In the last three weeks, while congress has been fighting about healthcare, 53,507 people filed for bankruptcy due to crushing medical debt.
The United States is the only rich country that routinely bankrupts the sick. That's just unconscionable. It's insane.
Don't you want to live in a society that can describe itself as "just"? Don't you want to comfort the afflicted and not stand by while they are bankrupted, even if the price is more "affliction of the comfortable"??
I hear the objections from the political right to universal health care, and what I hear is ideology trumping both facts and compassion. But then, the 8 years prior to January 20th, 2009 were characterized by ideology trumping reality.
Showing posts with label Health Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Care. Show all posts
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Why Universal Health Insurance is a Moral Imperative
One of Andrew Sullivan's readers offers a glimpse into the world of the uninsured that is frightening and, frankly, makes me ashamed of this country's choices:
I'm an infectious disease specialist. Today I saw a patient with a horrible foot ulcer from diabetes. She likely has infection in her bone, will need weeks of treatment, and may lose her foot. She cried with guilt, regret, and disbelief at her condition. She had been an excellent patient. She saw her doctor, managed the complicated treatment of her diabetes, saw her foot specialist.
Until her husband lost his job and insurance. She couldn't afford her insulin pump supplies, started stretching her doctor visits. Paid cash when she could. And ignored...pushed away her pain. Tried to hide the smell coming from her foot. For 4 months. Now it may be too late.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Rich Stick Together
Yep:
One of the enduring mysteries... well, maybe not so mysterious... is the fact that more big companies haven't pushed hard for a national health care system. It's really quite impossible to see their failure to do so as acting in the interests of their shareholders in any way, unless they're health insurance companies, of course. Obviously it's just ideological and part of the rich [expletive deleted - Matt] culture. I doubt Rahm's plea to them will be heard.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Darwin Catholic Answers my Challenge...
...that I put out in a previous post asking for an explanation of why conservative Catholics oppose universal health care. I'll respond to his response in the next day or so.
[UPDATE: Zack pointed out in the comments that he responded as well.]
[UPDATE: Zack pointed out in the comments that he responded as well.]
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Calling All Conservative Catholics
What alternative do you propose to universal health care, on the European model? Whatever the problems there, everyone is guaranteed basic care, no one there is bankrupted by medical bills, and everyone seems (by and large) happy with it.
How, as a Catholic, can you oppose that?
Just...explain to me why it would be so horrifying to just have universal health care in the United States. Yes it would cost money, and yes, taxes would go up - but so what? Isn't working people not being bankrupted by hospital bills ever again worth a few more percent at tax time? Isn't a society where everyone can go to a doctor when he's sick better than a society where he delays going because then he won't eat or won't be able to buy gas, or can't pay his car payment or whatever?
Give me a good, solid reason to oppose it - not a picking-around-the-edges, "particular statistic 'x' suffers in comparison to America..." reason, but simply-stated summary of why, in principle, it would be so horrible.
The reply, "we ought to care for each other in the community" sounds good - heck, I even agree with it. But the price of modern health care is too much for that kind of community-provided care. I have no idea what an MRI machine costs, but I can't imagine my local parish can fork over than kind of cash.
As Catholics, we can either, 1. Wring our hands and dream piously of New Jerusalem, or 2. Come up with a plan B.
I'll go first: "Millions of people having either no health insurance or junk insurance in a country as affluent as the US is a scandal. Universal health care, modeled on Western European systems, is practically achievable and would be good because it would guarantee basic health care to every citizen."
How, as a Catholic, can you oppose that?
Just...explain to me why it would be so horrifying to just have universal health care in the United States. Yes it would cost money, and yes, taxes would go up - but so what? Isn't working people not being bankrupted by hospital bills ever again worth a few more percent at tax time? Isn't a society where everyone can go to a doctor when he's sick better than a society where he delays going because then he won't eat or won't be able to buy gas, or can't pay his car payment or whatever?
Give me a good, solid reason to oppose it - not a picking-around-the-edges, "particular statistic 'x' suffers in comparison to America..." reason, but simply-stated summary of why, in principle, it would be so horrible.
The reply, "we ought to care for each other in the community" sounds good - heck, I even agree with it. But the price of modern health care is too much for that kind of community-provided care. I have no idea what an MRI machine costs, but I can't imagine my local parish can fork over than kind of cash.
As Catholics, we can either, 1. Wring our hands and dream piously of New Jerusalem, or 2. Come up with a plan B.
I'll go first: "Millions of people having either no health insurance or junk insurance in a country as affluent as the US is a scandal. Universal health care, modeled on Western European systems, is practically achievable and would be good because it would guarantee basic health care to every citizen."
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