So we are 37th. Should amaze most Americans. I’m sure that the negligent among us can spin this statistic to make us look better.

Perhaps the better question to ask is why we are not first!

Why is that Hube?

I’ll say it again: Just as with the infant mortality stats, one must dig a bit deeper to reveal the underlying reasons behind “being 37th.”

It seems the Moore has no “cure” either, but the function of his film, hopefully, will help to make the health care debate the center of focus so we can generate a better system than we now have.

$47 million uninsured, 37 million living in poverty — don’t you think that this is totally unacceptable for America? I do!

Hube, note well how you parse statements in order to deceive: “In it, of note, 89% of Americans are satisfied with their own health care, Perry. Did you know that?” ==> Hube

Not only did I not know that, but you misstated the information.

Here is the actual quote from the piece you cited: “Indeed, according to a recent ABC News/Kaiser Family Health study, insured Americans are overwhelmingly (89 percent) satisfied with their own care, while broadly concerned about rising costs of prescription drugs and critical of the care others receive.” http://www.reason.com/news/show/120998.html

The operative word is: “insured Americans”.

Now how about the health care that the 47 million uninsured get, or most likely don’t get? Have you no concern for them, Hube?

In my view, basic health care should be considered a right to which we are all entitled, and to which we should all contribute according to our ability to so do.

I happen to be one of the 89% of the insured group who is satisfied, and have been for years, long before my Medicare insurance coverage, under private insurance, both of which provide for choice of doctors.

Anecdotally, I will share with you that due to chronic conditions, my wife’s and my uncovered, out-of-pocket annual expenses have amounted to about 15K-16K in recent years! Income tax deduction of about half of this offsets several thousand dollars, but it is still a large sum to us, a middle income family, I’m sure you would agree.

Fortunately, we can afford to pay this presently, however, what if we could not. The simple answer is that we would be rapidly reducing our savings at the least, or at the worst doing without some or all once our savings were depleted.

The problem is that medical costs, including Rx, have escalated by 10-15% per year for a number of years. Many other nations have handled this problem much better than we have. Isn’t it time for us to look at them and to make some large changes? I think so!

The label “socialized medicine” is used as a political buzzword by the underinformed and more fortunate among us in order to scare us away from health care reform. It is past time that we seriously address this national problem in spite of this kind of meaningless rhetoric.

Ah, nothing like making the ignorant who call others ignorant look ignorant: Link.

Look at the bright side, Perry. You can always go back to hating Israel.

Ah, and there’s the obligatory Only the isolated ignorant ignore this informational input. Ignorance is actually attributing definitive causation to something w/o examining myriad other factors. Y’know, like believing Americans are unsatisfied with their health care!

Like Nancy who has lived under such a system, I have encountered citizens of other nations, like Great Britain, like Finland, like Japan, all three of which I have spent some significant time, who are satisfied with their health care and the government insurance payments they make in order to fund their health care system. Their lower infant mortality and longer life spans attest to the effectiveness of their health coverage. Only the isolated ignorant ignore this informational input.

Your suggestion to deal directly with doctors and hospitals ignores the financial impact from major medical incidents that cost upwards from tens of thousands of dollars into the hundreds of thousands.

In order for all citizens to be covered, and in order to substantially reduce our runaway administrative costs, we need the government involved as health insurance underwriter and administrator. The running of Medicare for senior citizens has demonstrated our government’s ability to run an effective and cost efficient health care program.

The Medicare model should therefore be expanded and refined in such a way as to provide basic medical coverage, including major medical, for every citizen. Since we are the wealthiest nation on earth, I find it very hard to believe that we cannot afford such a plan. Call it “socialized” medicine if your rhetoric requires and if you wish, I am in favor of it!

Single-payer, government underwritten, shared premiums, copays, this is Medicare. Let us refine and expand it for all citizens. And yes, I know this is a lot more complicated than my statements here imply, but let’s pursue it. What we have now is undeniably unacceptable.

By the way, Hube…I think you misread the post. The woman did not cut a hole in her son’s wound…it said she cut a hole in his shoe presumably to accomodate some comfort. I don’t think anyone is asking for sympathy…outrage, perhaps, that we are 37th….37th. among many nations where health care is concerned…and wouldn’t you say that given we tout ourselves as the greatest country in the world, the model for all others, that’s deserving of outrage?

I think a good start is to get the gov. and insurance cos. OUT of the business in the first place. Let doctors and hospitals deal with people directly. So much of the current costs are administrative and wasteful.