Swine flu is turning out not to be a pandemic in the US, however, it could be one in other countries. The reason, Universal Health Care. It is true. If you live in the United States, you are able to go to the Doctor or Emergency Room and get care immediately. More importantly, since here we have competition between pharmaceutical companies, they are always developing better therapies to cure illness.
It is not uncommon for people in Canada to travel to the US for medical treatment or just for a simple test. In Canada it may take months for a patient to get a CAT scan or MRI and another month for someone to read it. In the US, you can get a scan within days if not hours and a diagnosis just as soon. Why would any one want to change our system?
Politicians say the main reason is so everyone can be covered at a reasonable price. Why? I better not ask, someone will say I don't care about the children. I say don't their parents care about them? Now I'll be accused of being rich and not caring about the poor. If you say that you have never been poor. I have. I used to pick up cans at a dump to make ends meet, use the same clothes, catch my dinner, boil water for a bath etc. I know what it is like to be poor.
Now I get accused of being different. I am not. I am short, overweight, and never graduated college. Maybe the true difference is when things got tough, I worked harder. What a novel concept. If you need something, work hard and you will get it. I did not believe in a bailout. If my boat has a leak and I am not bailing myself out, I will sink.
Under the current laws no hospital can refuse to treat anyone. If that is the case why do we need Universal Health Care we already provide it. What we need is to reduce the cost of care and treatment. Needles, IVs, hospital beds, or any medical products are not the reason, it is the cost of malpractice insurance and the possible law suits that medical professionals face everyday. Care and treatment is expensive because of tort law.
There are cases that deserve attention, like a doctor leaving and instrument in a patient. It is neglect and should be prosecuted so it does not happen again. The cases I am speaking of are when patients sue their caregivers for a scar from a cut, a women having a child with down syndrome, or not prescribing a drug addict opiates. In some states, doctors have left because the cost of practicing medicine is not cost effective.
If we want lower cost for medical insurance, we need to lower the cost of providing it. Only in a free market society can we do it. Lets change out tort law system so doctors are held liable for neglect only. They should not pay for scars or other out comes that are controlled by a persons body or genes. I haven't meet a doctor yet that has wanted to intentionally hurt me. I have meet some that I would not like to be seen by, and in a free market I can chose another doctor.
If you are poor or work for a company that has no health coverage here are a few sure ways you can get health care. Get another job. If you deliver newspapers or pizzas, you will earn enough money to buy an excellent health plan. If you work for a company that does not provide health coverage you can also get another job or find one that does. Stop being a victim. Do something. If you do nothing you will get, exactly nothing. If I can do it, everyone can.
Harry
