Norwegians consider President Barack Obama to be a right-wing leader. I kid you not. My "people," the Norwegians, are out in front on so many social issues that even conservatives in Norway think Obama is too conservative. Nonetheless, when my husband and I were in Norway at the end of last year, our relatives and the people we met were absolutely overjoyed that Obama won. We literally had people in Oslo stopping us on the street (we were obviously Americans) and slapping our backs, shaking our hands and offering to help us with our luggage. AND they often reminded us they were flabbergasted at our primitive ways, especially about health care.
Remember Michael Moore's movie, Sicko? Moore and his editors decided to not use the footage they'd shot in Norway - it can be seen on the Special Edition DVD - because the Norwegian health care system is so pro-active and prevention oriented that it would strain credibility for many Americans to even know about it. I know this to be true. One of my relatives told me that Norwegian health care includes visits to shut-ins to play cards, read out loud, or just hang out. The government logic is that it's cheaper to keep a person company than it is to treat stress-related illness after the damage is done. I'm stunned at the Norwegian sense of generosity, common sense and ethics. Indeed, one of the Norwegian scenes that got omitted from the theatrical release of Sicko was an interview with a government "ethicist" whose job it is to make sure health care funds get invested in healthy - as in no harm to people - investments. How's that for goody-two-shoes government?
Meanwhile, my husband and I have been wrestling with a health care plan here in the good ol' U.S.of A. that is generally pretty good EXCEPT that coverage is contingent on my husband working a minimum amount of time in an industry that has been socked by the recession... and guess what? They just raised the minimum.
Oh, yeah, and then there's the "Big Brother" edict that came down the pike from the plan last month. Try to figure this out. I'm not quite sure why big pharmaceutical companies aren't fighting this.
Here goes: we've now been told our plan will not cover prescriptions that we buy from our local pharmacies. We use both Phoenix Pharmacy in Pasadena and Webster's Pharmacy in Altadena. We know the people who work there and trust them. We love our local pharmacies and make it a point to use them, even though we might be able to get a better price at a discount chain or online... maybe. We like to keep our local small businesses busy so they'll stay healthy and alive, with their employees employed, right?
But now, we're told, we must get our pharmaceuticals ONLY via Medco - either submitted via mail or online, with the medications mailed back to us from Florida. In addition, if our prescription is not a generic they will refuse to fill it, even if the Doctor specifically asks for a brand name. I am facing dental problems I've had to put off because there's a cap on the amount of work I can get done within a year. I've been denied coverage on the replacement of a tooth that needs an implant, because Delta Dental has determined it is not close enough to the front of my mouth to warrant cosmetic considerations. In other words, they'd pay if I were losing one of my six most forward teeth. But the tooth that's giving me trouble is one that, if it's missing, will make me look like a Jack-o-Lantern, or in my case, a Jill-o-Lantern. A "partial" will also impact my ability to speak. Everyone knows an edentate woman performing a one woman show, or giving a keynote speech, is inspiring to other dentally challenged people! Sarcasm aside, since I am an actor and need to speak and sing in front of an audience, wouldn't a very visible tooth gap be considered a work related problem?
No. I guess not.
Thank goodness our problems are relatively non-catastrophic. I am grateful we are not contending with life-threatening conditions.
Which brings me back to Sicko. As I watch the so-called health care "debates" and the ridiculous theater of town hall demonstrators, I can't help but wonder if there isn't some big pharmaceutical remedy for stupidity?
Just as Viagra was originally developed for treatment of high blood pressure - it was discovered to have "side benefits" as a solution to erectile dysfunction (ED) - perhaps we should see if there are any drugs for flaccid minds, or mental dysfunction (MD.) This anachronistic paranoia toward anything that even remotely smacks of socialism or community welfare is deplorable, despicable and downright ridiculous. What can these yahoos demonstrating at town hall meetings be thinking? Oh, yeah, they suffer from MD. Someone get them a pill that helps get them some blood to their possibly shriveled, limp brains.
Meanwhile, rent "Sicko," and give yourself a good reminder why the heck we need to emulate France, England and even Cuba... and someday perhaps, even Norway.
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In the Polilib's mind, people in Europe are always laughing at us. They laugh at us for our health care, for our cars, for our food. In fact, reading these articles, people in Europe don't seem to do much of anything except gloat. A typical European day might consist of: riding public transportation, stopping by the clinic for free health care and getting a degree for little or no money.
Europeans do these things each and every day. Then they gloat and laugh at us. Sometimes they call up their Canadian relatives and talk on their super sophisticated state-run cell phone services (cell phones are a right in most European countries...look it up) about how stupid Americans are.
The Europeans and Canadians do little else. They have no need for jobs because everything is free. They have no entertainment industry, because its more fun just to laugh at Americans. Soon China and India will raise their standard of living...and they too will spend the entire day laughing at America for not having as much train transportation as them.
We can't get no respect.
The US is a great country, but that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. Health care and public transportation would be a good start.
It will enlighten you, frustrate you, and make you want to move out.
We have become a very uncaring country.
The MSM has accomplished dumbing down Americans very well...
We have become willing to accept fraud and abuse as if we deserve this...
Why are we not in the streets demanding true healthcare for all.......?
The government has trained us well eh........?
This is what Obama should have been doing all along.
It's fine to allow Congress to take a crack at health care reform, but Obama should have taken a stand for Medicare for All, and then paid to have "Sicko" aired without commercials on all three networks.
If you still believe in for profit health care after watching this film, you're either the CEO of a health insurance company, or a masochist.
---and they spend more on it than the rest of the world combined.
---and they like it that way.--tax dollars well spent ---eight years later still trying to conquer a country 1/12 its size.with no where close to same military strength
I understand that medical care is the bigger, more prevalent issue, but dental care in this country is also in serious need of a review. In a social climate where appearances dictate opportunity, a decent smile is not a superfluous, cosmetic desire.
Now I'm off to see the movie Sicko so I can get really agitated.
We have a lot to learn from places like Finland, Norway and Denmark. Why do we persist with the idea that it is appropriate for Healthcare organizations to profit from the illnesses of others? If profit is the motive, they will always be strategizing to reduce care and coverage. This is antagonistic to good care. Costs need to be controlled--not for profits--but for practicality, so that all citizens can receive adequate care and coverage. We cannot serve the profit motive and the goal of decent affordable care for all citizens.
However I understand the concerns of TownHall-ers. Some fear a mandate with huge, uncontrolled medical costs taken via deductions or taxes. We already have an unsupportable amt of debt from the Bush War and Wall Street Bailouts that provided no tangible benefits to citizens. 1/3 of taxes pays the interest on this debt. Do you blame them for distrusting the Gov't when it has always sold out to big business? Until there is meaningful election reform that prevents corporations from buying political influence, we will continue to have the Senator from United Healthcare & Congresswoman from Aetna.
Atter living here for 2 years, i was running to the bus on an icy morning, tripped and knocked
my ankle completely out of the socket breaking my lef. The ambulance came,I spent a week in the hospital. Had the cast for a month, and went to a rehab theoropist. I don't have insurance I am not a citizen (actually vice chair of Democrats aborad norway, got to meet mondale last july 4th....i digress) so what did all of this cost me as an american?100 dollars.
My norwegian wife got a sist and was in major pain while we were living in Long Beach, her insurance was set up my the colledge, and was incorrectly to go to the community clinic... She had done a round the wold trip and had to go to the hospital in thailand...We couldn't believe the 6 hour wait, while she was in pain, and then the total rude and obnoxous doctor that we finally got to see, that gave her tylonol. My wife Ingrid said the service in thailand was 10 times better. Luckly we got to go to the "real" Long Beach hospital and the set up an operation for two days later....
Between the "best medicine in the world" and the "socialized" medicine of norway, give me the socialized!!!
Great comment that bears repeating. THIS is why we are so disappointed in Obama.
That gives me a wonderful sense of security which money cannot buy.
Sicko was well viewed in Norway
Norge
Ja det har ve. Takk, og ha en fin dag.
Fra Norge
We need publicly funded, clean elections that prohibit corporations or groups from buying political influence. We should have election coverage via CSPAN and locally, elections and political campaigning via public venues like universities.
After we have leaders elected by the people, they should take lie detector tests prior to biig votes to assure that they are not being bribed or blackmailed. Then perhaps we will have leaders voting in the public's interest.