A side note

[blamebrampton]

Dear Americans,
Outside of your strange, strange country, most of the developed world has this marvellous thing which we like to call health care for all. I'm reading an interesting mpreg (that will teach me not to read the warnings!*) story from hd_hols and the poverty-stricken pregnant one is in despair as his health insurance will not cover it. On the off-chance it was written by someone on my flist, the good for society news is that in the UK, this is not the problem you might think it is! And I have my fingers crossed that in the US, it won't be for much longer, either.

(And if anyone is planning to respond telling me that socialised healthcare is evil, I will LAUGH AT YOU, and then I will QUOTE REAMS OF STATISTICS until you FLEE.)

XXX
BB

* And yes, my dislike of mpreg is not supported by the excellent writing that occurs within that genre and the imaginative plots that many superior writers bring to bear on the concept. But I still don't like it!

Comments

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Dude, you have some 27,000 deaths per annum in your country because people do not have health insurance. You went to war over a number 1/9th that.

And the think that you're overlooking is that public health care systems function IN UNISON with private out here in the rest of the world. You can still pay for your (MUCH CHEAPER) health insurance and buy private dentistry if the public is no good. Or even just pay private rates when you need it since the public system keeps those rates from spiraling out of control.

:-P !!

[nqdonne.livejournal.com]

All I'm saying is that the systems in place in the UK, Germany, etc. are not realistic solutions for this country, and as joanwilder pointed out below that, often, those who criticize us don't know the nuances of our system (as she mentioned -- it's illegal to deny someone emergency treatment, so it's not like we intentionally kill people, our issue is that we then leave people with no way to PAY for treatment). Mind you, I don't think you are one of those people -- I know you are a smart cookie who knows her stuff :D

I also, frankly, covet our surgery/emergency system and if I have to pay for it, so be it. It chills my heart to think of what might have happened to my mother in a socialized system, when she was really ill a few years ago. As it happened, we went to one of the best hospitals in our geographic region, and she went into emergency surgery immediately, no questions. Otherwise, she would have died. (wait lists = FAIL) We were just lucky that she works for a fantastic employer (incidentally, they are European!) who has great benefits, and it was 100% covered. As someone who is (thankfully) college educated and has the ability to get a good job at a company with great benefits, I want my privatized care. Now, finding a better, partly socialized solution for other people? Is what this country needs to do. But we have one of the best medical systems in the world for a reason (aka: b/c money is evil and makes the world go round). We have some of the best medical schools and specialists because we have our money-sucking privatized system. I wouldn't trade our system and what it is (and why it is) for anything, but it needs modifications going forward.

[nqdonne.livejournal.com]

Oh, and just a nice GIP, b/c I have NO idea why I went into debate mode :P :P :P

HAPPY FUN TIEMS NAO PLZ. :D

(but, um, yeah, I srsly did tell that author that the premise of her story didn't gel with UK systems, LOL)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

You ARE VERY HOT! There we go ;-)

And you know that we disagree on politics, I do with many of my dearest friends, it's okay, we agree on important issues like m/m action.

[joanwilder.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean to coop your LJ. :) And you're absolutely right, dear, the important issues, like slash, will forever overcome paltry things like differences in philosophy...as it should!! Btw, I loved my Christmas fic from Jen; thanks for helping her!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

YAY CHRISTMAS FIC! I am looking forward to reading your present to her, she adores it so!

And I am of the firm opinion that people who I like are allowed to hold radically different opinions to mine*. Otherwise life would be very very boring indeed.

*People I don't like are also allowed to, but I care not for them ;-)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know that experiences with the NHS can leave people, rightly, very cold. Though it has improved significantly since its worst days and I think you would be hard-pressed finding people who are killed by wait lists. Hospital infections, yes, but that's another matter.

The Australian system is even better, waitlists are only for non-essential treatment here. It means it's a bugger if you need a new hip, but if you have cancer or heart disease, you are in without any delays.

And while there is some brilliant infrastructure in the American system because of all the money-grubbing, on the whole it delivers a lower standard of care than the British or Australian systems. So your tiny percentage of people with obscure all-but-inoperable tumours will be in luck in the US, but on the whole, the average person will be better off in Australia or the UK.

It's symbolic of what's wrong with the whole system, really. And I know that you are going to be cranky-pants with me for suggesting that sometimes it's better to let a tiny number of obscure cases cark it so that you can keep the great number of people alive and healthy, but, well, it IS. And that's not socialism, it's just sense.

But yes, your system is not the great evil that turns away the actively dying or delivering that Mr Moore might suggest, because when it comes down to it, these people are doctors and that would go too far against the grain!

[drgaellon]

But, OTOH, it is the legally-required incontrovertible requirement for physicians to provide INVOLUNTARY FREE CARE that, in part, drives the spiralling cost of health care. You're paying for it twice - once in your taxes, and once every time you access the system - because the doctors and hospitals have to charge more to cover the cost of caring for those who can't pay.

As a physician, if I want to maintain my hospital privileges, I must take ER call, and I must take every patient that comes in, regardless of ability to pay, care for them through their entire hospitalization and see them in my office until the current, acute illness is resolved. I can bill them for it, I can dun them for it, I can send them to collections for it... I can drive them into bankruptcy over it (#1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the US: health care bills), but I can't refuse to care for them.

Your insurance insulates you from that - and it's that very insulation that drives the American demand for the newest, "best" treatment (NB: newest != best!!!!). If you don't know or care what it costs, because you're never out-of-pocket, of course you're going to demand the newest, most expensive treatments.

This system is BORKED, and has been for 30+ years. Yes, it's entrenched. Yes, it's working, in a limping-along fashion... but it isn't going to for much longer. It needs a fresh start and a new approach.