Family Values, American Style
I was born and raised in America, but I've lived in Europe for the last twenty years. I''m thinking it might be time to come home, but whether I can or not depends on the answer to this question:
Does America take care of its children?
Our son has juvenile diabetes. He's had it for seven years, since he was two years old. During that time we've lived in three countries -- Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Italy -- and he has had excellent treatment in each country. And when I say excellent, I mean superb. We visit a specialist once a month for a check-up, and once a year he has a full physical evaluation, including blood labs. We are provided all the tools we need to control his condition: insulin, blood glucose monitoring devices, needles, injection pens, etc. And every couple of months the hospital organizes a day of physical activity for all the kids they treat.
I've calculated the cost of all that over seven years, and here's what it comes to: zero.
Naturally, all this doesn't come at no cost. Somebody is paying. No, that's not exactly true. In fact, everybody is paying. I guess you could call that "socialism." Or you could call it "family values." But what difference does it make what you call it? It's good, efficient health care, for children and others, subsidized by the government. No one is excluded or has to pay through the nose because they or someone in their family has a pre-existing condition.
I've seen the European system up close and I''m here to tell you, it works.
It's discouraging to watch America "debate" the future of its health care system. I don't know if all the nonsense is a result of ignorance or greed, but it's probably both. I only hope cooler, smarter heads prevail.
Then maybe I can come home.
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the only socialist program the right believes in is the us military. anything to do with weapons and destruction, they feel this is for them, white conservative christians. any other govt program is primarily for "those people", hence why they are now seething with rage.
I am a British citizen who has been living in the US for 15 years. Luckily I have managed to secure the kind of jobs which offered good health insurance. It wasn't until I moved here that I realized how much I had taken the NHS for granted - as do most British I'm sure. My mother died 3 years ago from liver disease. She had Primary Biliary Sclerosis which is a liver disease about which little is known. It is a very long lasting disease - in her case 30 years during which time she had two liver transplants. When the second liver failed after 10 years she was told that due to the breast cancer which she also had, she was not a candidate for a third transplant - she died less than a year later. Each new liver lasted 10 years and during that time she had to take numerous very costly drugs.
What do you think her chances would have been in this country? She would most likely have been denied insurance and how much do you think a liver transplant costs? It doesn't bear thinking about.
You're right - it's socialism.
yeah, whats your point? Seems to be a good thing... the government blabbermouths all complaining against healthcare reform all receive socialized healthcare, its subsidized by the american government. I never hear them complain about how bad their socialized healthcare is and if they had the choice they would give it up to buy private insurance.
Name me one government official against socialized healthcare, that is ON socialized healthcare that complained how bad it is and wants private instead. They certainly earn enough to buy their own.
I am disabled and took a disability pension from my union. have two minor children. We live in a 2 bedroom apt. and can't afford to move into a place big enough for my family because for myself and my kids I pay $830.00 per mo. plus co-pays for health care. If I didn't have coverage the costs of my medications alone would be over $1000.00 mo. It's our second largest expense behind rent. Before I retired the employers paid for it through the union contract but now I have to buy it. I have heard I am getting a good deal because I am buying it through my union trust fund group that negotiates prices for coverage to drive down cost. I have a high tier Kaiser plan that I selected because if I used private doctors I would have to pay up front and wait to be reimbursed. Thank god for Social Security and the Union defined benefit pension I worked for 22 years to get or we'd be homeless. I have always worked in union blue collar jobs. One of the main reasons I stayed was good medical. I would have had a lot more freedom to try different types of work or school if I didn't have to worry about medical coverage. If I moved to any other civilized industrial nation I would instantly have about $10,000 a year more in real income.
As a native US citizen who lived overseas with my children for several years, and was blessed with the opportunity to live in *civilized* countries where universal health care is a given, I would advise any other US expats out there to *stay put* until this dust settles.
Because my children and I were "uninsured" while overseas, and were diagnosed with one or two minor conditions, such as allergies, asthma, irritable bowel... we are now "home" and find ourselves to be literally uninsurable.
We simply live in the hopes that nothing terrible strikes us. Because if it does, bankruptcy will likely be our only option. That or re-emigrating back to a country that will take care of us.
The irony is that our family "breadwinner" is a medical device research scientist, and makes *just* enough money that we qualify for no assistance, and yet not so much that we can afford to pay the insane private insurance rates!
It breaks my heart to see so many Americans *lying* to each other, and so many more who are too ignorant and gullible to know they're being lied to as they protest and ague and even vote against their own best interests. It's a national tragedy, and I only hope it can be overcome, and soon.
"It breaks my heart to see so many Americans *lying* to each other, and so many more who are too ignorant and gullible to know they're being lied to as they protest and ague and even vote against their own best interests. It's a national tragedy, and I only hope it can be overcome, and soon."
That needs to be posted as a completely separate article. Beautifully and accurately said.
The only thing that is keeping Mr. Gabbay from coming home is whether or not we have a European-style health care system? Really?
HIs son has diabetes. If the author comes back here and loses his job (and probably his employer-based health insurance), his son would not be able to get medical care unless the family could pay for it entirely. The few physicians who agree to take Medicaid especially don't want to treat chronic, test-intensive medical problems. Diabetes is a pre-exisiting condition. If we do not get some kind of health care reform, this child will NEVER be able to obtain health insurance when he grows up unless he works for a governmental entity (and even many of those no longer cover pre-existing conditions if they are chronic). Personally, if my kid was getting great medical care overseas, I would not chance it with coming back to America.
Most physicians still do take Medicaid or Medicare, although there have been problems with the number of physicians who do shrinking. I found this report,
"the results of a survey published in 2008 by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent federal panel that advises Congress. The panel found that 29 percent of beneficiaries who were looking for a new primary care physician had problems finding one who accepted Medicare."
So it's not that there is a tiny percentage of physicians who will take it, but the numbers still indicate that the system needs some kind of reform.
I'm sure it's not his only criteria but, given his circumstances and those of his son, health care coverage is obviously a major concern -- as it should be for any American.
Americans do not deserve the democracy that was crafted for them some 200 years ago.
They have done very little to advance the consciousness of their nation, let alone the care of their people.
Europeans understand the value of the collective. We in America shout our freedoms from the rooftops forgetting that 1)we are not in this thing alone and 2) were it not for the Grace of God, we too might be without food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care.
A young and immature nation without conscience.
Very well put.
The value of the collective is only made up by the value of each individual that composes it. And since we are not monochrome robots, we all have different interests at play. Therefore to emphasize the value of the collective over the value of the individual is to invite a tyranny of the majority.
Individualists do not lack conscience, we merely would like to see entities other than the government lead the way to reform, such as the insurance companies themselves. The government could even play a role in facilitating the reform, but it is not necessary to create a universal system run by the government.
And why in the world would an insurance company want reform? How many times in your life have you walked into your boss's office and said, "Hey, I'm making way too much money fr what I'm doing. Is there some way you can give me more to do for less money?" There's no benefit to an insurance company in insuring the sick. That's why they like to insure healthy people and then dump them when they get sick.
This is the kind of thinking that has gotten us to where we are today. You don't have to regulate business, the market will. Except it doesn't.
do tell us, how successful were these entities in reforming the system that benefited them so much?
The insurance company are doing everything to kill reform, if they wanted to reform their for profit ways they would have done or offered to do so. They have become arrogant and even came out and said they would not change.
HR3200 bill is for the insurance company not for Health Care. They have the option to drop anyone based on fraud. The same thing they use now to drop someone. It also allows the insurance company to charge more depending on age. You know the age where someone might need a little more medical services.
We don't have a democracy, we have a republic and we don't value the collective, we value the individual
A "republic" is a country that has a president. Many of the European countries have presidents and are thus "republics" - but they also have free elections and are also representative democracies. The 2 terms are not incompatible. Undemocratic countries calling themselves republics and there are quite a few of those are usually really dictatorships.
As to valuing the individual - countries that truly value individuals don't let their less rich individuals die by refusing to provide decent health care.
I never really understood the visceral reaction to taxes, especially here in the US. It's like a dirty word here! No one likes to pay taxes. That's a given! You won't find one person in the world who LIKES to pay taxes. However - isn't it worth it, however painful, to pay a little more in taxes in return for affordable healthcare, decent public transportation (not just in urban areas but also in the suburbs), better roads, public libraries and affordable education?
I grew up in Australia, went to a public high school (academically selective but still public), went to a public university, got a good education, came out and got a good job with one of the Big 5 (in those days....no
I hope the hysteria dies down, we all get a grip and act like adults even if we do disagree.
Few people are against all taxation. I suspect those that are would be properly labeled as anarchists. Many of us are not for certain types of taxation, however. The Constitution of the United States originally contained no provision within it for an income tax, so the income tax had to be voluntary at first. This is because it was recognized that the government should not literally own your labor. However, the 16th amendment and future court interpretations of that amendment gradually whittled down the original intent of the Constitution and we finally ended up with a very unconstitutional federal income tax. This tax goes to support national defense and the welfare state above all else.
I just want to be free, to not be burdened with the "social responsibility" that I am told I must have. I would like to give freely out of my own heart and not be forced to by the government who will waste a lot of my money anyway.
you miss the point, but that's OK. From what you are saying it implies that the Europeans somehow are not free. The point the Aussie is trying to make is that Americans have a funny reaction towards taxes. People in Europe and Australia don't have the same reaction and somehow they live also "free" lives, have decent public health care, public transportation, public education.
Waste of money is not a prerogative of government. The american "non-profit", charity system creates enormous waste. Just think about the big charitable organizations that get donations from millions like you - how much do you think the CEO of United Way for example gets paid per year (well deep in the 6 figures)? They are run totally ineffectively - I know this because I was working in that system. There is a misconception that you as a single donor can choose the best and most effective bang for your money. And if on the other hand the government is involved, money will be wasted. Charity gives some moral satisfaction (which I believe is totally selfish paradocically), but it can't solve the big macro social problems like poverty, health care, access to decent education.
But you live in a society. You have responsibilities.
Should you lose your job and get sick, how free do you think you'll be then?
I've seen the Australian system up close and personal and, while not perfect, it's certainly better than ours. And I'd say on a lot of very important things they're a great deal freer than the Americans are.
What if you come down with cancer and loose your job and subsequently your health insurance? How will you manage then?
And how free will you be living under a bridge?
So, thanks to Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Speaker Pelosi says she will bring a vote to the floor on single-payer after the recess. Are you all ready to make those phone calls and write those letters?
Nancy's contact http://spe
Send our speaker an e-mail of encouragement.
Thank you for the info, I sent her an email of support.
How dare you say something good about Europe. You socialist you.
There are lots of things that private sector can do more efficiently than the federal government. However, providing health insurance is not one of those things. Federal programs like Social Security, Social Security Disability, and Medicare are much more efficient in terms of costs and providing services than private sector insurance programs. As is pointed out in this article experience around the world shows that government institutions are simply better suited to provide various forms of social insurance, including health coverage, than competing private companies.
This is why people in these other countries are not demanding the repeal of their universal health coverage to go to our Rube Goldberg system. And this is why we have to have a public option as part of health care reform. Without some form of public option, there is no real reform. Perhaps at some point we can move to a true single payer system--as far as I'm concerned the sooner the better.
Why are people willing to accept a public option when HR3200 is offering a public option that 1. is just an insurance option not funded by the government. 2. Has restriction that will never become a single payer.
Say it like it is. We want single payer now.
Then why haven't they done it?
Anything for a profit, even if it leaves people to die. That's their #1 priority.
(I misposted earlier)
You're entirely correct. The US is 37th in the world in terms of quality of care, we are the only industrialized nation that does not have universal health care. It makes me ashamed to be an American.
We need a complete overhaul where the care of the patient is the priority and not profit.
ahh where can I open my Soylent Green factory? (snark)
The GOP health care plan for working Americans:
option A, die young with a coffin
option B, die young and get cremated
option C, die young and get eaten
The GOP is working very hard behind the scenes to legalize cannibalism to make this plan viable.
The only good part of the GOP plan is getting eaten.
should that be "get eaten and die young?" At least that way you could enjoy the noshing.
This is what I don't understand - these anti-health insurance reform people have this fear of "death panels" but since they have insurance they don't care about the uninsured. What about their care? Doesn't it matter whether or not they get the care to live and have a quality of life that is available to anyone who is insured? The problem with this country is that the prevailing mentality is "I have mine so F you." These protesters are undoubtedly the same people who profess to be "pro-life" and are so worried that abortions might be covered with a public option but can't be bothered with people who have no insurance or who have pre-existing conditions.
True.
The insurance companies are death panels. They are the ones that decide who lives or who dies just by the fact that they control what treatment you can have. Duh, hasn't anyone figured that out?
I know someone in Denmark and he pays 60% in taxes. If I had to pay that I'd have to sell my house and get a clunker car. I have a hard time making ends meet as it is as a single man with an ok paying job. Why should I pay for little johnny - I didn't choose to have 5 kids, but I should be paying for them? Why should I have to help pay for someone who smokes and eats badly when I take care of myself? Why should I pay for the person who is lazy and doesn't work when I bust my ass and do overtime?
I have the cheapest insurance thru a large hospital - it's all I can afford. It's not much every month. I suppose it depends on how much my taxes go up would determine if I'm for universal health care. I am not greedy and volunteer as well. I'm just an average joe that needs my money to survive. I don't wish anyone to be denied healthcare. I don't know what the solution is.
And what happens when you find out you have something horribly wrong with you and that hospital dumps you despite the fact you've always paid your premiums and paid them on time?
Why would a hospital dump me if I had insurance? They would be paid. Do you mean if an insurance company dump me if something went wrong? Good question. Anything can happen in life. I am just basing my feelings on my experience up til now. What is nothing happens to me. Can you answer my questions? Why should I have to support other people's bad decisions thru my pocketbook? I understand when it is a genetic problem that you can't help or an accident. I already said I don't have the answers. Still figuring this out.
Goodness, trying to count the amount of times you mentioned "I" in your statement is making me dizzy. This is what is wrong with this country, people forget we are all in this ship together and we will suffer the consequences together. Selfishness is destroying this country.
Have you been in Europe? As taxes are higher, so are salaries. When is the last time you had a pay raise? A real one? Imagine if you could start your own business because you had health insurance and a real social safety net.
Stop thinking that your interests are the same as the millionaire pundits on the TV and radio.
Ask your friend in Denmark if he or she would want to live in the US under our indentured servant model. Doubtful.
You pay for these people even though you may not realize it. First when they show up at the hospital, the hospital cannot turn them away. If they cannot pay for services, then the hospital does a neat thing called cost sharing. It increases the price of services to those with insurance. That makes everyone who goes to that hospital have to pay more, thus increasing the cost the insurance company bears for paying for those services. They make their money back by raising your insurance premiums.
And if you didn't have to pay insurance or medical bills for your children, or any member of your family? If you had had no out-of-pocket costs for your children's deliveries or vaccinations? If you paid only $200 per semester per child for college, and could retire on a decent salary after working for 40 years? Oh, yes, and got 6 weeks' paid vacation every year? It's not just health insurance that is covered with those 60% taxes--it's much, much more. (How about paying a family member a salary to stay at home with those children until they reach kindergarten age?)
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