I have been on the fence about universal healthcare for a while but an e-mail I heard read on a radio show I listen to regularly made me decide that we have got to find a way to make it work. I just don’t know if we can.
The only thing that I can compare universal healthcare or government regulated healthcare, as I prefer to call it, to is the VA medical system. I don’t know if that is a fair comparison but it is government regulated healthcare, so it is the best that I can do.
Now I have been a part of the VA system for probably 14 years now and there are some real problems for the people who need care.
Two personal examples.
1. I have had to have the AC joints removed from both my shoulders due to service connected injuries—one was done on active duty and one was done by the VA. Active duty doctors did surgery within weeks of diagnosis and I had several weeks of physical therapy to get things back to normal. It took me 18 months from diagnosis to surgery with the VA. 18 months of waiting and being shot up with cortisone and being given bottles of Vicodin for the pain. Why so long? Because there was a waiting list and I couldn’t go anyplace else for the care. Just like universal healthcare where the program regulates where, when and by whom you get treated. Did I get the needed surgery? Yes. Is 18 months an unacceptable wait? Well when you are in so much pain that you can’t rotate your shoulder to reach up and scratch your nose, yes 18 months is too long. But it was free so I shouldn’t bitch right? Oh yea, and my physical therapy consisted of a Xeroxed instruction sheet and a piece of rubber tubing. They did give me lots of drugs though as I recall 100 Oxycodone. It made me itch so they mailed me more Vicodin and told me to flush the Oxy.
2. I am going to have a molar pulled next week. I broke it (long story) 4 years ago and requested an appointment with the VA dentist. I am still waiting. I can’t afford dental insurance. I just can’t, and the VA will not treat dental problems except for a select few. How and why they chose to segregate dental treatment I don’t know, but after four years of calling and begging, I have given up and the broken tooth that needed a cap and then turned into a much needed root canal is now going to be a memory. Is 4 years too long to request treatment and be ignored? Yes. I don’t want a parade or more medals, just fix my damn tooth!
The government can’t even run or regulate treatment for a small segment of society such as veterans; this has been shown over and over again in documentaries and news reports. Hell, even the President who is all about universal healthcare wanted to start charging vets with civilian insurance for service connected treatment. He backed of that quickly though.
If they can’t manage this small segment, how are they going to provide care for the whole country?
I think taking care of the health of the citizenry should be a right. I know it isn’t, but it should be. Healthcare wasn’t that big of a deal back in the days of the founding, they didn’t think about it. Of course you could pay the doctor with chickens then too.
This will just be another government program to be abused and leave the people who need its benefits the most getting substandard care from the lowest bidder for the contract. Because you know that the government always goes with the lowest bidder. It is called using the people’s money to get the most return of service. Quantity over quality.
Maybe I am just too cynical but I don’t see any good coming from government run healthcare.
Now healthcare vouchers that you could use to choose your own doctor that might be an idea.
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