Universal Health Care and a small village in Germany

A sunny, early spring weekend in Germany, the small German village where we lived made us part of their life. Farmers slaughtered pigs and prepared equipment to work the fields during the coming week. Following a leisurely breakfast in bed, I was taking a relaxing bath; my wife was baking in the kitchen. A scene of domesticity soon to be torn asunder. As on most weekend days, two of our children were about the village with their German friends. Our youngest, a two year old barely able to speak English but fluent in German, was playing in the living room.

The village boys were playing tag. As they ran their regular path through the neighbor's farm, Bella, the always friendly farm dog, evidently upset by squeals of pigs, the smell of offal and the heavy scent of blood turned on the children slashing one boy clear through the cheek. Chaos reigned as the farmers saw to immediate first aid and called for the child's parents.

My wife heard the heavy knock on the door; answered it and took off down the path with Frau Schneider. Our oldest son, who just turned eight, was the unfortunate child. My wife is a highly experienced registered nurse and probably one of the calmest heads I have ever known in a business where a calm head is necessary for survival. She assessed the situation and shouted for me to stay put and watch our other children. It was her area of expertise, I obeyed. My wife, injured son and the neighbors headed off to the local German hospital five kilometers away. Then passed the longest hours of my life.

The rural German hospital possessed excellent surgery and emergency facilities. As I paced and fretted at home, my wife negotiated our child's treatment in stumbling German and fluent English. She debated transferring our child to the military hospital twenty miles away. The trauma to our son's cheek was so violent and rough that there were serious questions if he would ever be able to smile or have feeling in that cheek again. A young German doctor begged my wife to allow him to perform surgery on our son. He explained that American medicine would require a series of operations (at least three) and a helicopter flight to Frankfurt. My wife knew this to be true.

The doctor claimed that under German protocols he could do the "repair" permanently and in one surgery. My wife used her best judgment and told the German doctor that our son's care was in his hands. As is so often the case, my wife was right. The next days and weeks were trying but German hospital care was superb. My son never required another surgery and today you must look very carefully to see the scar. As a side note, the German authorities said that it was our call on whether to execute the dog and examine him for rabies or watch and wait. We left that decision up to our son. He said let him live. Years later we returned to "our" village and had a great reunion. My son asked to see bella and the old dog limped out of the barn. My son thanked us for honoring his decision.

Why do I relate this bit of family history? We paid a pittance for the German national healthcare and treatment of our son. We had insurance but they refused further payment saying the national healthcare covers those costs. Now, European and other nations' healthcare is being attacked as a failure. This is not a misunderstanding; it is a lie. No healthcare system is perfect even if perfection should always be the goal. I KNOW government healthcare works. For most of our lives, my family's healthcare was government healthcare. Not just in Europe, but here in the United States. As many of you know, we still have government military healthcare. I am ready to address any questions concerning universal healthcare.

U.S. Healthcare is failing. I won't address individual horror stories here because there are enough on both sides. However, I will address overall challenges. Doctors tell me they will gladly sacrifice income for more time with patients and more time with their own loved ones. Nurses' unions are fighting for fewer patients (meaning more time with individual patients) rather than more money. Home healthcare attendants are fighting for their own healthcare benefits and a living wage so that they can continue to care for their clients. Do you see a common theme here? Patient care is what drives real healthcare providers not just money. They are caregivers to their very core and they know our current system is working for neither the patient nor society.

Government healthcare works well. My current mix of government and private healthcare fits into our national values. Ask the vast majority of seniors if they want to lose their Medicare and you will find a government single payer healthcare program that is very popular. Time to stop the lies, hate and disinformation. Let's roll up our sleeves and begin to address this key area of our economy and our quality of life. Forty years of debate is time enough.

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Comments

[csavage]

I have worked as a military physician, a private solo practitioner, as an ER physician and as a hospitalist hired to take care of indigent patients. I can tell you it's fairly rewarding working for the military, solo practice was hard as hell, the ER is overfilled with primary care-to the point that the wellbeing of emergently ill patients is being threatened, and not everyone who's lost their healthcare is a no-account bum. This system is about to break and, when it does, we won't have a chance to choose a system. One will be chosen for us.

[geroldf]

Thank you for posting this. we need to learn from both the mistakes and the successes of other countries that are trying "socialized medicine". surely we can take the best components of other systems, avoid the problems they have encountered, and truly have the "greatest health care system in the world".

From the statistics it seems pretty clear that we spend more money and get worse results than many other countries. Personal stories like this one put meat on those bones.

[JessWonderin]

Sad story with a good ending . .

Had this happened in OUR town, I'm sure the several hour wait in ER would have been followed by a grueling interview to see WHAT would be covered by the "insurance" . . .

[Hal Donahue - Huffpost Blogger]

I hope you are wrong. My experience is that everyone else will wait. I know many ER doctors and nurses and they will move a serious injury or symptoms to the head of the line. The care would be provided well; depending who presents at the ER, the hospital and staff may not be paid for it. Right now that is who pays for folks with no insurance, the communities and healthcare providers.

The grueling interview is exactly what makes US medicine so nasty and ineffective. When people are down, society kicks them.

[lorinishome]

Great post. Thank you.

I am a single parent with a brain tumor. My company will be closing in 2011 and without significant reform, I may have to go without the frequent monitoring and care I require to keep it in check. Unless I find a job with good coverage (in this job market), another surgery, should it be needed, to save my sight or my life will not be a possibility. Sure does put my military and oversees upbringing into perspective.

Health care should not be a privilege.

[pontesisto]

If you would like to help pressure Congress to pass single payer health care please join our voting bloc at:
http://www.votingbloc.org/Health_Bloc.php

[vintagefunk]

Thank you for this op-ed. Medicare For All.

[digger0007]

Thanks for sharing the poignant story.

Misunderstanding is one thing. Some of the things propagated, as you said, are outright lies. If anyone has doubts about the Republican right wing, there is no doubt now.

[Lt]

right on dude!

[noneIn2008]

The proposed changes will take away cancer drugs from those with "advanced stage cancer" in order to save funding. Not your choice, but that of a lobbyist bought bureaucrat in Washington. Advanced renal failure, over 90 and other problems. The bureaucrat will determine when the plug is pulled, not you.
Then in 10 years when the system is completely broke and the youth no longer want to fund the elderly, they will need to "tighten" the provisions on many treatments. And, the DEA will cut back on prescriptions for pain relievers. You wouldn't want those dieing to be addicted to narcotics. However, you will receive counseling on your "duty to die".

[SeriousBlack]

Still buying the lies, aren't you? I don't know whether it's more sad or pathetic that you choose to believe the things being told to you by agents of greedy extortionists making tens of millions of dollars a year off of people's illnesses, suffering and death (i.e., health insurance company CEOs) that are so against your own self-interest.

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

Where did you plagiarize this.....including the mispellings.....? From Mitch McConnell's lastest attempt at "novel"-wr­iting.....­.or was from the grand toad Gingrich? For YOU the angst of living seems to weigh so heavily on your reason, why go on.....?

Apparently you believe that it is your duty to share the fantasies and delusions of a tortured mind, but don't worry! Most versions of NATIONAL HEALTH care include, the very least, provision for your psychosis...... Meantime a couple of SEROQUEL 100s will help you sleep.....

[Hal Donahue - Huffpost Blogger]

They don't withhold treatment in much of Europe why would they here? There is a great debate in medicine right now that we are indeed treating our elderly and very sick to death not only shortening their lives but dramatically reducing the quality of life remaining. Your major problem appears to be that you don't trust the American people to provide a caring and efficient healthcare system. I have greater confidence in the people. America can do as well or better than other countries.

[Lt]

This is just one more series of republi"CON" lies,

why don 't you right wing clowns wake up,

do something for the good of your country not your political party,,

just once

[Hal Donahue - Huffpost Blogger]

This is the reaction that "they" want. I find the best approach is to calmly counter their points. It infuriates them LOL

[JessWonderin]

another liar earning their UnitedHeath Tee-Shirt . . .

Get some FACTS and crawl back into the swap of filth and lies . . . .

[usindecline]

Great post. Many years ago when I turned 23 I lost my medical benefits as a military dependent. It was a major stressor -- one that my German relatives didn't have.

It has all been downhill from there, as my family and I have made many compromised decisions just to get health insurance.

[jimpwhite]

Hal & Family, thank you for sharing a very warm story. Like you I had dealings in many countries when serving in the merchant marines. Various trauma can occur in the world of fast moving cargos in ports around the world. I too have fond memories of the international treatments to our crew as i visited daily and alerted family members of the progresses stateside. It is truly about the patient from triage, and then the aftercare. One old salt married his nurse from Calcutta. Retired now and his son is attending medical school. I hope we can get back to the basics of healthcare, I hope more medical students will look to a career in family medicine and general practices. Its was this idea back in the day that was the founding principle of the Mayo clinics. Keeping the patient first in all affairs.

[phylliscooper1]

The patient was always first when I became a nurse. Sadly, this is not the case anymore. A utilization review committee convenes, considers the diagnosis, the provider or lack of one, and advises the physician how many days are allowed for the admission. It is disheartening to a nursing professional to give patient discharge instructions to patients who are clearly not medically ready or prepared to do self care at home. I can only imagine how the physicians must feel

[Hal Donahue - Huffpost Blogger]

Yet opponents of healthcare refuse to acknowledge that this is exactly what is happening right now in American medicine.