Any of this sound familiar? There sure is a lot of pushback against everyone getting healthcare in your country for some strange reason. And it seems to be coming from the same anti-humanistic religious sources.
Surely Jesus would be against healing the sick without first making a profit, amirite? The only truly American health care rationing is the kind that makes sure you can only get health care if you can pay out of pocket!
Found by Everything Is Terrible.
Did you just link to uber-anti-gay bigot Jerry Falwell? Must wash my mouth out with Hitchens, then: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eGp1DQNvoM
What does it say about this kind of video when a pisstake from GTA4 seems less insane?
Actually universal healthcare was one of the things that functioned reasonably well in former USSR block and its satelites. It is also one of the few things that were NOT abandoned after the change of regime in 1989, albeit some changes were made.
My rightwing, religious parents are completely against “socialized” healthcare. My father is retired military and he and my mother have all their copious medical care provided by the taxpayer–and make no mistake, they are HUGE consumers of healthcare, what with their high cholesterol and high blood pressure and diabetes and knee replacement surgery and diverticulitis and other medical issues. Additionally, my mother, who has never worked a day in her life, has a whole lot to say about “takers” who contribute nothing and expect to be taken care of.
The irony, it burns.
The video mentions China. China, in a cruel twist of history, does not have socialized medicine. It has the pre-Obamacare American system on steroids.
It ain’t aged well.
Fact its turned to vinegar.
Yuk.
I love the little blurb at the end which tells you “the cost of the call $1.95 per minute”. It sort of puts the whole, we are here to help and protect you from harm warning message, in context.
Here in the UK, I and my various employers have for decades paid National Insurance as required by law – I reckon about £350,000 in my working life, weighted towards recent times when I was quite well paid.
Because of that, (and to give but one example), when I fractured a thumbfalling off my bike recently, as soon as I turned up at the emergency department, I was triaged, x-rayed, and the fracture set and pinned under general anaesthetic with commendable speed.
Not only that, I then travelled to Australia where UK citizens have reciprocal healthcare rights. The insertion site of the pins became infected, and on turning up at a small hospital in Queensland, I was again seen quickly and given the necessary treatment by cheerily competent staff
The only cost was taxi to the hospital and 12 dollars Australian for some flucloxacillin.
Back in the UK, I have had three follow-up visits and x-rays
Not only that, I am now old enough not to have to pay the standard charge for any medicines provided – and of course my wife and our three kids have all required healthcare of various grades of difficulty at one time or another
All for free, all done to the highest standards.
If that’s “socialised medicine*”, I’ll settle for more of it! And I don’t care if a few free-loaders manage to abuse the system, either.
*Interestingly, my local hospital is run by a commercial outfit. I don’t know how it’s panning out commercially, but my family has had excellent care before and after they took over
I am a american who retired in 99 and then left on the first plane oiut. I now live in a small country in Europe and an on their NHS for which I pay about 150 US a month. This covers everything, my drugs are covered, I had quite a bit of dental work done, in the U:S at least 3to 4000, here it was covered. I have had couple of trips to the ER all covered. The system like all systems is not perfect but I do know that if someting bad goes wrong I will not be bankrupt. If this is socialized medicine I’m all for it. The doctors and the dentist I have encountered have all been excellant.
@damitall: here’s a recent American horror story. I am employed, and my share of my employer-given health insurance is about $600 a month. A few months back, I had houseguests and was preparing breakfast for everyone while talking and laughing. The knife slipped as I was slicing a bagel, and I flayed open my right thumb. I called my doctor’s office, and they told me the next available appointment was in 3 weeks. My insurance company requires pre-approval by them before an ER visit or it will not be covered. My spouse dialed the 1-800 number to get pre-approval, which was denied because my doctor-of-record’s office was open. I ended up at a walk-in clinic where they put 36 stitches into my thumb and gave me a tetanus shot. 10 days later the stitches came out. Then I got the bill–$1100. My insurance company (that I already pay $600/month for) refuses to cover any of the cost…because my doctor’s office was open. (They wouldn’t accept me for weeks, but they were technically open.) My only consolation is that if I had taken myself to the ER without insurance approval, I would have been looking at a bill for $5k, not $1100. American health care–best in the WORLD!
It’s really sad what Americans have to put up with when it comes to health insurance. You’re just getting gouged.
Can I say also that these stories need to be publicized, especially the way insurance companies are gouging you? I can always go to a group practice and see the on-call doctor or to the Emergency Department and pay pay for nothing but parking.
Can you get a letter from your doctor saying that they refused to fit you in for emergency care and you *had* to go elsewhere?