Thanks DU - I got two LTTEs published on national health care

[NewJeffCT]

Unfortunately, it's a weekly newspaper and they do not have their letters online. But, it has a pretty wide circulation in eastern Connecticut and their "Speak Out" section is pretty busy and it is anonymous. I was responding to a person that said national health care is for Communists and if we had it, we'd all drop dead waiting in line for our health care. He even quoted an article from the UK Guardian about the waits in the UK (however, the writer neglected to mention that the article about the long waits for health care in the UK was attributed to their system that has allowed about 1 in 8 to get their own private insurance...) Thanks to the DUers who helped me in my research for the response.

Here is the first one:
The person who wrote "Wait in Line" and quoted the UK Guardian about the problems with the health care system in Britain should have read the whole article. The whole article advocates going to a more European/Canadian style system instead of the partially private one Britain has now. They specifically flag the US system as "providing inferior service for people on low incomes or imposing insupportable burdens on the chronically sick," and call the US system a "sink service" that also leads to "job lock." Typical Dittohead cherry-picking data that is not supported by the full article.

here is the 2nd one I wrote in response to "wait in line":
I have not been able to see my primary doctor in over 5 years now. If I have a problem and don't want to wait six months or more, I have to see a Nurse Practioner instead. The fact is that people in Canada and France have far better access to their primary doctors than people in the United States, and consequently, they are healthier. While those countries may take a bigger direct bite out of the paycheck of their citizens, they are not nickeled and dimed to death like US citizens where 25-30% of our health care costs go towards pushing paper. The corresponding expenses in Europe and Canada amount to about 4% of their costs. In response to you saying the uninsured can get into federal and state programs, our president and Congress just voted to cut those programs.

[Spazito]

1. Excellent letters!

Congratulations!

[NewJeffCT]

2. thanks, the sad thing is...

I live in an area with a lot of doctors in the Hartford, CT area, yet it is nearly impossible for me to see my primary doctor unless I make an appointment many months in advance...

[Bozita]

4. A lot of folks can really identify with that 2nd letter

A growing number of the "insured" are now living with those circumstances.

Thanks for sharing.

[Spazito]

5. I am sorry to hear that, I hope US citizens are able to force the

government to make healthcare for ALL it's citizens a right.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. The RW argument that no one is denied health care

in this country is full of holes. That health care they are not denied frequently leads to bankruptcy (well, it used to before they changed the bankruptcy laws).

Good point about the cuts to Medicaid. We need to keep hammering this message over and over and over and over again.

[NewJeffCT]

6. and emergency room treatment is far more expensive

than an annual check-up with a primary doctor and all the things that could be prevented with regular check-ups.

And, who knows how many emergency room trips could have been prevented with an early trip to a physician that could have just stopped something early with a prescription or something?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Remember the article about a week ago

that covered a study that showed the cost to the rest of us for health care for uninsured? I searched but couldn't find it.