Socialism Is the Best Medicine

[herring_RN]

americans wait longer to see primary-care physicians than patients in britain, germany, australia, or new zealand--all countries with strong public-health systems.

nearly one quarter of americans reported waiting six days or more for an appointment with their doctor. new zealand scored best, with just 3 percent waiting that long, followed by australia (10 percent), germany (13 percent), and britain (15 percent).

canada rounded out the bottom, with more than a third waiting six days or more. similarly, america shares with its northern neighbor the dubious honor of being ranked last in terms of patients' ability to make same-day appointments.

only 26 percent of americans and canadians reported being able see their doctor on the day they called, compared with 60 percent in the netherlands and 48 percent in britain....

http://www.newsweek.com/id/212152

[ozoneranger]

"St. Jude's is not a possibility for families with children other than the patient, who need to attend school; and family members who must go to work daily. Cost of gas, meals away from home, etc. are prohibitive!"

St. Jude's covers ALL expenses. Food, travel, lodging. For ALL families, all over the world.

Are you saying you'd stay home & let one child die, just because the other had school?

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Socialized medicine = socialized society, we would say goodbye to our liberty and freedoms we so much enjoy in this country.

Do you genuinely think that? I find it incredibly laughable that people actually think like that.

I come from Australia. We have universal healthcare. I do not consider that my country lacks either liberty or freedom.

People's arguments, even when partially logical, are weakened so much as to be dismissed when they make such ridiculous statements as "fact".

[Katie82, RN]

americans wait longer to see primary-care physicians than patients in britain, germany, australia, or new zealand--all countries with strong public-health systems.

only 26 percent of americans and canadians reported being able see their doctor on the day they called, compared with 60 percent in the netherlands and 48 percent in britain....

http://www.newsweek.com/id/212152

this may be true, but i'm not sure how having a single payer system is going to help this issue. introducing millions more patients into an already overburdened system will not help anyone get an appointment sooner.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

This may be true, but I'm not sure how having a Single Payer system is going to help this issue. Introducing millions more patients into an already overburdened system will not help anyone get an appointment sooner.

You are probably right because this is people who have a doctor.

We probably need more primary practitioners. NPs?

...Only 26 percent of Americans and Canadians reported being able see their doctor on the day they called, compared with 60 percent in the Netherlands and 48 percent in Britain. Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, says America ranks last overall in the fund's comparative studies, which consider access, equity, cost, quality, and efficiency measures across select developed countries.

"Where we do well is on …selective surgery," she says. Only 8 percent of Americans have to wait four months or more for an elective procedure, and 62 percent wait less than a month. In Britain, 41 percent of patients have to wait four months or more.

The disparity between primary and elective care, says Davis, is mostly due to a shortage of primary-care docs in the U.S.; we produce more specialists because specialists earn a lot more....

http://www.newsweek.com/id/212152

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

[YOUTUBE]

[/YOUTUBE]

[loriangel14, RN]

Great video. To the point and simple enough for people to understand. Everyone should watch it. Thanks for posting HM2Viking.

[ozoneranger]

Yea, it's simple alright. Too simple.

Look at TennCare...

http://lornakismet.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/lessons-for-health-care-reform-the-tenncare-program/

If you don't like this link...just google "tenncare disaster" you'll get more hits than a prostitute at a sex-a-holic convention.

Hawaii did it....just for children...ka-put in 7 months (that's got to be a record)

Run the numbers.

You do want sustainability, right.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

Minnesota Care and Badger Care are doing just fine. (Admittedly both have taken hits d/t GOP mismanagement but both programs are grinding along and insuring the previously uninsured...)

Dr. Dynasaur shows that a single payer state based system can work.....http://ovha.vermont.gov/for-consumers/dr-dynasaur

(Gov Lingle (A GOP Governor) followed the pattern of being unable to govern her state responsibly...)

What is unsustainable is our current system....

[ozoneranger]

I agree, somethings got to be done. HR3200 is rife with perks for special interests - and the more time there is for people to understand it, the stronger the general stench of it becomes.

[GCTMT]

I agree, if one is truley "poor" they would qualify for medicaid.

*sigh*

Not necessarily. Here are the requirements for Medicaid in my State.

Individuals or families with dependent children may be eligible for Medicaid if they meet the following requirements:

• A pregnant woman;
  
• A dependent child under age 19. (The child does not have to live with a parent or close relative in order to receive Medicaid);
  
• Parent(s) (one or both) of the dependent child if one parent has left the home, cannot work due to sickness or disability, or has died;
  
• Parents (both) living with the dependent child, if the parent who earned the most income in the last 24 months is unemployed.

[forrester]

Do you genuinely think that? I find it incredibly laughable that people actually think like that.

I come from Australia. We have universal healthcare. I do not consider that my country lacks either liberty or freedom.

People's arguments, even when partially logical, are weakened so much as to be dismissed when they make such ridiculous statements as "fact".

Thank you for pointing this out!

These arguments are incredibly shallow.

We already have socialism here, if you define "socialism" as governmental control over things deemed to be too essential for the common good to be left in the hands of the free market.

Our military, our educational system, Medicare, etc.

I have absolutely NO IDEA what "liberties" or "rights" they are talking about.

[I_LOVE_TRAUMA, RN]

*sigh*

Not necessarily. Here are the requirements for Medicaid in my State.

I did a quick search of the link you provided and found several FREE programs for preventative medicine, and treatment of acute and chronic illness for adults. The quote you listed shows only what is available to dependents, an families.

I also search other sites and found many links to totally free adult clinics in Kentucky as well as several medicaid programs. They even seem to have adequate programs available for addiction, which is often overlooked.