Health Insurance

[Peter Lemkin]

...however, you don't want 'American style' health insurance...

Of course none of us want that but some one is pushing for it. Follow the money.

...now hospitals have in most places the legal right to charge for fees and collect on it by taking your property and often do. It is a nightmare equal to third-world nations and nothing any sane developed nation would downgrade to from a National Healthcare Program.

I don't want a business relationship with my doctor and most doctors don't want that either. That is doctors who want to be doctors and have an interest in providing health care. Of course they want to have a good income. But a doctor will have a very good income in the public health system and it has massive administration savings for doctors compared to going it alone. In bad old days here the biggest cause of personal bankruptcy was unpaid medical bills with all its attendant home forclosures and family homelessness and breakups and suicides. Why would anyone ever consider it an option to go back?

Lack of funds for medical care [even among the 'insured'] in America is the GREATEST reason for bankruptcy and homelessness, desperate fall into poverty, bar none.

As for the few doctors with compassion, I can speak from experience. My father was a dentist and never turned away a patient for lack of funds. He often treated the poor and asked them to pay what they could or to pay when they could..but he never bothered them again if they did not. For this our home often got threatening phone calls to him [from other dentists - as we recognized some of the voices]. However, this is the great exception. Once when I was very poor and had zero medical insurance [about a third of Americans have none or totally inadequate], I went to a dentist in pain [my father was then dead] and asked if I could pay off his huge bill over several months. He refused to even treat me enough to be out of pain. When it comes to cancer et al. [and America has the highest costs per medical service of any nation - and that will come to any nation that tries to adopt its medical system!], costs are astronomical and most insured soon reach their yearly limit and face financial ruin or their health getting worse due more to poverty than their medical condition per se. Americans used to go to Mexico and Canada to buy cheaper drugs - now that is illegal and you'll be stopped at the border even if you have a copy of the doctors prescription; the medication taken or you subject to arrest. Ditto buying cheaper foreign drugs via internet. It is corporate fascism come to medical care....stay away...fight it! Even 'Obamacare' is little improvement and was written by those who stand to benefit most from the system staying the same, but with a 'gentler' appearance.

Once in the USA [50's and 60's...into early 70's], yes, if you were employed by a LARGE company, the company paid for health insurance. No more!....most won't have any coverage for their employees - or minimal or you pay half and they pay half [if you're lucky]...and if they fire you, let you go, or go out of business...you loose your health care and pension, both......the American model of crapitalism is SO bad...and getting worse. The UK would be insane to go that route. I'm well aware there are pushes in that direction.....the populace had best learn what it really would mean!!!

Health and health care is NOT a right in America - it is a privilege few can afford! [our tax money goes to killing, not healing]