It's very rare that I enter into what is typically defined as a political conversation on this blog site devoted to personal growth and well-being.
This is one of those times, as I believe very strongly that universal access to both preventive and interventive health care is everyone's right, and part of my life dream is to see this manifest in America.
I will not enter the debate about what type of format would best make this happen (i.e. single payer, government competition, "insurance coops", etc.
I will merely make my declaration of what I believe is just, fair and 100% appropriate to us human beings living in a civilized society:
- When someone needs medical attention, be it due to illness or injury, that their health care is paid for completely and totally and that any co-pay not exceed a range from $0- $50 based upon income, for any and all conditions. Nobody will be turned away based upon ability to pay.
- Preventive medicine including annual checkups, dental work such as teeth cleaning and maintenance, eye care, etc be completely covered with zero fees.
- Complimentary therapies such as chiropractic, accupuncture, etc be included and completely covered.
- If someone suffers the unfortunate occurance of cancer, or other debilitating diseases, that they are assured of long term care and guaranteed that they will not be dropped from medical coverage.
- That nursing home employees receive the same scrutiny and back ground check as well as on-going monitoring as teachers do in public schools, and that any violations of compassionate care principles be met with the same sort of disciplinary procedures as teachers are held to in public schools.
- If someone loses a job, whether it be through lay-offs, desire to find other work, or being fired that their access to health care remains 100% covered at all times.
- That entities rather than businesses be responsible for taking care of their employees and employee's families regarding health care costs.
- Everyone is covered regardless of "pre-existing conditions".
- Mental health be considered a benefit covered as health care. Stress is a leading cause of disease, as well as addictive behaviors and anyone seeking treatment from stress and/or addiction is completely able to receive services for little or no cost.
- Everyone is entitled to exactly the same coverage, regardless of income.
Some examples from other countries:
- One of my co-workers hails from Iraq. Her husband had three root canals in Iraq at an expense of $82.00 each. Here it costs well over $1000 and there are no dental plans that cover more than a fraction of this type expense. The same goes for dental crowns. My co-worker finds it less expensive to buy a round trip plane ticket home and visit family and receive dental care there than she does to simply see a dentist here.
- Despite paying nearly $700 per month off her salary to include me in medical and dental insurance, my wife and I have spent several thousands of dollars on basic medical and dental care, spent on teeth preservation -not cosmetics- within one year.
- I personally know someone in Canada, whose medical system our mainstream media has portrayed as horrible - who had the unfortunate experience of developing fast moving breast cancer as a young adult. She received a team of 12 doctors - all specialists who monitored and coordinated her care. In addition she had 80% of her expenses covered by her government's plan and the other 20% covered by her employers plan. This included several sessions of expensive chemotherapy.
What about the Money Necessary to make this happen?
America is just one of two "first world" countries (South Africa is the 2nd) who does not offer universal health care. In Europe and Canada as well as countries such as Cuba, universal health care is considered a basic human right. Somehow even poor countries such as Cuba are able to come up with the funds to cover their populations.
Somehow in America, when it comes to things such as funding things such as wars there always seems to be unquestioned funds. A few months ago I read that we have been and continue to spend about $ 2 billion per month in Iraq. This war has gone on for six years. I believe that if we can afford adventures such as this war - which included non-bid corporate contracts- then we can find the funds to cover our population on what most of our planet considers to be a fundamental human right.
Ultimately whether we have universal health care or not, we all pay for it anyhow. Our current system puts a strain on hospitals whose emergency rooms are filled with customers who have no insurance and can not pay for basic services - or due to not being able to afford preventive medicine such as colonoscopy and now have acute and severe symptoms that might have been prevented. Those of us who have insurance policies through our jobs must pay higher and higher annual premiums to cover those who have no insurance and the impact on our health care system.
In addition, the hospitals that are set aside to cover "indigent" patients are swamped so severely that 16 hour waits in the emergency rooms are not uncommon.
Elderly and other low income patients are being forced to choose between paying rent, buying adequate food and paying for medicine. And this is in one of the very wealthiest countries in the world.
And horror stories abound such as the policeman from Dallas who in his early 20's attended a training conference in Colorado this Summer. He had a heat stroke and was in the hospital for weeks due to surgery on brain blood clots and recoup time. His employer based health insurance company refused to pay for his transportation back home. Finally after this was reported on the news, a car salesman offered to pay the $7000 fees charged to bring him back to Texas from Colorado. In addition, his Workmans Compensation policy refused to pay his other medical expenses as well, and he is currently appealing.
My wife tells me of an acquaintence who has worked for years in a major health insurance company. The acquaintence told her that her company hires workers whose sole job is to see how little they can get the company to pay out in claims and that these employees are rewarded for amount of claims denied. I believe that this attitude has no place in a world where people lose their homes due to having paid into an insurance company for coverage then being dropped due to illness.
So my dream and prayer is that we will come to justice in this situation. I believe that the Vision I set out above will go deeply towards manifesting the justice that I dream of.
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