The Truth About Socialized Medicine

“This is socialized medicine!” was the charge leveled by opponents of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, when these two landmark pieces of legislation were being debated.

The debate was a bit more civil then, but the scare tactics were exactly the same as they are today as we debate health care legislation. In the 60’s, I attended a dinner of the Vermont Medical Association and listened to the speaker rage against communism, the importation of Polish hams, and socialized medicine, all in one sentence.

Doctor’s wives—which I was at the time, were expected to be part of the AMA Auxiliary. We were recruited to spread the word about the evils of socialized medicine. They did not ask us to disrupt town meetings. Instead, we were asked to hold teas in our neighborhoods and play a record made by Ronald Reagan. The closing words warned that if Medicare and Medicaid were passed, Reagan’s sonorous voice said: “In your sunset years, you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren what life was like when men were free.”

I was not a typical doctor’s wife. I recruited some of my doctors’ wives friends and we started a counter group, which we tamely called a “study group” to ostensibly discuss the legislation. My real mission was to demonstrate that not all doctors, and not all doctors’ wives opposed this bill.

Our first event was a debate held between the head of the Vermont Medical Society and an official from the agency of health education and welfare, as it was then called. Unfortunately, he was not an effective proponent of the law and a young legislator, named Phil Hoff, who later became Governor, accused us of slanting the debate in favor of the AMA.

I had to set the record straight. At our next event, we would just present one side—in favor of the legislation, I made sure this speaker was well prepared. We filled City Hall auditorium. Unlike today, there was no shouting, but a lot of questioning, and tremendous concern about providing coverage for the elderly.

Ronald Reagan turned out to be wrong. Most of us are so happy, in our sunset years, to have access to Medicare, and yes, we are still free. The lesson here is simple—the hysterical exaggerations that are being blasted from the airwaves are almost identical to what we heard then.

They did not triumph then, and they must not be allowed to drown out the voices of reason and common sense today.

 
Madeleine M. Kunin is the former Governor of Vermont and was the state's first woman governor. She served as Ambassador to Switzerland for President Clinton, and was on the three-person panel that chose Al Gore to be Clinton's VP. She is the author of Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead from Chelsea Green Publishing.

This article originally appeared as a commentary on Vermont Public Radio.

Comments

[jbatch]

Republicans have been raising the specter of socialism in the face of every constructive change we've made in this nation.

Why?

Because a powerless government cannot intervene on behalf of the common man in the face of corporate plutocracy.

What the pathetic yahoos yokels at the town hall meetings can't seem to understand is that corporate tyranny is a more proximate danger to freedom than any threat the government can conjure.

The image these poor simpletons bring to mind is like the proverbial slack-jawed yokels at a three card monty festival -- duped and stripped of their money by those who promise them wealth.

[TruckerJohn]

The US already has Socialized Medicine just check out the generous health care scheme your members of congress belong to, the one run by the government bureaucrats the Right despise so much.

[Norge]

Thank you for your wise words. Of course the teflan man was wrong about the health care system and never did visit his neighbor Canada.

[Hansharriet]

I wonder why we don't see this kind of sanity in our daily press, the Washington Post and other newspapers and the TV chanels. Are they all afraid of the Insurance and Pharmaceutical Companies power or are they on our, the people's side?

[mjwca]

Because they make far too much money from all the advertising the wingnuts buy and then the rebutters must buy. Follow the money - it never fails.

[upstateman]

If the Canadian system is soooooooo great why does it outlaw private practice! Go to any of the border cities like Albany,Detroit, Buffalo...­... and look at the concentration of Canadian physicians. The U.S. gets the best and brightest.

[MythicalBeast]

Many physicians in Canada choose to practice in Canada just because there is no financial barrier between them and their patients - I am one. Many of the U.S. physicians who practice here also have a moral objection to charging their patients directly and areprepared to forego the excessive earnings of many U.S. physicians in order to fulfill their ideals. We suffer much less interference from non-medical organisations - such as the Provincial governments - than do American doctors from the for-profit insurance companies. i know because I have sat on committees of American medical organistaions and hear the dissatisfaction of many American doctors. In 35 years practice I cannot recall a single instance of government limiting access to medical services in any way. There is no "Canadian health service" - each Province offers a service tailor-made to the choices of the local population. Hospitals are owned by locally governed not-for-profit organisations. Many of us above the 49th parallel feel so sorry for our neighbours the South. You deserve better and all it needs is an understanding that government is "for the people" - and that illness is bade enugh on its own without being made worse by social and financial stresses. Good luck to you all!

[Treeske]

AMEN!

[Forest]

Thank you for your insights.

[MyThought]

Because the average Joe couldn't afford to go to private clinics - duh!

[SparkyAdams]

You poor delu ded, muffin.

[doubter421]

Best and brightest, or greediest?

[jjaylad]

@ upstateman Yes, MAP is a band-aid for the sore of private insurers lacking intermediaries. but you should consider the high rate of turnover with MAP policies..­. caused by the role of inefficient PRIVATE INSURERS-who ultimately negotiate care standards-involved in its networks. Yes, physicians received more and today serve patients' interests much better via regular Medicare claims, in comparison to disparate standards of care and the uber-high rate of successful malpractice suits against hospitals and physicians in the U.S., which is caused exclusively by the complex profit-mot­ives-arbit­rary-claim­s claims procedures of private insurers. BTW, shouldn't we be discussing patients' interests here, rather than doctors' pockets? It ain't rocket science. Stop living in the clouds

[pinkibus]

Upstateman - you wish. And wouldn't you wish everyone could see the best and the brightest. Go to Sick Children's Hospital and you will see the best and the brightest. It is in Toronto - not too far from the border. Then their is the Royal Victoria. Gee. an American - the best and the brightest in the world, practiced there. The Royal Victoria is not far from the border. Canadian doctors are always paid and Canadians always choose their doctor. And Canadians live longer and have fewer babies (20% fewer). Maybe the worst go south since they can earn a lot and it is not their concern whether their patients are not able to proceed with treatment because they can't afford it.

[upstateman]

Ronald Reagan was right. Regular Medicare is a disaster. Most physicians in my area will not accept Medicare unless it is a Medicare advantage program. And why is this so? Its because private insurance companies administer the program and not the government. Oh, by the way, Medicare advantage programs pay better. The Governor forgets that physicians initially loved Medicare since the largest rate of rise in physician income corresponded to the initial two decades of Medicare. Just think, in the 80's a surgeon received 1500$ for a gallbladder operation and today they receive 280$. How long before the physicians leave the program for good? In New York State very few neurosurgeons participate in Medicare. Is this success?

[johnashman]

Ironic that they don't make a law that just sets cash fees for all medical procedures, allowing people to just walk in and pay $280 for a gall bladder operation. I was astonished when one of my doctor customers told me how little she gets for her operations versus how much the hospital makes.

We need to get more doctor owned or non-profit hospitals and I don't think we're going to get that without tort reform or a "Limited Liability Clinic" protection.

IOW, we need more of these guys - http://www.patmosportal.com/payment-at-the-moment-of-service-medical-care/item.php?id=2&dir=

[ZoeyMO]

Thank you for this. A voice of sanity. God knows if we will prevail, but we have to try.

[Boyaca]

Thank you for this post. It is time for America to stand up for it's citizens and turn on the health care corporations that are it;s enemies

[ChelseaC]

Mrs. Kunin,
Thank you--great story.

[MyThought]

Oh the lies being said about Canadian health makes one wonder how stupid the Americans can be. Unbelievable.

The government DOES NOT pick our doctors. We find our own.
We DO NOT kill challenged kids - we try to help them with special needs schools, etc.
We DO NOT kill our grandmothers - we love our grandmothers too.
We DO NOT have people dying in the streets in line ups to get care.
We DO HAVE a longer life span than Americans
We DO HAVE less costs per capita than Americans do.

The Canadian woman in the ad with the so-called brain tumor - LIED to you folks. She had a "cyst" that was benign and was offered alternative treatment that is extremely successful.
The Canadian doctor in the ads who claimed Canada should privatize - wants clinics of his own in Canada so he can make mega bucks.
Our "doctors" choose our treatments - insurance companies do not.

We could go on.

We didn't ask to be in the US conversation about health care - so, please, stop slagging us.

[besta]

No system is perfect - each has it's own trade-offs, but I'm tired of hearing so many Americans saying the US has the "best health care in the world", it's arrogant and inaccurate (look at the facts!). We have much to learn from looking at other systems (and definitely the Canadian model), and it does not belittle America to say that we can learn from others - it only makes us smarter and stronger for doing so! So sad to see the fear, which is not justified (again, look at the facts) - but apparently we value choice and control over equity and community (and cost, and outcomes), and I fear we may pay dearly for that choice.

You didn't ask to be in the US conversation, but I am politely asking you to continue speaking your truth so those of us here who need to hear a different perspective can benefit from your experience. Thank you.

[caseyatbat]

Reagan was wrong about Medicare/Medicaid. He was one of the worst presidents in my memory and I'm 71 and a retired carpenter just getting by on less than $700/month SS and SSI. I am completely sastisfied with my Med/Med and so what if it's Socialized Medicine. FDR brought the USA out of the Great Depression with his plans - many of which were Socialized legislations.
Reagan did not belong in the Oval Office - he was little more than a whore of the Republican Party and the Shakers and Movers of that party controlled him. I doubt the fool ever had an original thought in his movie star's head! I remember that, before each press conference all the reporters who had questions they wanted Reagan to answer had to submit those questions 30 minutes before the press conference began. This was in order to give Reagan's handlers time to formulate answers which they then instructed Reagan to deliver - which he did. He was good at remembering his lines, grinning, telling jokes and anecdotes and shaking hands and that was all. When his picture appeared on the cover of Mad Magazine the first thought that came to me was: this is where the fool's face belongs and not in the Oval Office.

[desmo4]

You forgot to mention what a rotten actor Reagan was on top of everything else.

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

He also forgot to mention that Ronny Raygun raised taxes on the middle class more than any other president. The rich however, made out like bandits.

[Leslib]

Yes! Glad to read that finally someone agrees with me on Reagan. He was nothing but a figurehead for the behind-the-scenes folks (who were NOT elected by the people) who really ran things. Remember the pictures of him falling asleep at cabinet meetings? This reconstructed history of the man has me absolutely gagging. His was one of the most controlled administrations in recent history. You're right...he went on and read his lines and that was about it. Remember the air traffic controllers? And now they've named an airport after him? How insulting to the average joe who got fired for daring to stand up for decent wages and working conditions. I still cannot call it the R airport (can't even write it). I call it "National Airport" as it should still be.

I am so incensed by what I'm seeing in this "debate" I cannot stand it. I'm so ashamed of those people who are showing their fannies by going to town hall meetings and screaming at their representatives. Some of the stuff they're saying doesn't even make sense. sheesh...I could go on and on.

[TruckerJohn]

This is without doubt the most accurate description of Reagans presidency I've read for a long time!

What you are witnessing in the health care debate is the demonization of sensible cost saving reforms long overdue. The Right are scouring the world to find other health care systems to criticize whether it be Canada, Australia, Britain, France, all of which have some form of government run health system.
Using fear to dupe uninformed people is a tool the Right always employ, that and the fear something "foreign" might just be better is unthinkable.

[Bernique]

From my friend who lives in the U.K. --

"The lies being spread about our beloved NHS service by right wingers in the US is making headlines here. Of course, it is not perfect but no system is.

If you get the chance to speak up about it, tell them two things:

1. Life expectancy for both men and women is higher in the UK than the US even though the US spends three times as much on health per capita as the UK.
2. The WHO ranks the UK's health service 18th in the world (not the greatest) and the US 36th!!

Yes, cancer survival rates in the US are higher than in UK, if YOU HAPPEN TO BE INSURED

I suspect there's much misunderstanding on both sides of the Atlantic about the various systems. ... It's time the supporters of reform start making some ads to counter the nonsense being put out by the detractors.

You cannot imagine the outpouring of indignation that the slagging of the NHS has created here".

[upstateman]

I really wished people would stop using life expectancy as a measure of health care. The homicide,s­uicide,acc­ident , and aids rates are so much higher in the U.S.. These situation usually involve young people.If younger people are dying prematurely then our life expectancy is less. If somehow you could normalize our elevated homicide,s­uicide,acc­ident and aids rate then you would expect our live expectancy to rise.Maybe we have great health care in this country!

[gabemill]

22,000 Americans die annually because they lack health care. (1 every 24 minutes)
1 million Americans declare bankruptcy annually because they can't pay their medical bills.
And still, you attempt to defend the indefensible!

[pinkibus]

upstateman the operant word is if. Homicides are way way way lower in the other developed countries. So ask yourself why they are higher in America. Well maybe it is because nobody has to go without help from doctors even if they are sick. And Canadians have guns but they don't seem to want to kill anyone with them. You can get AIDS treatment for nothing. Imagine how many lives that saves. Young lives.

[besta]

HIV infection and AIDS mortality are fair reflections of our health care outcomes, and good primary/preventive health care, health education and mental health care also may impact some of the other issues you mention (not to mention access to emergency care).

You have a point in that our "health care system" does not entirely account for our well-being and longevity. Many of those issues are caused by multiple factors (poverty, education, stress, nutrition, environmental conditions, etc) - but these factors still exist and impact our health, even if you choose not to count them.

We do have great health care in this country, for those who can pay for it - but of course, you have to look at the whole population, not just the ones who are doing ok.

[Chris Weigant - Huffpost Blogger]

Governor Kunin -

Excellent column. More of what Reagan actually said:

"The doctor begins to lose freedom…. First you decide that the doctor can have so many patients. They are equally divided among the various doctors by the government. But then doctors aren't equally divided geographically. So a doctor decides he wants to practice in one town and the government has to say to him, you can't live in that town. They already have enough doctors. You have to go someplace else. And from here it's only a short step to dictating where he will go. All of us can see what happens once you establish the precedent that the government can determine a man's working place and his working methods, determine his employment. From here it's a short step to all the rest of socialism, to determining his pay. And pretty soon your son won't decide, when he's in school, where he will go or what he will do for a living. He will wait for the government to tell him where he will go to work and what he will do."

Strange how Medicare/Medicaid passed, yet none of this is true now...

The whole Reagan audio:

http://allbleedingstops.blogspot.com/2008/10/reagan-and-medicare.html

Partial transcript (scroll down to the Talking Points part of my column):

http://tinyurl.com/qe7q3a

This is what got Reagan started in politics, in 1961. Full story of "Operation Coffecup":

http://www.larrydewitt.net/Essays/Reagan.htm

-CW

[chewmin68]

A heated debate this is, but why any US worker would defend insurance company practices is amazing. Here's a thought all you so called freedom lovers. How good is it that we have SS? Hmm? All of you rich? Without SS my Mom would be living with me, not that I don't want her, but she does not want me either. She was independent and stays that way at age 82. She's in good health for her age, and in good mind. So let me pose the question again. All you who are not really wealthy, most of the population, how would you like elderly Mom and Dad moving in? Their expenses are yours. Their care is yours. How about that, people? I don't disparage the rest of the world, but many cultures take care of their elders, respect them, admire them. But the US does not. So, SS and Medicare gave you pukes the freedom from your parents. But you don't want to pay tax for it since it will "affect your kids and grandkids". So what you say quoting the young, is that elders are worthless, since your young will have to pay. Don't you see a problem here?

[DawnWE]

My very republican mother-in-law was just counting down the days until her 65th birthday month so she'd be eligible for medicare!

[apduncan1]

Go figure. Is she at the town hall disrupting the meetings?