What Socialized Medicine Can Do for America
Posted: Friday, January 30, 2009
by Nancy Daniels
Voice Dynamic
When my father retired from general practice in
Having lived in
1. Everyone (and I mean everyone) will get treatment if they can wait long enough for a doctor, or better yet, a specialist. Back in March of 1982, I phoned an ophthalmologist for an eye appointment and was told that the next available time slot was July of 1983.
2. With socialized medicine, doctors will be able to lay off most of their staff because they will no longer need all the additional help to negotiate and deal with the numerous mistrustful, misleading, and miserly insurance companies. [I was overwhelmed upon my return to the States and saw the size of the staff necessary for one doctor. When my father was practicing, he had a receptionist who answered the phone, handled the billing, and helped him with a patient when necessary.]
3. Many doctors will leave their profession because they will be unable to make the same amount of money they were making pre-socialized medicine and most definitely will be unable to afford their malpractice insurance. Remember, we are a nation that loves to sue.
4. Once the government is in charge, there will be no financial incentive for the doctor. Medicine will become a 9-5 job. Just ask the Canadians. Twenty-two years ago, my GYN in
5. Many of our ‘Canadian' doctors, who have come to
6. Mediocrity will be one of the results of socialized medicine. Compare the statistics in both
7. If we move into socialized medicine, there will be the possibility of ‘buying' doctors for their services whether it is legal or not. Do you honestly think Susan Sarandon will wait for her surgery like everyone else? Somehow, I doubt it. The big question is, if
I don't know the answer to our dilemma. Considering that many of those countries who have socialized medicine are now moving away from it, I question why we would move towards it. Our present system is definitely not the answer either (that's an article in itself).
President Obama has said that he wants to return
Imagine, lawsuits would decease (back in the day, people didn't sue because they got burned by their coffee or didn't know not to put their cat in the microwave) therefore malpractice insurance premiums would drop. By getting rid of much of their staff, doctors could lower their office fees. Then, were you to get sick, you could walk into any GP's office, wait your turn, pay the doctor directly, and see more of your paycheck at the end of each week. Now there's an idea!
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group session in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. For more information, visit: www.voicedynamic.com
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More commentsoops did it again. Put the comments in the wrong place :-) hugs, teresa
Nancy, good article yet I must say, socialized medicine has its pluses and its minuses. Two examples of someone living under socialized medicine, fact not fiction. cancer patient exceed her anticipated death time. Result all medical and all other payments and assistance stopped including reducing her pension. Sounds unreal well it is not. A young girl waited months to get to see a specialist. When it became necessary and she could not wait any longer she was sent to another doctor. result, permanently paralyzed from the waste down. Now I can say more but not enough room. yes good and bad. By the way we should all make ourselves familiar with Oregon's laws.
Robert,I don't know what Oregon's laws are regarding this. Can you send me a link?I would like to think that we could find a middle ground. Thanks for commenting.
Wonderful article. Thank you. The problem with the health "system" in this country is the insurance companies have socialized the health industry. The best way to go is fee for service health care. Obviously, the insurance companies won't like that, because it will put them out of business. We don't have a very good system of truly educating people in this country. The drug companies want us all to think we will be forever healthy and vibrant as long as we are constantly taking the "right" combination of pills on a daily basis. Capitalism - fee for service health care is the only way to go. Some people have a need for extensive healthcare, and may not be able to afford their own bills. That problem needs to be solved by the private sector and charities - not government. Just because that problem has not been solved yet, does not mean we should stay with the system as it is right now - insurance companies.
Health insurance companies and unions (another socialized environment) need to go the way of the rotary dial landline telephone - away.You are so right! Thanks for commenting.
I'm one Canadian who is quite happy with our socialized medical system. I know, I've heard all the horror stories about the long waits - maybe I've just been lucky. A few years ago my wife was diagnosed with large growths on her ovaries. The doctor sent her to a specialist (she had an appointment within three days). The specialist told her she needed surgery, so she sent her to the hospital for an interview with a surgeon. She saw the surgeon the friday following the time she saw the specialist, and the surgeon said, "When would you like the surgery done?" I laughed and said, "How about today." She replied, "How about Monday." And that's what happened. My wife was in the hospital for almost two weeks because she was quite weak and sick after the surgery. The total cost to us? - zero, zip, nada! The next event was a gall-stone attack (my wife again). I took her to a smaller hospital in the town next to ours. She walked in while I parked the car. By the time I got into the emergency ward, she was already in a bed. The admitting staff said there was no surgeon on staff that day, so they sent her by ambulance to a large hospital in the city (no cost to us because it was a transfer). After the surgery and a couple days later, she asked the doctor why he wasn't sending her home. His reply was, "I'll send you home when I think you're ready to go home." She was in the hospital for one week. Total cost to us? - zero, zip, nada! When my wife gave birth to our children many years ago now, they kept her in the hospital for one week after each child was born. The cost to us? - one dollar per day. Say what you want about our health system in Canada, it sure has been good to us. One other thing: our Government Health Insurance in Alberta (where we live) that covers these costs was $88.00 per month for a family. The Alberta government just eliminated all the premiums starting this year. Now our health care, at least in Alberta, truly is free.David Pekrul (one happy Canadian)David,Thank you (and I mean that) for sharing your experiences with us. I loved living in Canada and miss the 'quieter' life, my dear, dear friends, the Loonie, and Tim Hortons. Oh, to have a Tim Hortons right about now! [I don't miss the winter -- although New Jersey is getting hit pretty bad this year. Must be that global warming!]I do understand your support of socialized medicine, especially considering your experiences and I am happy for you and your wife. It is nice to hear the good stories. In both situations when I had my two sons in London, Ontario, I paid $50 for 5 nights in a private room in the hospital. That was all it cost me. But somehow I don't think your healthcare is free. In Ontario, our taxes were much higher than here in the states because of the healthcare. Someone has to pay for it somewhere along the line.When I lived in Canada, however, I found the 'red tape' of your country much less daunting than what we have here in the States. If our federal government runs itself in any way similar to New Jersey, a socialized system of healthcare in this country would be devastating. Give healthcare to the US government to run with ten times the population that you have and I think we are going to have a lot of 'unhappy campers.'One other point, David. While the lasek eye procedure does draw Americans to Canada since it is so much cheaper in your country, I don't know of any other situation in which the American is going to Canada for healthcare. We do know, however, that the Canadians are often travelling to the States for some major procedures.Again, I don't know the answer. Without a doubt, our present system has a lot of problems.I don't know the stats about Canadians or Americans crossing the border for treatments. I do know that many Americans come to Canada to buy their prescription drugs, as they are much cheaper here. I believe they are even cheaper in Mexico.Maybe the government should look at how Sweden runs their healthcare. I know it is also a socialist system, but it is supposed to be one of the best in the world. I guess what bothers me about the 'user pay' system is that the rich get really good care and the poor have to use walk-in clinics. On the other hand, I know that Canadians use the Emergency Wards of hospitals more than they should, and make appointments with their family doctors for such frivolous reasons, because they don't have to pay for the visit. That alone is putting doctor services in short supply. Perhaps if people started to live healthier rather than running to a doctor every time they get an ache or pain, they could be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.David,Thanks for recommenting. Agreeed.Hey, one more thing. There are now over 500 Tim Hortons stores in the US now. A lot are in upper state New York; there are ten in Pennsylvania. Who knows, there may soon be one coming your way. Just hang in there!Hey David,One can only pray for a Tim Hortons within driving distance! I wonder if they 'drug' the stuff because once I got hooked, I was hooked and nothing done here could compare. I will never understand the draw for Starbucks and the price people are willing to pay for coffee that often tastes burned. Give me a regular Tim Hortons any day!Thanks for your comments...I've enjoyed this repartee.Nancy
Nancy, your article's title had me fooled. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences with socialized medicine. Letting people know how we can expect to pay more for less may make some people think twice while they're complaining in the waiting room or the ER.Danny,My fear is that the change will happen and it will be too late to change it back.Thanks for commenting.
Wait a minute...so, ... the cat does NOT go in the microwave!?!?! Just kidding! I hope the stuffed shirt talking heads in DC read this. Maybe you should put in some pictures and coloring areas, just in case. Great article, Nancy.Ken,Thanks for reading and for your comment. Your suggestion works for me.Nancy
Awesome article. I completely agree with you in the sense that the Canadian system isn't good at all; obviousy ours is not good either but atleast we don't pay 50% taxes to have the government give you lousy health insurance.You may pay lower taxes than us in Canada, but what would it cost you for a two week stay in the hospital, or a months stay or longer. I say that would far outweigh any taxes you may have to pay.David,Thanks for your comment.Before our present healthcare system, we did have hospitalization which we paid for through insurance companies like Blue Cross. What was not covered were the doctor's visits which we paid for with cash just like you pay for the veterinarian, the optometrist and the dentist (unless you have dental insurance). By the way, when my dad retired in 1988 and was charging $15 for an office visit, I was paying $35 just to walk through the door of my veterinarian in London, Ontario.I lived in Oregon for a very short time in the '70s and remember having medical insurance through my employer, although I lived there for such a short time and never used it. Like I said earlier, I think part of the problem with the Canadian system is the overuse of doctor visits. I think people here go to the doctor far too much, for every little thing as small as a hang-nail. But I still like our system. Maybe a compromise between the US and Canadian system would be the answer, I don't know.
The problem is that here in the United States we already have a socialized form of health care and that is why it is so out of control. When you subsidize anything, you will get more of it, at a lower quality and at a higher cost.Today, over 65% of all healthcare spending in the US is by the government; Medicaid, VA, Medicare, Federal and State employees. It is BECAUSE of government intervention that we have the "twisted" system that we have.Is there inequity in this world? Yes! Please don't be mislead and fooled into believing that socialism is "The Way". It sounds nice and easy, just like the morning after pill, tummy tucks, lipo suction and gastric bypass. We all want a quick fix to the problem.Kirby,Thanks for your great comment. You are so right. The bottom line -- and I know I am repeating myself -- is that if many countries with socialized medicine are moving away from it, why are moving towards it?
Thanks, Nancy, for sharing your firsthand experience with socialized medicine. But since the American health care system is not working well for all, I guess some kind of combination approach could offer the best solution. The balance is to lower the cost of health care while maintaining quality care. ~mogama~Mogama,Thank you for your suggestion. I agree.
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