Donna Smith (of 'SiCKO'): Sleeping Free of Healthcare Fear

[marmar]

Published on Saturday, October 16, 2010 by CommonDreams.org
Sleeping Free of Healthcare Fear

by Donna Smith


Stress kills. Stress makes people sick. So wouldn’t it make sense that a reduction in stress might actually save lives? How about families? And jobs? And freedom from want and fear? It makes perfect sense.

But that’s not what we’re all about in the United States. We don’t believe in reductions in stress because stress is profitable for our healthcare industry and lots of folks are getting very wealthy selling us ideas about ways to reduce stress and treating our stress-related and stress-magnified illnesses and injuries.

While those of us who support a progressively financed, single standard of high quality care for all might sometimes target all of our rage and disbelief on the for-profit insurance companies – and so often with good reason – the reality is that helping us to achieve better health is not necessarily the goal of our profit-driven system. Especially at a time when people are struggling to pay their basic expenses, keeping the profit flowing in the healthcare industry means keeping demand high or raising it even higher. In a market-driven system, keeping the market healthy is what matters.

So, this morning I woke up in Canada. I slept so soundly that I could scarcely believe I had been in yet another hotel room. After months and months of heavy travel and hotel rooms from coast to coast, I have grown used to waking fitfully to see the digital numbers on the alarm clock creep slowly through many a restless night. But here I slept peacefully. Here I did not fear that if I fell ill in the night or injured myself that I’d need to prove my financial worthiness before seeking care. And that is calming. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/10/16-3

[kenny blankenship]

1. They keep us insecure & powerless, each on his/her own, to keep us beholden and tied to employers.

[billlll]

2. are tourists made to pay?

Its that way in europe I think.

[marmar]

3. What are you talking about?

nt

[billlll]

4. tourists treated free if sick after in the foreign land

Is what I now recall

But pay if entered ill -- correct?

Puzzled by marmar's reply. Expand pls.