[Vision2020] Health care

[Ralph Nielsen]

I thought it was a very informative program in that it covered a  
variety of systems for universal coverage. Unfortunately, most  
Americans seem to have been indoctrinated with the idea the universal  
health insurance is "socialized medicine," and therefore to be  
avoided like poison   A couple of months ago a repairman at my house  
used that term with an air of dislike. So I asked hem what he meant  
by that term. He replied that it means that all doctors will be  
working for the government.

So I told him about my Canadian brother, who is a self-made  
millionaire, and lives in the Okanagan Valley, just north of the  
Washington border. About a year ago he had a hip replacement. He had  
to wait less than a month because he was willing to go to a younger  
doctor instead of an older, more popular one. Most Canadian doctors  
do not work for the government, they work for themselves. Only the  
insurance is paid by the government, like our Medicare, and ALL  
residents are covered, not just the rich, as down here. This is paid  
for by income taxes, which, of course, are based on ability to pay,  
and everybody is covered, regardless of income.

Last month there was a provincial election in Alberta, where the  
Conservative Party has been in power for 37 years. In February they  
called for a provincial election on March 3. I listened on my  
internet radio to a 2-hour debate between the party leaders:  
Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic (like the British Labour  
Party), and a small new party called the Alberta Wild Rose Party,  
which sounded like dogmatic libertarians. There were frequent  
questions about problems with health care but no one, not even the  
libertarian, proposed that their "socialized" medicine be scrapped  
and Alberta return to the old American-style system they had before.  
In fact, it was the Conservatives who had set it up in the first place!

Later, on March 3, the Conservatives were not only returned to power;  
they gained 11 new seats! Wouldn't it be nice if our conservatives  
learned something from the Province of Alberta?

Ralph Nielsen


Saundra Lund sslund_2007 at verizon.net
Thu Apr 17 13:41:57 PDT 2008

I'm wondering if anyone cares to share any comments about Frontline's  
"Sick
Around the World"?  For those interested but who perhaps missed the  
show,
you can watch it online at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/

I'll start out by stirring the pot a bit  J

After watching the show and looking into things further, I'm personally
convinced that neither Clinton's nor Obama's health care proposals are
adequate, but I'm far more supportive of Clinton's plan than Obama's.
Affordable universal health care coverage (considered a basic human  
right
even in Switzerland) mandates that all actually have coverage, something
Obama's plan neglects.

Health care is likely to be a litmus test of sorts for me between two  
very
similar (IMHO) candidates in the upcoming election because we're long
overdue to address the unconscionable and deplorable state of health  
care
access and affordability in this country.

Saundra Lund

Moscow, ID