This topic came up last night in our seminar. Again, we struggle and struggle with this concept.
I often times look at Medicare and how they handle things such as coverage, reimbursment, etc. As it is, they only pay 30cents on the dollar, are slow to reimburse, most often clinics and hospitals struggle financially and often times have to write off alot of procedures d/t Medicare. I sometimes see Medicare as a reflection of what universal health coverage would be; not enough money and care down to the least common denominator. Canada, our neighbor, is also struggling as there isn't enough money to care for all of their citizens. What is everyone else's opinion on this? What IS the answer?
Here is a poem I came across that I thought I would share:
Taken from the International Conference in Medicine held in February 2001:
Draped in Disquise
Cries for medical care equal to Canada or Great Britain is fair
Everyone's much better there, so why not us? We want their care
NO, they say, it isn't so
Don't give up what you have for the lesser care within our society
Am I to believe it's a disguise? A mask claiming to be better for you or me;
confusion, disorder split in two which shall we choose?
One bringing change, or another bearing mediocrity
Our lives are too precious to be bound by the arms of bureaucracy.
Other nations have tried and failed leaving only discontent and disparity
Look forward to what can be.
Not their past except it's history.
Lest the burning desire of what we lust becomes the aftermath of only dust.
If we turn our backs and pretend not to see, no more will we the envy be, and the failures of others becomes our destiny.
Learn from their failure, for left unexplored creates another worse than before.
