This is a Guest Post from Laura, one of my crime message board friends:
18,000 Americans die preventable deaths every year because they didn't have adequate health insurance when their condition was in its early stages and still easily and inexpensively treatable.
18,000 of our fellow Americans. Die.
That's 6 times the number that died on 9/11 (or at Pearl Harbor) year-in and year-out. We didn't let a little thing like budgetary cost get in the way of starting wars to avenge those deaths.
I have yet to see a cogent plan from Republicans and conservatives on how they are going to fix that problem.
In the next ten years, under the existing system, 200,000 of our fellow Americans will needlessly die - a sacrifice so that a profit could be made off of health care insurance.
200,000 Americans will die in the next 10 years.
Republicans, conservatives, all would rather see Americans die, than for Health Care Insurance be turned into a non-for-profit industry.
And just for the record, over 60% of the money spent on health care today is spent by the government already.
The private health insurance companies don't provide insurance where people are poor, old, or high risk (veterans) or governmental employees.
That leaves only 37% of the country.
Of those with insurance, only the people with government insurance have high satisfaction rates.
Only people with government run insurance are protected from being dropped by their insurance company when they get really sick.
48 million have no insurance at all.
Private Insurance won't sell those 48 million affordable insurance, yet they are trying to deny those 48 million the right to buy affordable public insurance.
You have a right to an attorney as part of your right to liberty, a right to an education as part of your right to pursuit happiness, but you don't have a right to a doctor as part of your right to life.
Again. 200,000 Americans will die needlessly in next 10 years for want of insurance.
This is just insane Ronni! Everyone should be entitled to basic medical attention.
ReplyDeleteEven in South Africa there are govenment hospitals where you can get attention for a small fee.
How is your toe? You must be so worried.
Good morning, Mgt...actually, I have promised to go to the ER this morning, if it's not better. I need to walk around a bit to see how it's doing, because, after having it elevated all night, of course it looks a bit better. It's not as red.
ReplyDeleteA friend tells me that the hospital will eventually write it off, if I can't pay, and that they do that all the time. I wish I could just go to a doctor with it.
But Ronni, sometimes they don't! Sometimes they actually do go after assets, etc. Depends on the group they're in, some are distinctly more barracuda-like than others. Here's the thing- say a 19 yo old gang-banger shows up in the ER w/ multiple gun shot wounds, survives after many surgeries, lies to the cops he didn't see anything, and, naturally has no fixed address, let alone insurance- now who pays for that? Ultimately those who carry coverage now, as well as the taxpayer. Think upwards of 1/2 million for this joker to get back on the streets, where he'll last a few more months if he doesn't get busted for something first. They can't turn him away. Now multiply him by many times each day.
ReplyDeleteMass. has only about 4% of their population w/o ins. now, since they made it virtually mandatory there, so universal can almost be done. That will not happen w/o a public option. I'm not in favor of single-payer (yet- I do have coverage through my job), BUT I think public option is essential if anything substantive is to happen.
And good luck with the toe- I saw a person die once at Mass. Gen. years ago when I worked there, of a gangrenous toe. True, he was an alcoholic street-person in the winter, but his original complaint was treatable and treated. Except for the toe, and that is what killed him. May good health and wisdom be yours!
ReplyDelete