[Vision2020] Health care

[Sue Hovey]

Donovan, that might be true, if it were only band-aids they had to buy.  However, I do agree with you that there is a better way--and most of the industrialized nations have found it.  As a people we need to muster the will to force our policy makers on state and federal levels to get serious about this problem.  I, for one, believe we must create a system of universal health care, one that is not tied to employment.  And while I appreciate the assistance, I think it's ironic that we provide coverage for the retired, and sometimes the very poor, and do nothing for those who are currently working to provide us with our Social Security, Medicare and Medicade, many of whom do not have available funds to provide coverage for themselves and their families.   

Sue H. 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Donovan Arnold 
  To: Ralph Nielsen ; Vision 2020 
  Cc: Saundra Lund 
  Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:08 PM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Health care


  Ralph,

  Universal Health Care, and Universal Health Coverage are two totally different things. Forcing people to buy health insurance doesn't cure anybody, it just makes doctors and insurance companies even wealthier than they are.

  I am 100% against forced health insurance purchasing, because it will not help the poor and will just be another tax benefiting the rich while hurting the poor.

  The problem is not how can we pay for a $60 band-aid, but rather, why we cannot reduce the cost of the band-aid to 60 cents, or even $6.00. If you bring down the cost of the band-aid, the middle class can afford health insurance and charity can afford to cover the poor. 

  Best Regards,

  Donovan

  Ralph Nielsen <nielsen at uidaho.edu> wrote:
    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

    =======================================================
    List services made available by First Step Internet, 
    serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. 
    http://www.fsr.net 
    mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
    =======================================================





------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  =======================================================
   List services made available by First Step Internet, 
   serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
                 http://www.fsr.net                       
            mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
  =======================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20080417/f9f181c8/attachment-0001.html