Chicken Soup and Healthcare
@DeborahDiane (40055)
Laguna Woods, California
May 13, 2017 2:44pm CST
This morning I read that the CEOs of Aetna and Anthem-Blue Cross recently commented that it may be time to discuss a single-payer healthcare system for the United States.
I am beginning to think of heathcare in terms of chicken soup.
If you go to the grocery store to buy chicken soup, you may want it to bolster your immune system, or you may want it because you have a cold. In either case, it is a good way to strengthen your health.
When you select your chicken soup, you can purchase a healthy broth which anyone can afford, or you can order a gourmet dish from a restaurant which costs several times as much. Either will probably boost your immune system and help your cold. The primary difference will be the price.
Healthcare is much the same.
We may go to the doctor as a preventative measure or we may go because we are sick. Either way, we are taking good care of ourselves.
As a country, we can offer a reasonably priced single-payer system which everyone can afford, or we can provide a "gourmet" plan which only the affluent can use.
I have always been raised to believe in being fair to everyone. To me, a single-payer system is fair. It would not prevent a wealthy person from obtaining "extra" services they may want ... face lifts, doctor shopping, going to the hospital of their choice, etc. The rich will always be able to get whatever services they want. However, single-payer healthcare would guarantee that everyone else is treated fairly and equitably. We would all have a healthcare system we could afford to use, regardless of our financial situation.
It's like the chicken soup of healthcare.
11 people like this
11 responses
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
14 May 17
The health system here works like this. We have a "basic" single-payer system that everybody must pay and can afford. With the basic system your doctor is fully paid, the hospital and medications are paid. If you want a private room in the hospital, the dental cares and other services, you pay more for every service you want to add.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
15 May 17
@LadyDuck - That is exactly what I would like to have here. Then, everyone would have basic medical care. If you want something beyond the basic choices, you have to pay extra. I have no problem with that. I think medical treatment is a human right; I don't think private rooms are a human right.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
15 May 17
@DeborahDiane This is exactly what I think too. We have the basic coverage, when my husband had surgery, we decided to upgrade to a semi-private room and we only paid the difference, for two nights it was not a big deal, less than to pay an additional insurance every year.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
15 May 17
@LadyDuck - We really need a system like that here in the United States. I hope things change dramatically here in the U.S. The system we have now is simply not fair. Too many people cannot afford even basic healthcare.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73444)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 May 17
I think that is a great idea. Just a bit of humor here but how about combining. If you buy certain cans of chicken soup you get some percentage off of you health care Anyway since health care is so important I hope they get it all figured out otherwise everyone winds up like here in Latvia. No actual health care, health care you can get is usually too expensive for the ordinary person and so on. In other words it is a total mess.2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 May 17
@RasmaSandra - I'm sorry to hear that healthcare is a mess in Latvia ... just like it is in the United States. I believe that everyone should be able to get basic medical care. It even makes business sense. You cannot have a productive work force if you do not provide basic medical care.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73444)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
15 May 17
@DeborahDiane This might interest you because improvement if any have been very little. This was written in 2014 and will give you an idea of what we have here.
The Latvian government is working on one of the biggest healthcare reforms since the country g
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
15 May 17
@RasmaSandra - Thank you for sharing this. It is unfortunate that there has been very little improvement since this was written. I wish all countries decided that basic healthcare is a human right. Maybe someday.
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15730)
• Canada
13 May 17
It seems to work in other countries!! At least it should be considered.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 May 17
@Hate2Iron - I agree that it seems to work in other countries. Some of my wealthier friends say they don't want to be restricted to using the same care as everyone else. Yes, that is an elitist attitude. However, single-payer would not restrict anyone who could afford to go above-and-beyond the care everyone else receives. There would still be concierge doctors and exclusive, private hospitals. At the same time, everyone else would at least be cared for. This even makes good business sense. How can we have a healthy workforce if we do not provide medical care.
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
24 May 17
Most of us know that if it is simple and might actually work, those in control are not interested @DeborahDiane
If they were interested in what works, the issues would have been solved years ago. How sad is that?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 May 17
@CRK109 - I hope they come up with a fair and equitable healthcare system, too. You know we are making progress when even the insurance companies say they are interested in considering a single-payer system.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
15 May 17
@CRK109 - I write a retirement blog. Check out your Medicare options. We found a Medicare Advantage plan (which costs no more than our basic Medicare deduction) that works very well for us. It is Kaiser Permanente, but it is not available everywhere in the U.S. For $20 a month extra, it includes vision and dental insurance. One of my friends, who is married to a successful doctor, found a Medicare supplement which was an HMO and was in-network for her favorite doctors. She said they saved a lot of money by switching to the HMO from the PPO. Most people do not need the most expensive Medicare Supplement (Plan F). There are very good Medicare options which are cheaper. Talk to an agent in your area and compare two or three different plans.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
14 May 17
@DeborahDiane Yes, that's a very good sign. I had to sign up for Medicare this year and that definitely needs help. This year is costing me a pretty penny and I was told that the first year is always the best year. Not good.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 May 17
@TheInvisibleMan - I like chicken soup, too, and I would also like decent healthcare for everyone.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79731)
• United States
13 May 17
Putting health care into a chicken soup scenario makes sense. Wonder if this will ever happen
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 May 17
@Marilynda1225 - I am glad you like my chicken soup comparison. I actually dreamed about it last night and felt I needed to write this post today. Weird, huh?
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 May 17
@DianneN - My husband was on Anthem with his Medicare, initially, and was happy with it until we switched to Kaiser Permanente, where we are also happy. We have always had good insurance ... unlike many people. I agree that the world would be a healthier place if everyone had decent insurance.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 May 17
@JudyEv - I agree that our healthcare system needs a major upheaval and it should be more equitable. We have a long way to go, however, especially with our current administration.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
13 May 17
I don't know what's best, but I remember working in a clinic that catered to military dependents. It was walk in and free. Most days we were so overwhelmed with people willing to sit for four hours for a free bottle of Tylenol that the ones that really needed to see the doctor couldn't get in.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 May 17
@BettyB - One of our daughters was married to a guy in the Navy for ten years and she was very happy with their military medical insurance from Tricare. She had no complaints. I'm sorry the employees at the clinic were overwhelmed where you were. I know my daughter never had a problem, even when she gave birth to her son and they moved from San Diego to Maryland during the pregnancy. They always gave her the option to use private medical facilities, too.
