Health Care is a right

lindarn · Oct 18, 2009

I got a real eye opener the other day. My ex-husband is retired Air Force. He has Tricare medical insurance, courtesy of the US taxpayers. We were talking about all of the health care stuff in the news, and he proclaims, " they are ruining this country! Socialized Medicine!! I reminded him that he has had "Socialized Medicine", for the 25 years he was in the Air Force, and now that he is retired, he will have it for the rest of his life. I reminded him, that he did not seem any worse for it, and he was still alive, wasn't he?

His comment- "well I earned it! I defended this country with my life!!" This, from a person who never in his life, saw combat, and spent is entire military career in Spokane, Washington, training people.

I asked him why he resents the rest of the country receiving what he takes for granted. He said it was "because the Democrats are trying to turn this country into Russia, and Communism!"I said, "really"? How bad is it this country 'turning into Russia', when Russia, and all of the other Communist countries, no matter how bad it is, have some form of single payer healthcare?" "Well, it is not as good as what we have here".

The "haves, resenting the 'have nots', for wanting what they have. And resenting that the 'have nots', are wanting something that they don't think they deserve.

I finally gave up. But this is the propaganda, coming from the insurance companies, is what is being thrown out all over the country. What can I say?

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

bigreddog1934 · Oct 18, 2009

I have to quick things I want to say. First, I want to apologize to K98 to have been so callous about his insurance coverage dropping him. This isn't fair, but it also isn't fair to exepct everyone else to be able to just find new insurance. We all know that the actuarial tables are what determine if you are insurable or not. Some, many, are not so lucky.

The other thing is that I went to a health care town meeting today in Denver. The majority of people there that did not want public health care were retired people who were all on medicare. The main opponent of the same, a rep named mike coffman, admitted that he was from a military family, who benefitted from public health care since the time he was born.

I offered to have a medicare card burning outside of the hall for those people truly wanting to leave this horrible public system. I said it would be like the draft card burning of the viet nam era. that way they could all be liberated to find free and private health care in the marketplace they advocate the rest of us should inhabit. surprising enough, i didnt have a single taker.

lindarn · Oct 18, 2009

AMEN!

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

K98 · Oct 18, 2009

did the unborn baby who died have the responsibility to take care of herself? (post 115)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td802aj-7sc&feature=player_embedded
don't we care for people who are unable to care for themselves?

her parents are responsible for her care. if they are not prepared to care for a child, then they shouldn't have one. that includes care before birth.

bigreddog1934 · Oct 19, 2009

These are the results of a New England Journal of Medicine Study.

Results In 1999, health administration costs totaled at least $294.3 billion in the United States, or $1,059 per capita, as compared with $307 per capita in Canada. After exclusions, administration accounted for 31.0 percent of health care expenditures in the United States and 16.7 percent of health care expenditures in Canada. Canada's national health insurance program had overhead of 1.3 percent; the overhead among Canada's private insurers was higher than that in the United States (13.2 percent vs. 11.7 percent). Providers' administrative costs were far lower in Canada.

Again, its not enough to quote your personal experience and to apply that to the entire heath care system. There are many studies out there that support the widely known fact that US health care is the most inefficient in the world.

talaxandra · Oct 19, 2009

Um...Karl Marx?

I suspect psychonaut was being sarcastic

Onekidneynurse · Oct 19, 2009

sorry, all this confirms to me is that you have not learned from your mistakes. and please dont equate me with the democratic
party. i am a actual socialist, did not vote for obama, and believe that health care should be conducted without profit margins.
yes, it is a nightmare scenario.

So do you think you should make minimium wage so you won't show a profit on your weekly/biweekly/monthly check? Do you have a 401k or a 403b retirement program? Have you checked to see how many hospital/big pharma stocks you own?

As for non-proits hospitals. The hospitals in my state, Maine, have to list any one in it's organization who makes over $250,000 a year per state mandate. The CEO of a 150 bed (rated) hospital with a average daily census below 100 made $386,462 in 2006-2007. The average salary in Maine for 2006 was 32,095.

Here's the two sites. www.smmc.org click on employment opportunities on the left, then employee benefits on the right, then LD-1792 on the right. CEO $386,462 for year of May 2006-April 2007. I wonder what he's making now?

Second link to Maine average wages: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104652.html Scroll down the Maine and see for yourself.

Insurance companies aren't the only ones getting rich.:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

Onekidneynurse · Oct 19, 2009

I do too.
In our Bill of Rights and our Constitution, there are words to the effect that we all hold "certain inalienable rights....."
by definition, here's what that means:
some rights are inherited, and some rights are held or fought for by the people....
(see Wikipedia definition)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inalienable_rights
"all men are created equally free and independent; they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
How many sick people are pursuing happiness??
How free are people when they are enslaved to a system that locks the doors when they need a surgery, or an eye exam?
How is this LIFE??
Yes, having equal health care for our citizens is a right....

Food, shelter, education? Too?

bigreddog1934 · Oct 19, 2009

I entire agree onekidney. The last hospital that I worked at was a "not for profit" where the CEO was making over $1.2 million dollars. Just because its called that does not mean that a section of people working there aren't bringing home far far more than necessary.

But there is also a difference between profit and wages. Profit is the excess wealth generated by the work of wage earners that is taken by the company. Wages are the simple payments we are given for the work that we do. If anything, we could enact a maximum earnings law. I dont see why people would starve to death making something along the lines of $250,000/year. Of course its no money any nurse on this list will see, but the balance of wealth could go to so many things other than propping up a caste of billionaires.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Oct 20, 2009

Her parents are responsible for her care. If they are not prepared to care for a child, then they shouldn't have one. That includes care before birth.

FDR certainly had a different point of view:

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

I think we have a collective responsibility to each other to provide for medical care for children and families. Somehow this family was unable to predict the loss of health care coverage. It is ridiculous to think that all vicissitudes of life can be anticipated and prepared for.

Onekidneynurse · Oct 20, 2009

FDR certainly had a different point of view:
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
I think we have a collective responsibility to each other to provide for medical care for children and families. Somehow this family was unable to predict the loss of health care coverage. It is ridiculous to think that all vicissitudes of life can be anticipated and prepared for.

When children are born they are totally dependent on adults. The best thing any adult can do for a child is to teach them to be independent. We should expect no less from our government.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Oct 20, 2009

Since you asked. FDR also advocated for building a strong economy. Viewing health care as a right does enable our citizens to care for themselves.

See:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad

The right to a good education.

One of the responsibilities of government IMO is to build/assure good systems for citizens to live in. We have tried the market will fix everything approach for healthcare since Truman was president. It hasn't worked. Now its time to fundamentally rethink how we provide and assure access to health care in this country.