And who, historically, has pushed all these cuts? The very party the people in rural counties continue to put in charge. If there is one thing U.S. citizens are good at, it's voting against their best interests. We are, truly, a country of idiots.
As a Canadian with universal healthcare I honestly have never been able to comprehend how the country that has historically been (past tense!!!) the gold standard for democracy has managed to monetize such a fundamental human right.
Insurance companies are not in the business of healing, they are in the business of business; they exist to turn a profit.
The very essence of the two things….public healthcare and private entity for profit….run counter to one another. I have never understood how the two could coexist on the same thin wire. And when the tension on that wire becomes strained I would think that the giant that is the insurance industry is the one left standing while the war vet dangles by his fingertips.
We have billions to give to building weapons to use against innocent populations (in Iran's case, the very people we said we were helping to rid their govt) and yet we don't have enough for our own people. It's disgusting and it's immoral. If Congress had the same healthcare we have, things would change very very fast.
We need single payer--Medicare for all. Potential problems: (1) Cost. We can have guns or butter. Americans always choose to spend disproportionate amounts on guns. Accordingly, we cannot fund programs that benefit people. We are too busy fulfilling the self-assigned role of policeman for the world. It's not working! (2) Scarcity. Not enough doctors (or nurses) in many, if not most, specialties because there are not enough medical school slots or teaching hospitals to train up the numbers needed. As a consequence, the smaller supply drives up the compensation that the remaining health care providers demand for their services.
Another viewpoint, somewhat at odds with Shanley's: Living in a certain place involves making choices. When one chooses to live in rural or areas of low population, one assumes the risks associated with that environment--longer distances to find services and fewer providers. It will be more difficult to access a doctor, a firefighting brigade, a library or museum, a Costco, or a DQ. One trades that access for more privacy, cleaner air, less noise, living closer to nature, and brilliant night skies. There are a different set of risks living in the city: the EMT ambulance crew gets stuck in traffic; or the sheer volume of sick or injured simply overwhelms the capacity of medical resources to treat everyone who needs treatment in a timely manner; or urban density increases your risk of infectious disease or criminal assaults. But you trade those risks for better access to movies, theater or symphony, more bookstores, or a wider variety of restaurants.
To Shanley's point, however, if health care is left to market forces, rural populations will always be left with inadequate medical resources. It would take a government program to adjust supply by offering premiums to medical professionals to practice in under served or rural areas.
I graduated from Medical School in 1961. I did not know it then, but I am a lifelong Autistic. My
younger brother is also an M.D. When he finally told me the diagnosis a few years ago I had been considered a credible diagnostician for nearly 50 years. I retired 2 months ago because I
did not complete a continuing medical education assignment. How did I have a fulfilling career
for so many years? My mother coached me to continue learning despite the fact that I do everything slowly. Patients interpret that as caring. I need to listen to what people honestly share with me. Their medical histories are embedded in my cherished personal stories.
When the electricity that powers my office computer becomes unavailable, my recollections often suffice. I am ethically bound to treasure that trust. The care portion of the phrase Medical Care becomes a priority. I believe that can be learned. If credentialing could include that knowledge or propensity I believe that physicians could be encouraged to be more compassionate.
And...I will continue to say it again: We should all have the same health care that those in office utilize. It's top drawer, and paid for life. Yet, they continue to vote on our care and well-being and arbitrate over who can and can't have health care. WE vote them into office, they represent us, are supposed to work on our behalf and yet they continually rape, pillage and plunder any system of health care where the public is concerned. I'm sick of it...(no pun intended. Well, maybe...) Also: Mexico looks to be implementing a National Healthcare System. Kudos to them...
Our environment is not conducive to good health. Chemicals ... ie) Monsanto's Roundup, cigarettes are still made and sold, etc. Food ... groceries stores have more unhealthy food on their shelves than healthy food. Water ... there are still people in the USA and Canada who don't have clean water coming out of indoor taps. And the list goes on and on. So then diseases increase and people need health care. Healthcare coverage has been broken for so long and of course it's about money and I truly now believe that they simply don't know how to fix it. I keep harping that the Dems ought to be telling US citizens NOW what their specific and detailed plan is for the 'new' healthcare system. I wonder if Bernie and AOC have a strategic plan ... I must look that up.
Thanks, Shanley. My husband went through the same thing recently, so yes, you know how it works. When health care is monetized, care of your health is terrorized. The economic system has its priorities set up to benefit only one group. It is in line for a systemic overhaul by a new dynamic. There are more of us, not wealthy, than there are of them and it's time to remind them.
Clear and to the (tragic) point.
And who, historically, has pushed all these cuts? The very party the people in rural counties continue to put in charge. If there is one thing U.S. citizens are good at, it's voting against their best interests. We are, truly, a country of idiots.
As a Canadian with universal healthcare I honestly have never been able to comprehend how the country that has historically been (past tense!!!) the gold standard for democracy has managed to monetize such a fundamental human right.
Insurance companies are not in the business of healing, they are in the business of business; they exist to turn a profit.
The very essence of the two things….public healthcare and private entity for profit….run counter to one another. I have never understood how the two could coexist on the same thin wire. And when the tension on that wire becomes strained I would think that the giant that is the insurance industry is the one left standing while the war vet dangles by his fingertips.
To rural counties, Trump would tell them to move closer to hospitals. Tell that to a farmer.
Millions and millions of Boomers and their children are learning about this.
We have billions to give to building weapons to use against innocent populations (in Iran's case, the very people we said we were helping to rid their govt) and yet we don't have enough for our own people. It's disgusting and it's immoral. If Congress had the same healthcare we have, things would change very very fast.
We need single payer--Medicare for all. Potential problems: (1) Cost. We can have guns or butter. Americans always choose to spend disproportionate amounts on guns. Accordingly, we cannot fund programs that benefit people. We are too busy fulfilling the self-assigned role of policeman for the world. It's not working! (2) Scarcity. Not enough doctors (or nurses) in many, if not most, specialties because there are not enough medical school slots or teaching hospitals to train up the numbers needed. As a consequence, the smaller supply drives up the compensation that the remaining health care providers demand for their services.
Another viewpoint, somewhat at odds with Shanley's: Living in a certain place involves making choices. When one chooses to live in rural or areas of low population, one assumes the risks associated with that environment--longer distances to find services and fewer providers. It will be more difficult to access a doctor, a firefighting brigade, a library or museum, a Costco, or a DQ. One trades that access for more privacy, cleaner air, less noise, living closer to nature, and brilliant night skies. There are a different set of risks living in the city: the EMT ambulance crew gets stuck in traffic; or the sheer volume of sick or injured simply overwhelms the capacity of medical resources to treat everyone who needs treatment in a timely manner; or urban density increases your risk of infectious disease or criminal assaults. But you trade those risks for better access to movies, theater or symphony, more bookstores, or a wider variety of restaurants.
To Shanley's point, however, if health care is left to market forces, rural populations will always be left with inadequate medical resources. It would take a government program to adjust supply by offering premiums to medical professionals to practice in under served or rural areas.
Dear Shanley,
I graduated from Medical School in 1961. I did not know it then, but I am a lifelong Autistic. My
younger brother is also an M.D. When he finally told me the diagnosis a few years ago I had been considered a credible diagnostician for nearly 50 years. I retired 2 months ago because I
did not complete a continuing medical education assignment. How did I have a fulfilling career
for so many years? My mother coached me to continue learning despite the fact that I do everything slowly. Patients interpret that as caring. I need to listen to what people honestly share with me. Their medical histories are embedded in my cherished personal stories.
When the electricity that powers my office computer becomes unavailable, my recollections often suffice. I am ethically bound to treasure that trust. The care portion of the phrase Medical Care becomes a priority. I believe that can be learned. If credentialing could include that knowledge or propensity I believe that physicians could be encouraged to be more compassionate.
Thank you for advocating .
Hal
And...I will continue to say it again: We should all have the same health care that those in office utilize. It's top drawer, and paid for life. Yet, they continue to vote on our care and well-being and arbitrate over who can and can't have health care. WE vote them into office, they represent us, are supposed to work on our behalf and yet they continually rape, pillage and plunder any system of health care where the public is concerned. I'm sick of it...(no pun intended. Well, maybe...) Also: Mexico looks to be implementing a National Healthcare System. Kudos to them...
Our environment is not conducive to good health. Chemicals ... ie) Monsanto's Roundup, cigarettes are still made and sold, etc. Food ... groceries stores have more unhealthy food on their shelves than healthy food. Water ... there are still people in the USA and Canada who don't have clean water coming out of indoor taps. And the list goes on and on. So then diseases increase and people need health care. Healthcare coverage has been broken for so long and of course it's about money and I truly now believe that they simply don't know how to fix it. I keep harping that the Dems ought to be telling US citizens NOW what their specific and detailed plan is for the 'new' healthcare system. I wonder if Bernie and AOC have a strategic plan ... I must look that up.
Thanks, Shanley. My husband went through the same thing recently, so yes, you know how it works. When health care is monetized, care of your health is terrorized. The economic system has its priorities set up to benefit only one group. It is in line for a systemic overhaul by a new dynamic. There are more of us, not wealthy, than there are of them and it's time to remind them.