I am amazed that hospitals are profit centers, creators of dividends for share holders and not simply centers of health care.
I have heard many times that the solution to our health care mess is that we must find a uniquely American solution. I ask Why? Why must the fix for our mess be an new invention or something no other country is doing? What is wrong with the French or German or Japanese or Canadian or even the British health care systems? I can hear those who hate the concept of a socialized health care system screaming that they don't work and will never work here. Well guess what they might!
Ask an American now living and working and staying healthy in Victoria Canada what he thinks about Canadian Health Care. Ask T.R.Reid who has written 'the Healing of America' and/or listen to him speaking on NPR's Fresh Air. Listen to what these two have to say about health care elsewhere. They have first hand experience of the American system and of other systems.
For a lot of Americans the existing system works really well, they are a fortunate minority who have employer based insurance plans that offer them low cost all inclusive health care with little or no out of pocket expense. The burden of the high cost of these plans is met by their employer, they cannot leave the job they have and keep the same coverage and same costs, they are tied to the employer. Employers love it because they know that these employees are not moving. It would be great if that kind of health care; low upfront cost, minimal out of pocket (copay) expense was available to the great majority of Americans. Currently it is not. With the right reforms it could be.
Write to your elected representatives. Ask them what kind of health care they have and ask if you can have the same!
