The U.S. health care system is based on income. not need.

QUOTE from Mother Teresa: "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."


LEARNING about the American health care system. In last week's newspaper there was a Guest Column by a man named Tom Walsh. Tom has been a medical and science writer for nearly 40 years. He formally wrote for the Cedar Rapids Gazette but now lives in Maine. His column was a learning experience for me in regard to the American health care system. Here is what he had to say.

The sad but true reality is that health care in America is rationed not by medical needs, but by income.
Those with means have access to care at a minimal cost, because of their eligibility for or ability to afford health insurance, while those who subsist on minimum wages with no health insurance fend for themselves, often forsaking preventive care due to the substantial involved costs.
He told the story of the lady who cleans his house. She also works as a "stern man" on a lobster boat, removing lobsters from traps and re-baiting the traps for resetting. Betty has a live-in boyfriend. He is a carpenter and finds work sporadically. Both earn minimum wage, and neither has health insurance.
Betty discovered a few months ago she was pregnant in an unplanned sort of way. Without health insurance, having the the baby, given prenatal care and delivery costs, would cost at least $20,000. A premature baby might run $40,000. Betty's other option was an abortion that would cost $600. She decided she wouldn't give up the baby. She said, "I know I'll be paying the hospital $100 a month the rest of my life, but that's okay. I want this baby."
It's regrettable that America has such a dysfunctual health care delivery system that women without means are put in this position.
Ironically, if Betty lived a 100 miles up the road, in New Brunswick, Canada, the cost of having a baby, premature or not, would be $0.00. That would also be the cost of an abortion.
Clearly, she would be paying higher income taxes for that medical care entitlement, but she wouldn't find herself in debt for years.
Every health care delivery system rations care. In the U.S. it's rationed by income.
In Canada it's rationed by waiting times, although those with life-threatening needs go to the front of the medical care queue.
Meanwhile, even Americans of means are forced to endure a health care delivery system that reflects dismal results in terms of outcome, including infant mortality.
Compared with five other developed nations - Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom - the U.S. health care system ranks last or next-to-last on five dimensions of a high-performance health system: QUALITY, ACCESS, EFFICIENCY, EQUITY, and HEALTHY LIVES.
The U.S. is the only country among these six nations without universal health insurance coverage.
It seems clear that the only way to survive the American health care system, both physically and financially, is to do everything you can to stay out of it.

(Mr. Walsh produced a 10-part series on the Canadian health care system that won national and state awards. If you want to make a comment to Tom Walsh go to his website: tom.walsh@jax.org)

This column was an eye-opener for me. What I do not understand about some people in this country is why thay are so opposed to universal health care but then when they turn 65 they gladly sign up for Medicare and feel it is wonderful. For some reason they think Medicare is not government run health care. How stupid can you be??????

HUMOR for today:

Teacher: Peter, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested.
Peter: A teacher.

Teacher: Peter, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
Peter: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L
Teacher: No, it's wrong
Peter: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.