Can I Lift My Head Out of My Arms...

[alyrthia]

Hi guys--which means beautiful women, and powerful ladies, in the case of my flist.  Hi.  :)

I think most of my friend's list are non-Americans. Can that be right??? I don't know. MY flist isn't very big (my dear KD friends with ljs)  But anyway, if it is, most of you can be smug while the rest of us can be shaking out heads.

You all know I work as

Comments

[mechtild]

Wow, I applaud you, Alythiria, for putting your time and intelligence in to work on this huge U.S. problem.

I haven't seen "Sicko" yet, but it must be out on DVD by now, or soon. Thanks for the heads up.

[alyrthia]

Thanks, Mech,

Sicko is still in theaters, but I'll bet it gets a prompt dvd release.

[mechtild]

It was playing here, opening later than elsewhere, but it only ran a short while. It's a small city and only huge blockbusters run for many weeks. I wish they'd put notes on their ads in the paper the way movie theatres did in the Old Days, though, plastering a diagonal "LAST WEEK!!!" over the ad when the run was ending.

You have stirred some fine, impassioned responses, I can see below. This must be a sign of what you have been given for this task. Carry on!

[alyrthia]

Thanks, Mech!!

And do check out Sicko on DVD when it comes out. Very useful stuff.

[golden_berry]

This problem is our greatest national shame, IMO. I'm a doctor, and I can tell you that most of the physicians I know are absolutely disgusted with private insurers. When 30% of health care costs are due to administrative overhead--and that means "insurance company profits" for the most part--it is clear that getting rid of private insurance would save at minimum 20% if not the entire 30% right off the bat, and have NO effect on the quality or quantity of actual health care received

[alyrthia]

Yay, Goldie!!! I imagined you would have some first hand input on this. I'll keep in mind your offer. Allies and networking...very powerful resources.

Thanks for the tip on the Thai hospitals. I don't think my friend would think she could do it, but I'll ask her about it. I may ask you more about this in the future--such as how to find out specifically about these hospitals. I'd given it some thought in the past as something to recommend to people in such circumstances. I know of two people who went to Thailand to get dental work done. The whole trip was cheaper than having it done here.

Thanks again for your input!! It made me feel good to know you and your doctor friends are on board and that your governor is so proactive. We have a great insurance commissioner in WA State, but he doesn't yet have the legal authority to regulate insurers. We are working on that!!

[ms_banazira]

Well, Golden_Berry made one of my points for me already; I blame the insurance companies, and the stock holders in them who demand to make a profit. It's greed plain and simple

[alyrthia]

...couldn't we, as consumers of the insurance cartel's product, demand more accountability, less profit-taking, and more help to those the purport to be there for.Right you are!!!!! (if I do say so myself

[wendylady2]

Alyon

[alyrthia]

Hi Wendy. Polls say Britains are much happier with their health system than Americans are with theirs --- have you ever had trouble getting care you needed? So many AMericans seem to think that in Canada or Britain you just can't get the level of health care under the public system that our private system provides (and that you have to wait forever for it)--and yet we have much worse health outcomes, and come in far lower in the polls, so I think overall any notions of superiority of a private system is a myth. When such a huge number of Americans are denied health care from providers they do have, and others don't even have providers--I think I'd rather put up with having to wait a little than to have no treatment at all.