A few years ago there was a great uproar from the Right Wing against France because its government opposed the War in Iraq. The Republican Congress went so far as to rename the "French Fries" in the Congressional cafeteria "freedom fries."
Of course, the Republican response was stupid and parochial - and not many years after, most Americans had come to agree with the French that the War in Iraq was a huge mistake.
I think of myself as an internationalist, but my latent sense of nationalist competitiveness is indeed aroused by the fact that, per capita, France spends less than half of what we do on health care and yet the World Health Organization ranks their health care outcomes as number one in the world, and we are only 37th.
We spend $7,290 per person and end up in 37th place. They spend only $3,601 and they are number one. That's just not right.
On the average, Frenchmen live almost three years longer than the average American. That's infuriating.
What's more, every legal resident of France is covered by health insurance, and in the U.S. 46 million people are uninsured. When someone in France goes to the hospital, everything except a small co-payment is covered - it's that simple.
The government doesn't deliver health care in France. Private doctors and hospitals do most of that. It just provides health insurance for everyone.
If you walk into one store and a suit you like costs $600 - and next door the very same suit is $300 - most people would call you a chump for spending $600. In this case the French are paying $300 and getting a better suit. What are we, idiots?
I, for one, refuse to believe that we are not as smart as the French. I can't believe that we willingly allow ourselves to continue to be fleeced by the private insurance executives who make millions off our current broken health care system.
In their private moments, those executives must not believe their luck. They are laughing all the way to the bank - laughing at us that we could be such suckers - and doing everything they can to keep things just the way they are.
Just today, they and their Republican defenders in Congress will try to prevent the Senate Finance Committee from ending the current practice (put in place by Bush and the Republicans) of subsidizing private insurance firms 14% to provide Medicare Advantage members the same benefits as Medicare. Do they think we are complete fools?
President Obama's health insurance reform plan finally offers us a chance to end the national embarrassment of being the world's biggest health care chumps. We can finally begin the process of ending the stranglehold of private insurance companies over our health care system with strong regulation, and by offering Americans a choice of keeping their private insurance or joining a strong public health insurance plan.
Of course the private health insurance companies hate the thought of a public health insurance option because it would force them to compete, cut profit margins, cut executive salaries, and control costs - just what America needs. And most Americans understand that. In a poll conducted just a week ago, 62% said they would be more likely to support President Obama's health insurance reform proposal if they had a choice of a public option. Only 28% said they would be less likely.
The only reason we wouldn't get a public option is if the insurance companies and their allies are allowed to hold our health care hostage by threatening to stop any form of health insurance reform if Congress limits their unfettered ability to fleece us through the current system. It is up to us to make sure that doesn't happen.
Call your Senators today. Tell them that - as Americans-- we're done with being the world's biggest health care chumps.
Robert Creamer is a long-time political organizer and strategist, and author of the recent book: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win, available on amazon.com.
There is no reason we cannot adopt a similar plan. Right wing stubborness is a real disease in this country.
bring in independents. No matter what the MSM says ignore them and vote for someone other
that Democrats or Republicans. When we have a majority, strike while the iron is hot and bring
in term limits for congress, no more career politicians. Also end paid lobbying. These 2 steps will
end the corruption in congress and enable meaningful change.
Somewhere along the line our elected offiials sold out our country to the highest bidder and we are paying the price for their greed.
Get rid of the whole lot of them who are on the payola and keep only those who really want to do what is right for this country and its citizens.
However, I heard in the media that France's food supply is becoming increasingly controlled by large grocery stores rather than artesians and it will be interesting to see how the mass production of the food supply affects health. Europe in general is against GMO crops and the use of hormones to increase milk and egg production so they might not have the same problems Americans do. We have seen an increase in cancer and heart disease rates in studies of hormone use in menopausal women. One has to wonder if the use of hormones to manipulate food production also affects disease development and this may be influencing the rate of disease and cost of health care in the U.S.
Yes I agree completely. The definitions of healthcare reform need to go way beyond health care administration changes. The government needs to step up and promote personal lifestyel reform as well as costs are only going to rise as health degenerates due to decrepit living. The CDC recently stated that the costs related to obesity exceed 142 billion per year!! Is anyone listening to that, I wonder?
There's plenty of research ou there to show that diet, for example, can make a real difference. But we like our bagels and cream cheese so much....not to mention out TRIPLE WHOPPERS and fries... and buckets of Haagen......
Wasn't it Ronald Reagan who declared ketchup to be a vegetable? At least he could have included lettuce, for G_D sakes!!
What ever will happen to us as a nation if people woke up....?
People have these infantile fanatsies that expect MOM/DAD doctor to fix them no matter what--as long as we pay our premiums. Then we can just continue along trashing ourselves.
No wonder things are so screwed up--AND the INSURANCE COMPANIES realize all this. They're not stupid. But they can make $$ off our stupidity.
Where does personal responsibility begin?
Of course, this is only a part of the pic, but it is an IMPORTANT part.
Wherher France is the best comparison---I wouldn't say, but there's much more that we can do anyway.
Of course, government (through the FDA?) has a major role to play in outlawing some of the stuff that is put into processed food and running health campaigns inciting people to eat fruit and vegetables. There is also the issue of TV ads for processed food during TV programs aimed at kids. School lunches are an issue, as well as vending machines in schools. The French goverment has recently banned vending machines offering anything but plain yoghurt and apples (well, that is the gist of it) in schools, but it balked short of outlawing processed food ads during kids' programs.... because the current government is awfully close to private networks.
People have been mislead about the product they are purchasing when they buy it and the fine print or details have not been explained.
Unless you sign up with a large company where you do not fill out a questionnaire you are not put through the same underwriting standards as those who are in a small group which is unfortunate. Company A can buy a product with the same brand name as company B purchases but the bundle of health services offered may be different.
We, America.. the United States, need non profit single payer health care for everyone. let there be supplemental policies sold by joe blow insurance company.. this non-profit would of course be paid for by a tax.. but, your employer if you are lucky enough to still have one, would not furnish your health care insurance.. or partially furnish your insurance... that cost would be gone.. you would be able to see any doctor you wanted that would see you.. if you need treatment your doctor would provide it.. they would then send the bill to the agency in charge of payments and they would be paid..
yes yes yes... all the points about education and preventative care and obesity and poor health choices by individuals are taken too... yeah, we are not perfect people
Imagine being born, and you're covered. Your entire life, you never have to question or worry what will happen if you get sick (beyond getting treated and returned to health). Permanent, comprehensive, on-demand health care...
This new argument, that "Americans are less healthy, so a universal system would cost more, or just be untenable" is, I believe, a new spin from the anti-reform folks... namely, the insurance industry.
The fact is that 45,000 fewer people would die each year due to lack of access to basic health care. Millions wouldn't go bankrupt due to medical costs. Everyone(!!) would have free access to any doctor and any health care they need, AND...... it would collectively and individually cost us less money.
What's not to like in this scenario??
Call your Representative and Senators, and demand they support HR 676. Also tell them to do it NOW, not 15 years from now.
We can't wait anymore!!!! We're dying out here!!!
I served my country in the GWOT, and yet I was being told that REGULARLY by people who had never CONSIDERED serving their country, but who happened to like Bush!
And apparently Health Care for all is a priviledge and not a right in this country.
ANY business worth its salt uses what’s called “BEST PRACTICES” to be as efficient as possible (Where they “borrow” ideas that are working from others in their industry, for their own companies)
Clearly, the French seem to have a “best practice”, in their healthcare system.
WHO CARES who came up with the idea????????
And....
Since when is America content to be so far BEHIND others??????
Rhetorical question, I assume.
With a system like this, why make classic prostitution illegal?
England established their healthcare system in 1948, three years after the war ended. They were a mere shell of a country because they had been bombed almost out of existence. Yet, they knew the value of seeing that their populace had decent health care. Where did they get the money to do this?
I don't know. Does it matter?
Where did we get the financing for the Iraq War? Who knows? We can find financing for death and destruction but none for health care reform. Sad!!