. . . The real mistake, far more ominous for its ignorance, are the mistaken assumptions flourishing in the media about "hell hole socialist countries" and "death panels."I just watched Michael Moore's "Sicko" again last night. Although it came out a couple of years ago, it is highly relevant to the current health care debate -- and just as trenchant.
I live in such a country (France) though I am American and I should probably go ahead and admit that I am also a citizen of the place.
I haven't blogged in here much lately because I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and I've just (today even) gotten a letter from one of those "death" panels. Amazingly, I wasn't shaking when I got the letter. They are called Medical Councils here and they determine whether someone is eligible or not for 100 percent medical coverage provided by the state, due to a prolonged illness that is in no way the fault of the patient.
This "Council" provides an essential service that is desperately needed in the US. It makes a decision about a patient's health that does not depend upon considerations like age, income, pre-existing conditions or lifestyle. The council has only one question to answer: does the patient have an illness (or trauma) that requires long term treatment? If the answer to that question is yes, the person is immediately covered at 100 percent for the duration of the illness. The [British] NHS functions in the same way . . .
In every country, there is a percentage of the population that falls victim to these situations. Our consistent inability to provide sustained medical care to these people regardless of income is the main reason we are a country that spends the highest percentage of our GDP (16 %) on healthcare of any developed country while maintaining the highest unnecessary death rate among these countries.
Let's stop the hype and starting looking at the facts.
Ralph
Ralph, I saw "Sicko" when it came out and it made me very upset. The next day I had an appointment with a new eye doctor and I had to fill out one of those awful detailed forms that everyone needs to fill out when they go to a new doctor and it made me very nervous because of the scene in the movie where Moore interviews a guy from the health insurance company whose only job is to try to find a mistake in one of those forms so the insurance company can drop a patient for lying to them so they don't have to pay. How many people rush through those forms in the doctors office feeling sick or hurting not really feeling well enough to concentrate and this is what the pay people to do to get away with not paying a health cost. It is sicko. Joy
ReplyDeleteIt's true that in our current system, we have the anxiety that our health care may not be there when we need it (unless we're on Medicare, as I am; and that feels pretty solid to me).
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don't think you have to worry about those forms you fill out in your doctor's office. What "Sicko" focused on was the form you fill out when you originally apply for your insurance policy. It's there that they might go back and say you didn't disclose some minor illness 30 yrs ago, and therefore your application was fraudulent and we will cancel it now that you have a totally unrelated cancer. But that won't happen just from the form in a doctor's office.