U.S. Health Care Sucks Unless You Are Dick Cheny
HEALTH CARE — U.S. HEALTH SYSTEM RANKS WORST IN PREVENATABLE DEATHS: In Saturday’s ABC/Facebook presidential debate, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said, “The reality is that, with all of its infirmities and difficulties, we have the best health care system in the world.” It’s a claim conservatives like to tout. Last month, President Bush insisted, “We have fabulous health care in America, just so you know.” He added, “[B]efore people start griping about the health care system here…compare it with other systems around the world.” Today, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine released a report that ranked the United States “worst among 19 countries in the number of deaths that could have been prevented through better access to timely and effective health care. … Had the United States performed as well as the top three countries — France, Japan and Australia — it would have seen about 101,000 fewer deaths per year.” All three countries have publicly-financed health systems. One of the study’s researchers, Ellen Nolte, “said the large number of Americans who lack any type of health insurance…probably was a key factor” in the low ranking.
HEALTH CARE — NEW HEALTH CARE AD: ‘EVERY AMERICAN DESERVES CHENEYCARE’: Last month, the California Nurses Association and the National Nurses Organizing Committee ran ads in Iowa newspapers advocating for a single-payer health-care bill, highlighting the fact that Vice President Dick Cheney has benefited from his government-provided coverage. “If he were anyone else, he’d probably be dead by now,” considering his long history of health problems, claimed the ad. The group’s newest round of ads, which ran “in eight New Hampshire papers” last Friday and went “national” yesterday, dubbed a new name for “guaranteed, publicly-funded health care for all Americans”: CheneyCare. They ask “readers to go to CheneyCare.org and sign a petition in support of CheneyCare for all Americans.” Cheney’s office “did not respond to a request for comment” by the Washington Examiner, but in December, when the original ads ran, Cheney spokesperson Megan Mitchell said that “something this outrageous does not warrant a response.” As The Progress Report noted at the time, what is actually outrageous is the fact that there are roughly 47 million people in America without health insurance, including 3.2 million children. President Bush has twice vetoed legislation that would have expanded coverage to four million more children.
www.americanprogressaction.org
Roxanne Walker
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Reader Comments (13)
The System lacks safeguards so Mr. Cheney might get the wrong pacemaker inserted. The System does not have a standard Rx protection computer program so Dennis Quaid's twin babies got over-dosed with heparin. Dana Carvey, the comedian, got a nice clean operation...on the wrong coronary artery! The bill for the care on my infected wrist operation was in five figures and the doctor who saved my career (and wrist) got paid in three figures. (Go figure!)
Much as I hate to disagree with the California Nurses Association as you quote above, we do not deserve "CheneyCare." We deserve effective, safe, constantly improving, cost-efficient care. Healthcare will continue to suck for all Americans including Mr. Cheney until we -- yes I wrote WE, you, me, all of us -- create a good system.
Roxanne
Then I attend University (on scholarship) in the United Kingdom where I was given a National Health Insurance number and did not use it for ages. I was so programmed to never be able to go to a hospital or Doctor. Until I really needed to go once. Wow. What a difference. Almost no paperwork, quickly was seen, was given a battery of tests and follow up and no stress about how I was going to afford it. Very well mannered Doctors, very patient and understanding.
Hmmm... Well, I don't know about other people but I liked my time with the National Health system in the UK. So much so my British wife and I have decided when we have children they will not be born under this horrible American health care system. Go figure.
If you don't like the US - leave - enjoy Belgium and the UK.
My former company started this mess for me, they got caught up in this whole "deductible/out of pocket is less expensive scheme". We switched in April. Come Nov/Dec my family developed medical problems. I was trying to keep up as we went, paying "my share". Come to find out the people I pay don't tell the insurance companies what I've paid and the Insurance companies don't ask and could care less. Which is why I know I've paid more than my so called fair share, which is another point entirely. Now back to what I was complaining about, most of the bills started hitting in january. Which by the way comes after December, which is coincidentally the last month of the year for the deductible and we got to start all over. So, Come January/Feburary here I am meeting a whole new "deductible". This sucks! To top it of, my company goes under in March. Hello, now I'm paying $1000/month for cobra. Unfortunately, I cannot get my own Health Insurance because I have Diabetes. Terrific, I'm in great shape aren't I. But, thankfully I get a new job. Crap... A new Deductible. Except this one is bigger than the last one. Plus it costs me more per month. Now I'm drowning in medical bills. Just shoot me now. $9000 out of my own pocket, not including what I paid in premiums... For ACL surgery alone (This does not include the former two deductibles). I realize, I can't go to the Auto shop to have this done. But, it's not freakin brain surgery. $56,000 (which is the reason I would never choose a "limited liability health insurance plan") was the original bill from the hospital alone... for Eight hours of work. Eight hours? That's like $7000/hour... Isn't that what Michael Jordan made? Granted... I've met my deductible and out of pocket and I don't have to pay anything else for the rest of the year (what like a whole month?). If this is what I have to look forward to every year for the rest of my life... just shoot me now, someone else can collect whatever is left of me.
average americans are ill fated.To destroy a nation you don't need Terrorist or BOMB . Punish the nation by just making heatcare and Education sytem most expensive so that thye can't afford it .it's an auto killer ...GOD loves the riches not the poors(US humans only)
Socialized medicine is not the answer as I refuse to pay for angioplasties for all these too damn fat people that are irresponsible with their own lives.
If you don't like the US - leave - enjoy Belgium and the UK. "
Taxpayer what kind of ignorant comment is that? Why do some (ignorant) people resort to extreme stupid comments such as that? So your solution is that all people who do not like not like the USA health care system should leave America. That is childish and moronic. I think people like you who are completely brainwashed and never strive for a better system to help Americans and to help improve America should leave America since people like you are the very obstacle to America progressing. Your ignorance brings suffering and hardship to other Americans.
As far as the rest of your comment; Yes, it is true that many foreigners come to America for treatment. It is, however, true than millions of Americans also go elsewhere for treatment. In fact some employers now offer overseas health insurance in Thailand, India, France, etc. American health care is very very good...if you can afford it, and there is the problem isn't it? Every year less and less Americans can afford it. So it is irrelevant how good it is if no one can afford it. By you argument only ferraris should be allowed on roads and to all those who can not afford to drive a ferrari then are you suggesting they leave driving to those who can? What a perposterous idea. You my friend are a complete brainwashed moron.
Iam from India and I should say that American health care sucks!!
being an indian working in US may b I dont deserve to say this but I just cant stop myself from hating it!!
If we take helath insurance in India , and if we are hospitalized we need not pay even a penny out of our pocket ,unless it is some major surjery and even that an average earning people can pay...and we can visit doctor any time of the day or night , if its an emergency doctors and lab guys come at night and attend the case immediately and there are no special charges for emergency....even for the very poor people we have government hospitals with specialized doctors , the equipment n care will not be as modern as in USA...but still I feel its lot better than USA...
currently Iam under aetna provider and it sucks ,for my dental insurance i should only go to the provider whom i have selected and if i want to change the provider it takes me a month and
when I call up the doctors they say they dont have appointment until a month and my insurance guys say that if i go to anyother doctor i have to pay from my pocket ..what a crap!!! i should die with tooth ache or what ??
or should I go to the emergency room ending up in 5 digit bills...wondering why iam paying 400+$ monthly for my insurance , it is as good as i dont have insurance...
in India we go to the dentists without taking an appointment and it costs us 5$ just 5$ for simple cavity filling and checkups it costs even less............
I would like to tell u about a great gastroenterologist Nageshwar reddy from asian institute of gastroenterology(he is one of the best in the world) and u dont beleive me if i say he charges 5$ for a check up and we just need to pay amount for the lab exams ...and he sees almost more than a 1000 patients daily and he works from 7am to 11PM at night and some times later than that .....
here in america all dumb ass indian and american doctors donno what they are doing, jus work from 9-6 and earn lakhs of $ build beautiful homes go on vacations and have fun.
I donno why america is lacking in this health care area,they do soo good in so many sectors but how did they ignore such a basic sector like health care....