hip/knee replacements because their lack of ROI (return of investment) and less productive years ahead of them. Like they have been saying, hard choices will have to be made. The problem is, who will get to make these choices for us. Will we be plugged into some formulary that spits out what our fate will be?
Frank said:
Wellness doesn’t start with gym memberships, vegan diets and, arguably, chiropractic treatments. It starts with food, housing and sanitation. I think Canada, a more “socialist” country does a better job at this than the US. Granted if we didn’t, people would freeze to death. Where I live, in Winnipeg, I used to be part of an organization that sends vans out in winter to pick up drunks passed out on the street so that they won’t die overnight.
The greatness of a country is measured on how well it takes care of it’s poorest citizens.
Beautifully stated John. The opponents of change point to problems in the current system in Canada or Sweden. Me, I prefer that we learn from those mistakes, rather than using them as an excuse to avoid making a choice. We need to move the debate away from PROFIT and towards conscience.
Was it not Winnipeg that just cut Chiropractic care out of government health care reimbursement? Providing “free” services for everyone, causes two things, rationing of services (non provision or long wait times) and a lack of appreciation for the service.
“Winnipeg” should read, Quebec.
Actually it was Alberta, following on the heels of Ontario and BC. And I don’t think there is a lack of appreciation for, say, cancer care in our province.
I am really tired of the exageration on both sides of the issue. I think that we need to do something about health care, but I think that there are lots of things the government can do other than take it over. One thing would be a simple change to the IRS code which allows Drug Companies to write off advertising as a cost of business. This would stop them from spending so much money on ads that frankly anoy me greatly. Every day a new drug and a new disease.
Sparky Organic Coffee Guy
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