Happy Dog wrote:


"Paul Tomblin" wrote in message
...
In a previous article, Bob Noel
said:
In article , (Paul
Tomblin) wrote:
They can't do a worse job than the beancounters are doing now. Says
the
guy who had two doctor ordered treatments turned down by ****ing
insurance
companies.

I don't want to bet your health or life on it. Says the guy working
in the acquisition of systems for the government.

I bet the first 35 years of my life on the Canadian system, and it worked
pretty damn well.

You ever need dialysis? Ever wonder what you would do if medical
attention was available (for the person of your choice) and that you could
afford, but
not allowed? Examples of this situation abound. Try to get a
non-emergency
MRI in Toronto within a year. Try to get dialysis (even just for fun).
What did you bet on? What was your ante?

le moo

While perhaps interesting for comparison purposes, the availability of
dialysis "just for fun", or any other elective medical procedure isn't
really relavent. I don't care how long one has to wait for that nose job.
What's important is what happens when one is sick/broken and not wealthy.

I've never been treated in Canada but from what I gather the Canadians have
a good system that accomodates most everyone in a humane way. Contrast that
to the US system where if you are middle class or below and get sick you
risk extra trouble from the stress of (real or potential) denial which
could lead to financial ruin. If you're unemployed you may be denied
followup treatment altogether.

I am fully aware that "free" health care promotes abuse. People should have
a stake in their own treatment's cost when they are able to pay. But the
notion that just about everyone in the US is one major illness away from
financial ruin is what's wrong here.

Getting sick is bad enough, but adding to the suffering so drug companies
and HMO's can make big profits is wrong. Add the fact that these same
entities more or less wrote the laws by buying off the Congress and it
becomes downright immoral.

Again, don't get me wrong - I don't begrudge any legitimate business a
profit, but the drug companies are out of control. Their profits are
obscene and way beyond what they need to recover research costs. Their
manipulation of the various patent laws topped off with their misleading
advertising costs all of us.
--
Frank....H