Wow, I just watched last night's Frontline, in which the reporter examines the health-care systems of Japan, the UK, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland, in order to evaluate how wealthy developed nations administer universal health-care.
It was quite enlightening, and even hopeful. And yet I suspect we'll never ever get such a system here. The insurance and pharmaceutical and medical lobbies are too big.
A fact they quoted in the report: 700,000 Americans a year go bankrupt because of health-care bills. W.T.F.
PS, Suela, that statistic is just angry-making. Egad.
So incredible. And the reporter kept asking: "So, how many people here go bankrupt because of medical bills?" --and they all looked at him like he was insane. I liked the Swiss guy the best, because he was all, "OMG no, that would be a HUGE SCANDAL!"
Actually, Switzerland was particularly interesting, because they had a system just like ours until 1994, and then voted in a referendum to change it to a mandated-insurance system (IIRC) with no profits for basic services. Of course, it just barely passed--but now it has broad support and even the right-wing types like it. So it can be done, although the Swiss have only 1/35th as many people as we do...
A fact they quoted in the report: 700,000 Americans a year go bankrupt because of health-care bills. W.T.F.
I knew that hospitals were expensive but I truly didn't realize how much until the statements started rolling in from my trip last month. One night in the hospital (along with the ambulance ride and the ER visit) would have cost me more than $30k.
I was never so grateful to have insurance as when I opened that envelope.
I was utterly flabbergasted to receive a bill for $750 just to have some specialist look up my nose. (I was also more than a little pissed off to discover that my insurer had changed its mind about whether said specialist was covered.)
I am so very glad to be back home.
the comments thread which appears to have been taken over by dadaists.
Hooray for dadaists! That was quite entertaining
Skipping in all the mess that is pre-Pessakh to post that, according to the Buffista Calendar, today is Sheryl's birthday.
Happy birthday, Sheryl! With lots of wishes for a great day and a wonderful year!
Also, just in case I won't be able to wade my way to a working computer tomorrow, it'll be beth's birthday, so early wishes for her, as well.
Happy birthday, Sheryl!
Now my TV apparently doesn't work. WTF. I'll have to deal with that later. Fucking technology.
