Socialized Medicine Saved Me

[babylonsister]

Socialized Medicine Saved Me

by Geraldine Brooks

When Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks was diagnosed with cancer overseas, she didn’t hightail it back home, to “the best health care in the world”—she stayed in Australia, home to a humane, rational system.


In 2004, I’d just finished a novel and by way of celebration had taken my family for an extended visit to Australia, where I was born and raised.

I didn’t expect that trip to save my life. But I’m convinced it did, because of Australia’s “socialized” medicine.

I retreat to my garret when I write a novel, especially toward the end. I stop going anyplace, wear sweat pants all day, neglect personal grooming. Back in the Sydney neighborhood where I’d lived for many years, I was re-entering the civilized world, and was on the way to a salon for an overdue haircut when I passed the BreastScreen van, parked in the main street.

This mobile service offers free mammograms, no appointment necessary. It wasn’t until I saw that van that I realized a mammogram was one of the things I’d forgotten to do. I was a year overdue, according to the guidelines for women my age, so I stepped into the van, got squished and zapped by a pleasantly efficient technician, who told me a radiologists’ report would be mailed out in a week or so.

Two weeks later, I was in a Sydney hospital, discussing treatment options for my invasive stage II cancer. According to testimony by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) at last Thursday’s health-care summit, I should have been heading for the airport at that point. Like his unnamed Canadian state premier with the heart condition, I should have been hightailing it to the U.S., to avail myself of “the best health care in the world.”

No thanks, Senator. I elected to stay in Australia. We had ample U.S. insurance; cost wasn’t an issue. I simply wanted to remain in a humane, rational system where doctors treat a person as a patient, not a potential plaintiff, and where the procedures ordered for me were the ones shown by hard science to produce the best outcome for the most people.

more...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-06/socialized-medicine-saved-me/full/

[Christa]

1. K & R nt

[Moosepoop]

2. Very good article

and some excellent comments posted to it as well. K & R!

[flyarm]

3. And good Insurance saved me twice from cancer. And now that "good" insurance will be taxed at 40%

rate..My "good insurance" and i say "good" not great..is now considered Cadillac..I would say more Chevy...but that is not what it will be deemed under this current plan.

Instead of lifting everyone up..this plan will water "down"..and take policies "Down" to a lower level because of taxation of "good" policies..

Never did I think democrats would cut the throats of those that supported them with their feet, their money , their time ..and trickle down shit..on its constituency, because that is exactly what this plan intends to do..and will do.

This is not a "lifting up"..but a slamming down of those who worked hard for "good" health "care"

This plan is a policy of Insurance for profit bailouts..for the fuckers who have already fucked the American people!

It is nothing more!

[glitch]

4. I wouldn't have survived birth without a military hospital. Thanks socialized medicine! nt

[rationalcalgarian]

5. Another "humane, rational" system

On July 4, 2008 I had a heart attack. It took me a few hours to admit it, but denial is one of the symptoms (along with an intense feeling of indigestion, a burning in the chest and that annoyingly numb left arm). They installed a stent in the emergency room and another one about three days later. I spent five days in intensive care and another seven days in recovery. Following that, there was the mandatory six week rest and relaxation away from work and stress or until my cardiologist said it was OK to go back.

Cost to me so far: $0.00 (The ambulance was covered by my employee health plan.)

During those six weeks, I was paid in full every two weeks from my work. A mandatory ten days of sick time annually (a "leftist" innovation) plus my three weeks vacation (another "leftist" innovation) and the last week because I have a great boss. (OK, I lucked out there!) Each Friday morning, I went to a local clinic for a blood test and every two weeks I met with my cardiology nurse for a review of what had happened, if anything, during that time.

Cost to me so far: Bus fare. (Not permitted to drive during this period... good idea, actually!)

Once I was back at work, I was still required to go to the clinic for the blood test on a weekly basis but my visit to the cardiology nurse was cut back to once a month. It was determined that, due to the nature of my heart "event", I should have an ICD (Intra Cardio Device) installed to monitor any spasms or fibrillation that may occur for the rest of my life. This included the monitor which required surgery to install in my chest and it keeps a watch on my heart twenty-four hours a day. It also included the communication device that is hooked up to my telephone line. It looks like an answering machine and is connected to the computer system at the hospital where the cardiologist can pull my file at any time an see if anything had gone amiss lately. It will also alert the hospital if an "event" occurs and I cannot reach the phone for 911.

Cost to me so far: $0.00 plus %1 of my prescription costs (company health plan again, roughly $100 every five months)

Furthermore, after a year passed and I seem to be well along, the local health board decided I needed an exercise programme to boost my strength and get my heart back to nominal efficiency. Several appointments to determine stress levels and nutritional habits at a local, government-owned, rec centre and I have an exercise routine worked out for me by the health workers there. I have another appointment with them at the end of March for a stress test and to see how I'm coming along. I have an appointment with my cardiologist at the end of April, the first one since November.

Cost to me so far: $0.00

How is this possible? I belong to a unique club. It's called Canada. And in this club, we all chip in a little to a health care system whether we use it or not because, to borrow a phrase, membership has its privileges. We are often at political loggerheads, suffer linguistic animosity and have wildly diverse opinions on immigration, justice, education and taxation but the majority of us don't mind looking out for one another in this small way. And there's only 35 million of us. Imagine what a nation of 300 million could achieve if it adopted a "humane, rational" health care system!

But it's your call.

[babylonsister]

6. Thanks for sharing, and welcome to DU. Most of us are green

with envy at Canada's health care system, and you just proved why. Glad you are doing well.

[rationalcalgarian]

7. Smiles!

:hi: Thanks, babylonsister!

All is well, but I sure miss my cheeseburgers! :cry: