Posted by
Sue on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 1:08:03 PM
07/28/2009 10:03am PST
A response to a New Yorker writer:
First let me say that the writer looks suspiciously like the avatar on the the page so we can think him a "Bracknell" type.
I want universal health care. I don't know of anyone at anytime in my lifetime that hasn't and doesn't. But, we in this country, unlike other less free countries, do it backwards. First came Social Security for the poor which became the social remedy for anyone with any medical problem; children were added as beneficiaries...and with inflation began to get so bloated that it is now severely strained to make ends meet.
Then came Medicaid. Then came Medicare. Then came prescription drug "coverage". We do things backwards. In these other countries the people are more used to having things done for them. Their expectations are not Americans. But, when we do something, we try to do it well. The sad fact is that in none of the aforementioned entitlement programs (as in so much of our lives), the future costs were never truly investigated. Both sides, all sides wanted this.
I have a simple solution: do away with all programs, except Social Security that provides the seniors a stipend as promised originally. Take Medicaid, Medicare, Drug Coverage, and every other state and federal program created to deal with some issues and issue one universal medical coverage plan for everyone for everything. Using the money from Medicaid, Medicare and the Drugs should certainly make it best. And, allow clinics to be opened in every Wal-Mart in the country staffed by RN's and all paid for by Wal-Mart. They wouldn't allow them to do it a few years ago in California, but perhaps now it the time. Every single American would have access to healthcare in this country AND issue insurance for catastrophic events in every citizen's life.
Can it work? Can it save us money? I will have to leave those questions to others. I am just one citizen of this great country.