Fifty percent of bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to medical bills. 47+ million Americans are uninsured, and a whopping 75% of those making $up to $100,000 are uninsured. No wonder--health insurance premiums now average $12,106 per family--ouch! Will socialized medicine be the answer? One only has to look at Sweden to find the answer.
The Swedes pay over 70% of their income in taxes, much of it going to subsidized medicine. If we were to socialize medicine in this country, we have but to look at Sweden to see that we could afford that even less than what we have now.
Americans are losing their homes and jobs and can't afford to pay 10% of their incomes to buy health insurance for their own families. Can we then afford to pay 70% in taxes, much of it in support of medicine for ourselves and others? Somebody, please do the math, because it just doesn't compute for me.
We can also learn from Canada, which supposedly has a great socialized medicine program. However, if you look past the hype, older Canadians have been turned away from medical care en masse for years due to such a high volume of patients seeking care.
They are literally sent home to die because the doctors can't see everyone and have to make judgment calls as to whom they give their medical attention. And the younger ones, whom the doctors will see, sometimes have to endure very long waiting lists to get in. By the time their appointment rolls around, they are likely much worse, dead or the condition has resolved itself.
Because ours is a society that no longer values the elders amongst us, a much higher price is put onto youth. Old folks have lived longer, so that means that when push comes to shove, they are the ones shoved aside.
But is it right to make such value judgments based on age? Much wisdom is stored up under the gray crown of age, that hasn't yet been developed by the younger generations. A system that causes arbitrary denial of care to the aged, and of care to which they have paid their fair share of tax dollars, surely is an unfair redistribution of wealth.
Many Canadians who can afford it, come down to the States for their medical care, although they have already paid for health care in Canada through their taxes.
I am reminded of other outrages foisted on us by 'Big Brother.' Like it or not, Section 8 housing for the homeless, paid for by our tax dollars, is being denied to new American applicants, but given out freely to illegal immigrants.
In addition, about 10 years ago the licences for group care facilities were suddenly jerked out of the hands of Americans in Portland, Oregon. At the time, I knew one of the owners of a group home. She showed me the new roster of all the group homes which listed all new Romanian names. None of them were American citizens. The licenses, and consequently, the means to make a living, were taken from Americans and given to Romanians. What's up with that?
To further illustrate my point, when we pay taxes for a stated purpose, it is even less likely in the future that those taxes will be put to that partucular job. Just recently, Our fearless leaders in Washington decided on a bail-out plan to put money back in the coffers of the ailing mortgage banking industry. The supposition was that they would loosen up their purse strings and make refi loans to those who might otherwise lose their homes, and to keep businesses afloat who depend on credit.
To date, that money hasn't trickled down to the 'intended' recipients. Whose pockets were lined this time? When the time comes to extract more money for socialized medicine from an already penurious citizenry, it isn't likely that money will land on the mark, either.
Maybe it's time for a little 'backward thinking.' Perhaps we've made too much progress. We've been advancing in the wrong direction. It's time to realize that 'Big Brother' government is in bed with large corporations. They don't have our best interests at heart at all. They're more interested in socking away another huge windfall into their secret Swiss Bank and Cayman Island accounts.
Crooks and criminals are attracted to government positions like pigs to mud, because it is the shortest and surest path to great wealth. Those that introduce huge spending bills in congress often get enormous kickbacks under the table. (These used to be called 'pork barrel' projects.) The old terminology has been kicked aside, but kickbacks haven't. What is new is that these projects are now costing multiple billions, and the kickbacks aren't pocket change, either.
Because medical care and health insurance are no longer affordable, it doesn't mean that we will stop getting sick or needing cavities in our teeth filled. When someone has excruciating pain from an abcessed tooth, or a serious injury or illness, we can't just ignore it--it's certainly not going to go away by itself.
Aside from learning how to save much physical and financial suffering by preventative medicine, we still need some sort of safety net. Enter the wave of the future--Consumer-driven health care. Isn't it about time you had the power of choice over how your health is being treated?
Right now, the health insurance companies make the choices for you, and they care more about their bottom line than about your wants or needs. Every day a health insurance company somewhere denies countless people from getting the help they need to save life or limb.
Consumer-driven health care lets you choose. It literally puts you in the driver's seat. You can choose designer or generic drugs, affordable, ranging from $14.95 for an individual dental, prescription, vision and chiropractic plan, to $59.95 for an entire household, including non-related persons.
This comprehensive plan includes dental & health, combined, plus more. Very reasonable add-ons can be purchased for extra prescription needs or diabetic expenses. All in all, you could easily rack up savings of thousands of dollars in just one year.
To learn all the details and see if consumer-driven-health care is right for you, go to www.everyonebenefits.com/gpetrich.
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