strib: A tale of two health care systems

[question everything]

StarTribune.com MINNEAPOLIS - ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA


Editorial: A tale of two health care systems

In England, care for all; in the United States, not so much.

A woman visiting England recently had a fingernail pulled out by its roots in a car door. She was taken to a local clinic in Cornwall, then referred to a regional hospital in the National Health Service system. The hospital was crowded and a little run-down. The woman had to wait a fair amount of time. But finally she was seen by a doctor who cleaned the wound and explained the nail had to be replaced and held securely or it might not regrow. That was done and she was provided pain medications, then discharged. Cost to her: not one pence.

Now fast-forward to New Year's Eve last week in Florida. A young mother of two, Ruby Cintron, was watching fireworks when she was hit in the eye by a .45-caliber bullet fired into the air by some knucklehead who thought that was a cool way to celebrate. The bullet destroyed Cintron's right eye and lodged in the rear of the eye socket. She was taken to a hospital and treated. But her destroyed eye was not removed, nor was the bullet. She was discharged because she had no health insurance and, as a (legal) noncitizen from Ecuador, was not entitled to free care.

Can anyone NOT see what's wrong here? Too bad for Cintron it didn't happen in England or most other industrial societies -- where she would have been received as a human being in need and provided proper care without regard for where she was from, her citizenship status or what health insurance cards she carried in her wallet.

In whose lifetime will the wasteful United States finally join the civilized world, where universal care is recognized as both less expensive and morally required? England's NHS has many flaws; the United States shouldn't follow that model. But universal care with an American flavor must come. Stories like Ruby Cintron's tell why.

http://www.startribune.com/561/story/165827.html

[Horse with no Name]

1. Sad thing is

This plays out many times a day across the country.
We should be ashamed.

[lavenderdiva]

2. did you see this previous DU thread?

Your post intensifies the spotlight we must put on the need for universal healthcare. The following story in this post, tells the story of 2 women, one in the U.S., the other in Canada, who are both facing cancer, and how they are treated.

link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2338685

Thank you for posting and reminding that there are many of us, who face healthcare choices each and every day. (I don't have health insurance- can't afford it)

[question everything]

4. Thank you for the link

Did not read it when originally posted and, yes, you are right - both stories highlight the inhuman and strange and expensive system that we have here - so that we can "avoid" the "s" word (socialized medicine).

[upi402]

3. Thai medical and hospitals MUCH better than USA

Thailand is a 3rd world country that is head and shoulders above the US, vis-a-vis medical care.

My daughter went to a Bangkok hospital, and english speaker met her. She was given the choice to waste her time and the Dr's time and go to a GP...or just go directly to a specialist -and Eye Ear Nose & Throat doctor.

No missing an extra day of work and pay a Dr to send you to the specialist you knew you needed. Then wait a month to get into the specialist.

Anyway, the entire visit, direction, registration, intake testing by nurse, doctor exam, pharmacy in hospital, cashier -all took 45 minutes and $40 total. And the facilities and staff were FAR, FAR superior to the medical facilities in the relatively wealthy county I live in. I had the same experience there myself many years ago. Nobody believes you when you try to inform them.

[sandnsea]

5. It is really getting bad

I was surprised at how badly medical care had deteriorated when I tried to help my grown son be seen for a back injury. Payment in full only. Most people think it's still like it was 20 years ago, where nobody would be discharged without full and appropriate medical care. We need to remember, 60% or so of Americans have private insurance, another 25% or so have Medicare or Medicaid. The remainder are the ones who suffer and it's going to take some outrageous tragedy to get the insured to wake up to the plight of the uninsured.

[upi402]

6. And good luck getting Themerisol-free shots (mercury preservatives)

I called dozens of places for three weeks and had no luck. It was a nightmare just finding vaccinations. And then it was hundreds of dollars out of pocket, and I have insurance. WTF is that? Oh, and the inept and inaccurate care at my local medical facility is commonplace. At least they're as rude as if they were a top-notch operation. :sarcasm: