Further, here's a link to the book from Amazon:
(so you may help your local library acquire this text)
Reid discusses how, in the developed world there are basically four models of health care systems. The "Beverage Model" of health care (the British system which created the British single payer system where everyone is insured and the health insurance industry is government run and government paid), the Bismark Model (a German created model of employer sponsored health care where employers and employees each pay half the cost of private health insurance), the "National Health Insurance" Model or "Medicare" (a Canadian created model of private medicine paid for by the government) and the "Out of Pockett" Model (the most popular system around the world--if you have money, you have health care, if not, you remain sick or die). He discusses these models and lists the countries that utilize them.
Reid says, though, that one needn't travel around the world to experience these four models, that they each exist here in the US, the richest country in the world. He says, "If you're a Native American or a Veteran or active duty military, you live in Britain" because, essentially, all of those individuals costs are covered by the government at government doctors and they see no bills. He continues, "If you're over 65 or on Medicare, you live in Canada" because these folks see private doctors and the government pays the bills. Thirdly, Reid says, "If you're a working person getting health insurance with the employer and you split the cost of the premium with the employer...you live in Germany" and that around 100 some million Americans take advantage of this system, the Bismark system of health care. Lastly, and most poignantly, Reid states, "If you're one of the 40 some million Americans with no coverage, for health care purposes, you live in Afghanistan or Angola...in the out of pocket model" because if these individuals have money, they see a doctor, if not, they or their children go to sleep at night wheezing or aching or with fever or, even worse, they die.
Well, I'm writing this to say that in light of Reid's discussion, I as a middle class, white male have lived well over half of my life in Afghanistan, California. Born and raised in Los Angeles to middle class parents in a mostly single-parent-working-household, I can clearly remember the times in my life when we were all insured and times when we weren't. My father, who works and has worked in the construction industry for over 30 years, would see his job and benefits wax and wain with the economy. When times were bad, he may have been unemployed or underemployed and we lived without essentials like health care and sometimes enough food to get by. When times were good, we lived with most of the essentials. For instance, I remember clearly all the orthodontistry work both my brother and I hurriedly had completed while my father worked for one company which offered family benefits including orthodontics (the reason I have straight teeth today...Thanks Mom and Dad and Aluma Systems, Inc.). But I also clearly remember a time shortly after or before that when laid in bed at night and was afraid to tell my mother I was having a serious asthma attack because I knew it would mean that she would have to take me to the emergency room and that we didn't have insurance at the time and it would cost a considerable sum of money we didn't have (we could barely keep food in the cabinets). There may have been many nights like this before it grew serious enough that I had to tell her and we had to go to the emergency room and in the end were saddled with VERY high bills which she complained about incessantly as she paid them off over many many months.
I'm writing this because it seems morally wrong for the richest nation in the world to not take the PROVEN, tried and true example of the MANY MANY other poorer industrialized, first world countries around the world (I won't make an exhaustive list, but Japan, Taiwan, France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and Britain, to name a few...note, these are "poorer" countries) which have taken serious steps to ensure that their citizens are insured.
I don't care what plan(s) or system(s) we eventually chose to use, I really don't. I care about two things: 1) I care that those who are uninformed on this subject take a moment, even if it's only 30 minutes to listen to the first half of this radio program (here's that link again) so that those who wish to obscure and deceive them about our or any other health care system may have to answer a few more pointed questions; and 2) I care that fair and decent health coverage be available to all Americans regardless of their working status, social class, etc etc.
So, LISTEN and please pass this show on to friends and family who are not as well informed on the subject. To take it further, request that your library purchase the book, or have screenings for your family of Sicko or, more delicately, PBS Frontline's Sick Around the World (also written by T.R. Reid in the lead up to the publication of his book).
Let us all be healthy and well.
