President Michelle Bachelet orders free hospital care for Chileans over 60

[bemildred]

SANTIAGO, Chile – Newly inaugurated President Michelle Bachelet said Monday that all Chileans older than 60 will immediately begin receiving free care at public hospitals.

“This will become effective immediately, today or tomorrow,” the Socialist physician said at a news conference. “This is possible because it does not require a law.”

It was not immediately clear whether the plan would be restricted to emergency cases. Further details were to be announced later, and some local news media reported that it would probably extend only to people registered with the state insurance system.

According the last national census in 2002, 1.7 million people of Chile's 16 million people are older than 60.

Unlike the cheap, dishonest swine we keep electing.

SignOnSanDiego

[mom cat]

1. I had better brush up on my Spanish!

[babylonsister]

2. Wow! Compassion in a politician-whodathunkit? nt

[SmokingJacket]

3. Imagine: Chile is now saner and more compassionate than

we are.

[HeeBGBz]

4. Makes me want to cry

And move to Chile.

[MissWaverly]

5. Oh, could she be a compassionate christian instead of a

wild eyed leftist, maybe, just maybe?

[3waygeek]

6. Actually she's

an agnostic.

[MissWaverly]

7. I was trying to say that her ideas are more christian

than what passes for Christian politics in this country, Terri Schiavo fiasco, South Dakota
abortion ban, etc. Yet Bushco can't see past the socialist tag.

Chile's first woman president, Michelle Bachelet, is breaking many political traditions.
Not only is she a woman, but she calls herself a socialist and she is a single parent with a 12-year-old daughter and two other grown children.
Many political analysts say it is her refreshing warmth and personality that has attracted Chilean voters and put her at the top of every major opinion poll.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4087510.stm

[fshrink]

9. What does religion have to do with any of this?

Is it possible to have a single exchange without it? That's the problem with your Xtian right thing. Even when it's "left" it wouldn't let go of anything, it is apparently compelled to invade every single inch of the public life.

[MissWaverly]

10. what I am trying to say is that

much of the argument for George Bush and Team Bush is based on so-called religion: compassionate conservatism. I am trying to say that the net result can be for the public
good and meet those values w/o the US becoming a theocracy. I.E. some states are now
claiming that their state religion is christianity.

[Wrinkle_In_Time]

15. Wow! Thanks for the link, 3waygeek. n/t

[IChing]

11. She did not place her hand on a bible or swear to God on her oath

that she would defend and uphold the constitution and office of President
when she was sworn in this week.

She is an Agnostic president elect in a predominately Catholic country
voted in by a majority of
" wild eyed" "leftist"
christians,
socialists,
agnostics
and Chileans

[demosincebirth]

14. self delete.

[Vidar]

8. Democracy and charity flourishing in South America!

[rman]

25. It's not even charity, it's just proper use of tax money.

That's what *real* democracy is about - as opposed to "the best democracy money can buy" (title of a book by Greg Palast).

[area51]

26. "It's not even charity, it's just proper use of tax money."

Well said.

That's why it's so insane that the U.S. allows people to die who need medical care; we pay enough in taxes to have universal healthcare; u.h. is a wise use of tax dollars. It's humane, and it makes workers more productive, as a healthier workforce is a more productive workforce.

[Vidar]

28. Good point.

[pitohui]

12. hmmm

i suppose chile like canada will be the next country fighting off the hordes of usa-ians who want to move there for the medical benefits

she sounds like a terrific leader, wish there were more like her

[Rose Siding]

13. Hmmm...I wonder if Chile's Soc Sec is still the model for privatizers now.

[sutz12]

20. Great minds think alike.

My first thought too.

[bluestateguy]

16. That sounds like Socialism!

My God! Who is going to liberate the Chilean people from tyranny? America must lead the way, possibly through military action.

[Texacrat]

17. We do have Medicare

Granted this program starts at 60, whereas Medicare starts at 65, but this plan is not the end all be all, especially if it only covers emergency care.

[rman]

56. "Medicare" isn't exactly free, is it?

(free as in, payed for by tax money)

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LostinVA]

19. Cry me a river...

As your name shows you know, taxes will pay for this... taxes against corporations and wealthy people.

And, if think think most doctors in THIS country aren't in semi-slavery, then you know nothing about Pac Man-like health care corporations....

[bemildred]

21. Yep. Chilean doctors will be bought and sold like Sony CD players now.

And all because of those evil old people and their unreasonable demands not to be taken to the cleaners when they need health care.

[bleedingheart]

22. perhaps they are going to follow that Hippocratic Oath they pledge to..

I didn't see anything in that Oath that says...."turn away the patient who can not pay"...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/doctors/oath_classical.html
"
Hippocratic Oath -- Classical Version

I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfil according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:
To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else.

I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.

I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.

I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.

Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.

What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.

If I fulfil this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.
"


The Modern version


"I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

"

[Bridget Burke]

30. Sure--just like Canadian doctors are slaves.....

Except that Canadian doctors are NOT slaves.

And too many doctors in the US spend far too much time dealing with Insurance Company bean counters.

[rman]

23. Now that's the kind of female president we need - not Tatcher or

Hillary.

If a comparatively not-so-wealthy nation like Chile can provide free health care to those who otherwise could not afford it, then why not the wealthy Western nations, and in particular why not the most powerful and most wealthy nation on Earth?

This is what certain elements in the State Department think of as "the threat of the good example", aka the "bad apple theory".

Before long we'll be hearing about how Chile is somehow a threat to "US interests", as was the case with among others, Laos, Grenada, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

[Judi Lynn]

24. I've been out with computer problems, but have some photos,

taken from El Mercurio,forwarded by a DU reader who has a daughter in Chile now, and a gifted D.U. poster. These are a couple of days old, by the time I got back online, but they haven't appeared in the U.S. press:



























Morande Street No. 80. Where Salvador Allende's body was taken out on Sept.
11, 1973, wrapped in a Bolivian blanket kinda similar to the sweater that
Evo Morales now wears.

[alarcojon]

44. Lovely photos

but why throw the one with CondiLiar in there? B-)

[ronnie624]

54. Thank you for the wonderful images.

I will share these with several people I know who have an interest in such things.

Did you notice the late sixties Galaxy 500 convertible she was riding in? Amazing!

[Judi Lynn]

55. I couldn't grasp what it was. Excellent! It's in WONDERFUL condition.

The photos were suggested by the DU reader in Florida, and his friend, who posts here, too. I was very happy to see photos provided right from the Chilean newspaper.

Thanks for passing them on!

[barbaraann]

27. Well, I think that's a mistake.

It divides the populace and pits seniors against non-seniors. Also, if I had to choose I would have chosen medical care for children before medical care for seniors.

I don't know the medical care situation in Chile but it seems to me that hospitalization would be one of the last things to be covered and that screenings and preventive care or even training medical professionals would be a better place to put the country's money.

[Judi Lynn]

29. What's wrong with treating the ones who urgently need help first? n/t

[barbaraann]

31. Well, there might be some people of other ages who need

hospitalization more urgently. Does this also mean that seniors will have priority for surgery? Does it mean that pregnant women will have a lower priority than seniors? Perhaps the devil is in the details but there is indeed a fixed amount of hospital space and it should be shared equally or based on need, not just simply age, IMHO.

[Judi Lynn]

33. The article leads one to sense she has definite plans for the whole

country in the works. From the article:

“Our country's economic situation allows us to continue to grow, and our goal is to make sure that benefits of that growth reach all Chileans,” she said.

Bachelet began the day by visiting a nursery school in Maipu, a working-class Santiago suburb, saying she wanted to show her concern for children.

“Inequities begin at the crib, when not all children have the same opportunities,” she said. “Because of this, I want to start my government with a clear signal that we want to promote conditions of equality for everybody,” she said.
(snip/...)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20060313-1520-chile-bachelet.html

It could be the article was hastily and clumsily written, I'd bet, and left out info. which would have shed more light.

[barbaraann]

36. Good points.

It's possible that if we could see all the pieces of her plan they would fit together nicely. :-)

[Say_What]

40. Exactly right. When she was Minister of Health under Lagos

<clips>

... THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Michelle Bachelet was named Minister of Health in President Ricardo Lagos’ administration in 2000. She found herself at the head of an organization with more than 70,000 workers and a nationwide network of public health services; it also supervises, either directly or indirectly, autonomous municipal health services and the private healthcare system.

President Lagos gave her two main tasks to complete as Minister. The first was to improve primary care, increasing the quality and coverage of care at the country’s public health clinics and eliminating long wait times for treatment at those clinics within three months.

The second was to begin preparation for a major healthcare reform program. Despite large-scale technical and bureaucratic complexities within the system and powerful corporate interests outside of it, she managed to complete all the tasks in a satisfactory way. She was also able to unite all Ministry officials, primary care professionals and doctor’s organizations behind the singular goal of ending the waiting lists and offering decent, timely medical treatment.

As Minister, Bachelet established a system whereby patients could make appointments over the phone by calling toll-free numbers. She also extended medical and dental coverage for all patients in the public health system and instituted a policy guaranteeing medical treatment within 24 hours to all children under one year old and all seniors over 65.

Medical clinics were opened on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the country during the wintertime, and were kept open later every day of the week, until 8:00 pm. Special medical facilities were created for children and adults with acute respiratory infections, which are common in Chile during the winter months and sometimes fatal.

She also increased awareness of the healthcare system throughout the country via the Vida Chile program and created the CONIS, or Healthcare Research Council, to plan research projects to improve public healthcare.


Meanwhile, the groundwork was laid for the upcoming healthcare reform, through public meetings that solicited input on the process from patients, business interests, technicians, academics and organizations of healthcare professionals. This led to the first component of the reform, the Rights and Responsibilities of all Persons in Healthcare bill.

A National Commission on the Protection of the Rights of Mental Health Patients was created, as well as new policies for women’s health issues. The Hospital Amable (Friendly Hospital) Plan improved care by adding childcare facilities in hospitals and formalizing regulations allowing fathers to be present at childbirth.

Several other new programs were created in the public health system during her tenure as well, such as treatment for depression, new medications to treat schizophrenia, nutrition programs for seniors, treatment for patients suffering from cystic fibrosis and better drug coverage for AIDS patients.

http://www.presidencyofchile.cl/biografia-bachelet/biografia-bachelet.htm

[Say_What]

34. You stated that you knew nothing about Chile's health care situation...

so why not do some reseach rather than just blathering about something you admit to knowing nothing about. :crazy:

[barbaraann]

38. Well, I have worked in a hospital so I am not totally ignorant.

I know about the fight over resources in medicine and about what happened in this country when Johnson gave Medicare to seniors instead of universal health care to everyone and it was a disaster, IMHO.

I don't need to know the particulars of Chilean medical care to know that dividing people is always bad.

By the way, I am a senior citizen.

[Say_What]

41. If you admit to knowing nothing about healthcare in Chile,

by definition you are ignorant about what goes on there. The US ain't Chile and Chile ain't the US. Please, do some research.

[barbaraann]

45. Why would taking care of seniors first anywhere be acceptable?

If people need hospital care, they need hospital care. I don't care where it is, triage based on age is wrong, it should be based on the value of the care. For example, appendicitis operations to save the lives of ten children might cost the same as open heart surgery for one senior. Why in the world would the senior come first if triage is necessary? There are limited medical resources and in my opinion the moral basis of triage does not depend on what country we are talking about.

In this country, seniors got Medicare and most of them don't have any incentive to fight for universal health care because they are just fine. I think that Lyndon Johnson made a terrible mistake when he got Medicare passed.

[Say_What]

48. Helllooooo.... read the posts with info before making silly statements

:crazy:

[barbaraann]

49. What specifically did I miss?

If you were very sick and in a crowded emergency room and someone announced that seniors would be taken care of first regardless of the urgency of any situation, how would you feel?

[Judi Lynn]

50. Yep, it's far better to have a grasp of the information first.

There;s no reason to jump to unsupported conclusions. Yikes. :silly:

[barbaraann]

51. My mother-in-law didn't get treatment for cancer because she

wasn't a senior. I really do have a first-hand grasp of the situation. She qualified for Medicare in the horrible final stages of the cancer but it was far too late.

[Judi Lynn]

52. Absolutely heartless situation. What a shame.

Brazil would be much, much more complete by now, if they weren't having to repair the damage done when Nixon/Kissinger's destruction of the government in place in Chile hadn't happened, to be replaced by one which stripped the benefits from many Chilean citizens, as per the information provided by Say_What.

I would hope that, as the larger picture developes of what is happening in Chile, it will become apparent that it is as she said in her first official speech, shown on C-Span last night, that ALL Chilean citizens are to be helped by her government, and NOT excluded.

[barbaraann]

53. I believe that her goal is care for all but I think she made a tactical

mistake. And I do so hope that there is a special place in the (huge) GOP section of hell for Nixon and Kissinger.

[Say_What]

32. Information from PAHO's Report on Chile

A little research goes a long way. It might interest you to know that Chile provided healthcare for all of its citizens under the unified public health care system of 1952. The US-supported Pinochet regime did away with this when they took power.

<clips>


GENERAL SITUATION AND TRENDS
Chile is a unitary State with a democratic government.. The country is divided into 13 political-administrative regions. The estimated population in June 2001 was 15.4 million. The most densely populated area is the Santiago metropolitan region. The country has eight indigenous groups that make up 10% of the total population: Aymará, Atacameño, Quichua, Mapuche, Rapa Nui , Colla, Kaueskar, and Yámana. The reform of the health sector is one of the seven major changes proposed for the 2000-2006 period. The purpose of the reform is to guarantee the right to health for all Chileans, without discrimination; improve their levels of health; and reduce inequities owing to the socioeconomic status and geographical location.

.....SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS
Analysis by population group
Children (0-4 years): In 1999, the infant mortality rate was 10.1 per 1,000 live births. There was a drop in early neonatal, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality. The leading causes of death were perinatal disorders, congenital anomalies, respiratory diseases, and injuries and poisonings. There were 461 deaths among children aged 1-4 in 1999, or 0.5% of the total, for a rate of 0.4 per 1,000 population. The leading cause of death was external causes, accounting for 33.4% of all deaths.

Schoolchildren (5-9 years): The 5-9 years age group accounted for 0.3% of total deaths, making it the group with the lowest age-specific mortality rate (0.20 per 1,000 population). Deaths reported in 1999 were mainly due to external causes (39%).

Adolescents (10-14 and 15-19 years): The mortality rate among adolescents between 10 and 19 years was 0.37 per 1,000 population. Injuries and neoplasms were the leading cause of death, 18% of the total. Analysis for specific rather than broad causes showed the first nine to be external causes, with suicide by hanging in fourth place for 56 deaths; 41 were young men.

The elderly (60-years and older): The mortality rate in the 65-79 years age group was 31.5 per 1,000 population. Neoplasms was the leading cause of death, followed by diseases of the circulatory system and diseases of the respiratory system.

http://www.paho.org/english/dd/ais/cp_152.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

General information on Michelle Bachelet

<clips>

Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (born September 29, 1951) is the current President of Chile, the first woman to hold this position in the country's history. She won the 2006 election in a runoff, beating center-right billionaire businessman and former senator Sebastián Piñera, with 53.5% of the vote. A moderate Socialist, she campaigned on a platform of continuing Chile's free market policies, while increasing social benefits to help reduce the country's gap between rich and poor, one of the largest in the world. Her term was inaugurated on March 11, 2006.

Bachelet is a pediatrician and surgeon with studies in military strategy, who served as Health Minister and Defense Minister under President Ricardo Lagos. She is a separated mother of three and a self-described agnostic <1>, which sets her apart in a predominantly conservative and Catholic country. She speaks Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, French, and some basic Russian.

...Ministership

Bachelet was appointed Minister of Health by President Ricardo Lagos on March 11, 2000. She began with an in-depth reform of the public healthcare system that led to the AUGE plan a few years later. She was also given the task of eliminating waiting lists in the public hospital system within the first 100 days of Lagos's government. Unable to meet this goal, she offered her resignation, which was promptly rejected by the President.

On January 7, 2002 she was appointed Defense Minister, becoming the first woman to hold this post in a Latin American country and one of the few in the world. While Minister of Defense, Bachelet oversaw a reform of the military pension system which is commonly viewed as a successful effort and continued with the process of modernization of the Chilean armed forces with the purchasing of new military equipment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Bachelet

[barbaraann]

42. Let's talk about diaylsis machines.

There are a limited number and there are more people who need dialysis than machines. I personally heard doctors talk about turning the machine off for a person in the hospital where I worked who didn't have insurance and letting that person die. I saw the words come out of their mouths and I heard it with my own ears and the fact that there are finite hospital resources is a reality.

My mother-in-law was not a senior citizen and she died because she could not get treatment for her cancer in a hospital or anywhere but if she had been a senior she could have. I realize that treatment might not have worked but without it she had ZERO chance and she died a long, painful death.

[Say_What]

43. OFF TOPIC. You're still talking about the USSA n/t

n/t

[barbaraann]

46. Because the issue of the allocation of resources is the same everywhere.

There are limited resources and the moral and ethical decisions about how to use those resources are universal. Chile, by the way, restricts abortion severely and if anyone should have a primary claim on hospitals, IMHO, it would be pregnant women.

[Judi Lynn]

47. Just imagine how far ahead they would have been by now, if Nixon/Kissinger

had not interfered in Chile's history by plotting and pulling off that bloody coup, and turning the country over to a true right-wing monster!

American right-wing bloody mitt-prints are all over Latin America's history of tremendous suffering.

Thanks for researching this great information on President Bachelet. She has been a busy woman. It sounds as if she has a HUGE conscience, and a very strong character.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

35. People over 65 ride all in-city buses free in Brazil. It's the law.

And no "generation war" has broken up because of that. In fact, everyone favors the measure.

[barbaraann]

39. That's a different situation. Virtually no one is turned away from a bus

because there isn't room but hospitals have limited, expensive resources and someone will not be served if every senior is served or someone will receive less of the resource pool if they are not a senior.

[Mika]

60. Hopefully, they'll adopt the Cuban model. Universal health care coverage.

From pre-birth to death. All included.

[rman]

59. It reduces the devide between the rich and the poor -

reduces the devide in practical terms, wrt what essentials people can or can't afford.

What makes you think free medical care for seniors means no medical care for children? What makes you think it's either one or the other?
Likewise with prevention. Also there isn't that much preventing left to do with seniors. It's well known (and not exactly a surprise) that the elderly become ill more often then the young.

[shanti]

37. how about the children?

are children under 18 covered too? just wondering...

[Judi Lynn]

57. Chile's new president says to reform pensions, open nurseries

Chile's new president says to reform pensions, open nurseries
www.chinaview.cn 2006-03-14 13:45:35


SANTIAGO, March 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Chile will promote democracy and give priorities to pension reform, free health care and building of nursery schools, newly inaugurated President Michelle Bachelet told reporters on Monday.

Bachelet said her most important task would be the promotion of Chile's pension reform.

She planned to increase the lowest pensions earned by Chileans and offer government pensions to elderly citizens who lack an income and to those who can not work due to physical problems.

Bachelet said they would check how much state funds could be disbursed for that purpose.

The second priority of the new government would be the provision of free health care for Chileans older than 60 in public hospitals, Bachelet said at the press conference.

"This will become effective immediately," Bachelet said. "This is possible because it does not require a law."

The new president also promised to set up 800 new state-financed nursery schools to benefit over 25,000 infants, a part of her plan to boost Chile's education system.
(snip/...)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/14/content_4302599.htm

[Celeborn Skywalker]

58. Chile ahead of the US

Whudda thunk it??

[stepnw1f]

61. Very Compassionate and Responsible

This is a LEADER of and for the PEOPLE!

[Minnesota_Lib]

62. How long before the Bushies paint her as a bloody dictator? LOL