Universal (health) care is right for Iraq, Thompson says

[ensho]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2001870042&zsection_id=268448413&slug=iraqdig03&date=20040303


Fresh from a two-day weekend visit to Iraq, the Bush administration's top health-care official defended the $950 million that will be spent to help Iraq establish universal health care.
Congressional Democrats have criticized the administration for helping Iraq to establish universal health care without doing the same for U.S. citizens.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said yesterday there are major differences between the two countries that defy simple comparisons.

"Even if you don't have health insurance," said Thompson, who toured medical facilities in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Tikrit on Saturday and Sunday, "you are still taken care of in America. That certainly could be defined as universal coverage. Every American's health care is far superior to what the health care is in Iraq."

Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, responded yesterday, saying the U.S. system doesn't sufficiently meet the needs of 44 million uninsured Americans.
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Iraq and the US BOTH need universal health care

all of this is enought to drive a person crazy

[robinlynne]

1. get the hell out of here! unbelievable. so what mega corporation is behind this?

[Blues Heron]

2. "Even if you don't have health insurance you are still taken care of in America."

Bull. Effing. Shite.

[PA Democrat]

3. YIPPEE! Hear that all of you uninsured people?You already HAVE universal health care

and you didn't even know it!

Need surgery, chemotherapy, prescription drugs? Just tell the hospital/ doctor/ pharmacist to bill it to your universal health care coverage! :argh:

[enlightenment]

4. Maybe I'll just have them mail the bill to Tommy.

He seems to know where the bill should go . . .

[ipaint]

5. Fortunately for the iraqis

American health insurance companies are too busy here gaming current health care reform in their favor, to the tune of 1.4 mil a day, to worry about fucking over a whole other country.

[ensho]

6. yes, there are no US health insurance companies in Iraq so they can have single payer

there is nothing left to rob from the Iraqis

however, we still have some blood left for the health insurance companies to suck up.

apparently they have sucked up Obama's brain.