Health care

I think the most important thing is to define the difference between socialized and universal health care. Socialized health care is when the government makes all the decisions about where you can go, what doctors you can see, what treatments you can have etc. In Canada we have universal health care...and we are completely free to choose our physicians, to seek second, third and fourth opinions if we are not receiving a proper diagnosis or course of treatment. Sometimes when people are not in crisis there can be longer wait times. However, we had an incident with my hubby a couple of months ago that made us truly appreciate our current system...even with its flaws. My hubby and I are self-employed...when we don't work...we have no income. He has been on a disability and developed a severe staff infection that was treated immediately...within hours. He had to have a week's course of intravenous antibiotics or he could have lost his eye. If he had not received immediate treatment the infecttion could have spread throughout his system and killed him. Each bag of the antibiotic I.V. cost $800.00 per bag...and that did not include the hospital time, staffing etc. We would never had been able to pay that on our current income. So...if we were in America...you connect the dots. Had we not lived in a country that provides universal health care to its citizens my hubby could have been like one of the 18,000 residents who die in American each year because they were in similar circumstances. In my view universal health care is a basic human right. The American Government can afford to pour billions into a war they started...but cannot mobilize resources to support hurricane victims...or provide health coverage for all their citizens. I know others see it this way but don't know what to do about it. Hopefully Moore's ability to shine a bright light on a dark subject will help to create positive changes in an area that really needs it. Just my perspective of course.

Thanks for the best response mark...I've been meaning to send you an 'attitude of gratitude' response for your vote. Just been really busy lately..but I do appreciate it.

From the title, I was not interested, but this is by Michael Moore, and is a serious look at things, of course from his point of view.I just had public TV on in the background, so it caught my attention. It is an indictment of the flaws in American health care. I think the people who have nothing are the most to be pitied, and the ones who are able to get something for nothing often have more than the rest of us who are not so crafty.

Well the way this was presented on TV, Canada has universal health care. Is this not true? What are the parameters of health care. There are many people in the US that do not have any form of health care. Others will not leave poor jobs, because of the benefits available.

I am glad that you are able to see the positives and point them out to us. It is good to have a balanced perspective.

I see but do they not chase you with a Bill then? I mean I really do not know how your System works I just know I have Friends there and they seem to have a lot of Problems on that score

gabs, as I posted earlier, you can go here to a doctor even if you can't pay. It is illegal for a hospital to turn you away here. Most people in the world dont realize that about our system. A lot of people in my own country do not even realize it.

Thank you for your first hand experiences. I appreciate them so much, and I feel regret for your foot. I have heard that socialization tends to make for less pride in your profession. I do not know. I could not walk by anyone who needed care.

This is a good reminder, but having worked in a social needs based program, I would say it is amazing how poor you can be and still not get health care for yourself. I will admit, for people willing to do the paperwork there is care for almost any child. Medicaid for children will pay for some dental, if you can find a dentist that will accept it, and for one pair of glasses every two years, unless it has changed. That being said, I have also worked in a social services aspect for a nursing home. Medicaid does not pay for dental work, or false teeth, if you need hearing aids, medicaid will pay for one, not two. Medicare will pay for an eye exam, but nothing pays for the frames and lenses. However, that is not to say that we do not have great medical care, only that there are some gaps, and things that need to be covered.

I know what we have does not work for all people. I appreciate what you say about government. They have messed up on a lot of things. For every service government manages, taxes go up. I would love to figure how to help everyone. There are a lot of people in need.

Yes, but getting the government involved is never a good answer. Look at the way the government handles things. do you really want yours and your childrens lives in their hands? Anything this government touches becomes bloated, more expensive and slow. What are needed are more private programs through the hospitals and medical centers. In addition, incentives and tax breaks to medical companies nd pharmacutical companies to keep the cost of producing the equipment and medicines down. Government is not the answer to any problem. I don't believe it is the governments job to care for me. Only to create an environment in which an individual can be successfull and prosperous.

I have only seen comments about the movie and some clips. I am sure it has some very graphic information. I surely do appreciate your most thorough response. I do not have an HMO, but my sister did, and it often delayed her treatment with a recurring cancer. She always wanted to have the energy to sue the HMO. When my first husband was alive, we had some very good insurance for his illness. I felt like God had led us to that place, long before he became ill. I have had consistently good insurance provided by the school district. I only pay for two months premiums per year. Other places I have worked, the companies have not always forwarded the premiums to the insurance, and people have gotten sued over not paying, when they thought they had coverage. I have experience with knowing what the elderly in nursing homes have. Again, I thank you for your input, and your forthright statements.

And don't forget...Bill O'Reilly makes lots of money, so he can afford whatever healthcare system he wants!