Health Care vs. Scare Tactics

It looks like Obama’s national health care proposal will end up being hijacked by the insurance companies and other vested interests yet again. How unfortunate that exaggerations persuade so many people—of course, I’m sure money is quite eloquent, also.

If only people would ask Canadians, Japanese, etc. about their health care systems. I remember having an introduction to health class at the University of Illinois as a graduate student (part of teacher certification). The instructor stated that national health care simply didn’t work and cited England as an example. I raised my hand, pointed out that I had lived in Japan for two years and had never had better health care. This is quite true—I had shorter waits, more choice and fewer co-pays than at any other time in my life.

A few months ago, a friend forwarded an alleged letter from a Canadian couple that had been e-mailed to her. Supposed complaints about the Canadian health care filled the letter, which quite honestly didn’t sound “Canadian” in word choice/tone. (I’m married to a Canadian, so I can usually detect the differences). My friend asked about the letter’s accuracy. I noted that my husband’s relatives, who live in Alberta, have rarely if ever complained about their health care. In fact, they usually refuse to travel in the U.S., for fear of having to use the American health care system in an emergency and thus being out of a lot of money. I also observed that while my husband and I drive fairly old vehicles and live in a modest if adequate ranch house, several of his relatives drive huge, new vehicles, live in large, newer houses, and even have a summer vacation cottage.

While any health care system has its weaknesses, I believe that the “American way” is the worst, at least among industrialized nations. We spend the most, receive the least—and to our shame, have many uninsured individuals. Health care is a basic right—along with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.