FWD [forteana] Health Care: USA, Iraq & Canada

From: Terry W. Colvin (fortean1@mindspring.com)
Date: Fri Aug 08 2003 - 09:40:18 MDT

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    The Dallas Morning News, 7 August 2003
    By Guest Columnist Diane Barnet, Arlington, Texas

    [COMMENT: Frankly, it is outrageous that the same President who does
    not want "socialized medicine" in America is planning to use American
    taxpayer dollars to pay for health care for all Iraqis. America is
    the only major nation in the world that does not provide some form of
    national health care for its citizens. Even lowly Cuba and North
    Korea provide national health care! Vote For Howard Dean For
    President! RS]

    Part of President Bush's plan for rebuilding Iraq is the provision of
    health care for the Iraqi population. Meanwhile, Americans lacking
    access to health care now number more than 40 million.

    The average American is just a layoff or divorce away from losing
    health benefits. Many workers remain in jobs they loathe in order to
    provide their families with medical coverage. The uninsured crowd
    emergency rooms. Even for the insured, co-payments, premiums and
    deductibles continue to rise meteorically and unpredictably. And
    don't even try to buy individual health insurance if you have a
    pre-existing condition.

    Yet our congressmen enjoy a lifelong govenment-run health care plan
    similar to the Canadian system. But mention Canada's health care,
    and shrieks of "socialized medicine" and "rationed care" reverberate.

    Canadian-style health care has much to recommend it. I should know
    -- I grew up in Canada and have worked as a registered nurse in both
    countries. The beauty of the Canadian system is that no one has to
    buy private insurance -- all are covered, cradle to grave.

    In each of Canada's 10 provinces, the health department periodically
    hammers out a global budget with the hospitals. Wasteful duplication
    of services is eliminated through the establishment of centers of
    excellence that specialize in treating certain diseases, such as bone
    cancer.

    Doctors are reimbursed by the government on a fee-for-service basis.
    That means not only that they are paid promptly, with a minimum of
    paperwork, but also that no third-party insurance companies insert
    themselves between doctor and patient. All Canadians over 65 get
    prescriptions free.

    Since all 28 million Canadians have access to preventive care and are
    spared the stress of worrying about how to pay for medical treatment,
    they are -- you guessed it -- healthier than their U.S. counterparts.
    Rationed care? No more than our HMOs and lack of coverage limit
    care, and Canadians can choose their own doctors.

    Americans aren't well served by the present "system" of health care
    delivery. Hardly a system, it is a crazy quilt of competing
    entities, including insurers, hospitals and other "providers". And
    the operative word is "competing", since earning profits for
    shareholders is the bottom line. Health care has become just another
    commodity that is bought and sold. It has become a privilege for
    those who can afford it, not a basic human right.

    Maybe Americans would be better off seeking medical care in Iraq if a
    comprehensive system is to be established there. But I suggest
    taking a look at Canada first, especially when it is time to vote. 

    -- 
Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1@mindspring.com >
     Alternate: < fortean1@msn.com >
Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/8958/index.html >
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