Something's Gotta Give

Yes the healthcare system in this country is a disgrace. Those with privately held insurance are penalized each time they do file a claim - file a claim, your premium goes up. Paying in to health insurance has become akin to paying in to organized crime.

For myself, I go to Mexico for healthcare. Or I visit one of a growing number of free/sliding scale clinics developed for persons with no coverage, migrant workers, and low income.

Friends from other countries tell me their national plans are not perfect, but that at least there is coverage.

the health insurance game in the usa

From TOUCH THE OCEAN: THE POWER OF OUR COLLECTIVE EMOTIONS

..."Do you take insurance?"
"What kind of a question is that now?"
We laughed.
The healing sessions in the ocean were done.
"Seriously? I maybe would, but people with insurance here don't really thrive. The system is set up in such a way that it disempowers all. Those with it don't seem to really want to get better. At least here in this country."
"We do in Canada. No one pays for anything. We all pay for it."
"Yeah, that's wonderful, wonderful. It's a small shift in thinking, right? To tell you the truth, the people I work on from other countries are in a lot better health than Americans are. It's a mindset. It's like a religion here, a distant God that you pray to." I looked out at the ocean and its joy. "I don't have health insurance. I don't believe in it. So, I mean, the whole thing about insurance here is that it's a gamble. You pay in money, you make a gamble that you will be sick. You get sick and stay sick, you win! If you get better, you lose the bet. We all know it, on some level, and that's sick!!"
We laughed again, almost like were equals, colleagues.
"How long have you been doing this?"
...

In America we are shovel-fed the story that the people of Canada have to wait weeks or months for life saving procedures and that the Canadian healthcare system is a socialistic catastrophe.
If any system is in ruins, it is America's. You are completely spot-on on your assumptions and review of our current state of healthcare.

Didn't know Liv Tyler had a twin :)

And US health care has gone criminally insane....

Beautifully and elegantly stated. Thank you.

mirimysweet, I saw "Sicko" and walked out wanting to punch George Bush. His recent veto made me ill. Why on Earth did you leave Canada? Peace :-)

Let's get married.

i do agree with you. thats what all the taxes should be for. i got to tell, its kind of hard to concentrate in what you are saying when you look so cute.

mirimysweet, Impressed with you and your comments here, I've taken a look at your favorite band entry. I sampled Led Z (though my iTune Library has nearly 2000 tunes, I had no Zeppelin) at iTunes and liked most of their recent re-release of hits 'Mothership' that I went to Walmart and bought the CD. Thanks.

YOU COULDNT BE MORE RIGHT! IM IN THAT POSITION AND IT IS SICKING AND WE HAVE HEALTH CARE AND CANNOT GET THE CRITICAL CARE I DESERVE AND NEED! I CANT UNDERSTAND HOW THERE GETTING AWAY WITH THIS! I WANT THEM TO EXPLAIN TO MY 14 YEAR OLD AND LOVING HUSBAND OF 19 YEARS AND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING ME SUFFER AND I WILL BE AMONG THE MANY DEATHS THAT SHOULDNT HAPPEN EVER! I THINK THEY ALL NEED TO STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR THE IGNORENCE AND FILLING THERE BANK ACCOUNTS AND KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE THAT LIVES MATTER JUST AS MUCH AS THERES.THEY CERTAINLY WOULDNT STAND FOR THIS FOR THEM OR THERE LOVED ONES WHY DO WE HAVE TO? IM SCARRED OUT OF MY MIND BEYOND BELEIF AND EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE HAS TURNED A BLIND EYE LOOKING RIGHT AT ME KNOWING FULL WELL IM SUFFERING EXSTREAMLY! I THINK THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL THAT IS HAPPING AND THE MEDICAL BOARD AS WELL THERE THE ONES WHO PUT THESE INCOMPIDENT DRS,OUT THERE FOR WHAT BECAUSE THEY WENT TO SCHOOL SO DID I BUT MINE WASNT JUST HANDED TO ME FOR THAT REASON.I KNOW AND CAN JUST IMAGINE THE REPORTS THEY GET AND ARE NEVER ANSWERED TO AND THERE TO BLAME AS WELL AS FDA,AMA WHO SAY WHO SHOULD HAVE CERTAIN MEDS AND WHO CANT.DISCUSTING,DEGRADING,HORRIFIC,AND MOST TERRIFYING !
SINCERLY ,
NAVAGATORS SMARTS 2007- HOPE FOR ALL]
STOP THE IGNORENCE,CHERRY PICKING AND SUFFERING NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mirimysweet: I have added you as a contact. This your Point of View is good... You should spend lots of time in front of a camera as I once did... As a Canadian/ Niagara Falls area I hear you loud & clear BUT they have been ramping it up here now too. I hope you take a few moments to come see my stuff that is up. I started doing research as a chef for my food&cooking websites as I was digging into diets of cancer patients and ended up a long way down the rabbit hole... I now know something only a handful of people globally know. The truth about how easy it is to cure cancer and disease. A long story I will how to write or talk about here soon...

Remember:
Each one of us
is an individual cell
of the Human Race

Sincerely
AL

I agree. However, the real problem with U.S. having national health care begins with a sue happy nation. I left a cushy corporate job with benefits to start my own company and am now not covered because it is not cost effective for us. One of my associates came from a high level executive position with an insurance company and he explained, until malpractice lawsuits have a reasonable cap on them we want see national health care. This due to the fact that lawsuits in general; malpractice, car accidents etc. end up costing insurance companies. They raise their premiums on doctors, hospitals and the average person and this gives us outrageous medical bills.

National health care is way behind for us but it is not Bush's fault, he hasn't helped the situation, but he must protect certain large investing companies. The problem goes back to over 10 years ago when the economy was on the rise. Credit standards were lowered for people to get loans and now those people can't/won't pay. The banks, mortgage and insurance companies are all interconnected and what we used to pay our insurance companies would then be loaned out to someone else through a different channel. But now, when we pay insurance premiums they use that money to cover losses, either from lawsuits, uninsured motorists or foreclosures. My point is, we have to get lawsuits down to get premiums down and then our medical bills will lower. It is only at that point that our economy can support national health care without insurance companies folding.

WALSKI, I DONT KNOW WHY YOU REPLYED TO MY OPION I THINK YOU HAVE THE WRONG ONE TO YOUR COMMENT BECAUSE I NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU REPLYED.HOWEVER THERE IS ONE THAT DID IT WASNT ME.BUT ON YOUR COMMENT I CAN DIE BECAUSE OF A UNINSURED DRIVER,WITH A SUSPENDED LICENSE AND WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED THROUGH OUT MY ENTIRE SPINE AND I NEVER SUIED A SOUL EVER AND I COULD HAVE WITH THE IDIOT WHO WAS ALSO ON A CELL SPEEDING AND ALSO THE MEDICAL CARE THAT WAS VERY WRECKLESS WITH MY CARE AND SEVERE INJURIES AND IT STILL REMAINS THIS WAY.SO IM NOT THE ONE YOU WANT TO POINT THAT OUT TO.THERE ARE REALLY GOOD AND WARRENTED REASONS WHY OTHERS SUE AND THERE ARE ONES WHO JUST DO IT FOR A FREE RIDE.IM NOT ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!I I NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BUSH OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU MENTIONED AND THE REASONS YOU GAVE MAYBE TRUE BUT THERE JUST OTHER EXCUSES FOR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE!THERE IS ALOT OF THEFT GOING ON WITH ALL OUR MONEY IN EVERY WAY IMAGINABLE WE ALL HERE IT EVERY DAY AND THAT MAKES ME SICK BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF AND MY FAMILY WHO WORK VERY HARD TO GET WHERE WE ARE AND JUST TO HAVE IT TAKEN AWAY IN A SECOND OVER A CALL ON A CELL AND TRY TO BEAT TRAFFIC AND PUT MY LIFE AND MY DAUGHTERS LIFE ON THE LINE IS DISCRACFULL TO ME! I HAD MY OWN BUSSNESS AS WELL BUT THAT WAS TAKEN THAT DAY MINDING MY OWN BUISNESS! SO I KNOW WHAT OTHERS DO TO ONE ANOTHER.AS FARE AS IM CONCERNED THEY NEED TO DO ALOT OF INVESTIGATING AND CATCH THOSE SLIM BALLS WHO ARE STEALING FROM ALL OF US INCLUDING YOUR FAMILY TOO.WE ALSO JUST FOUND OUT OUR MAYOR WHO WAS HEAR FOR MANY YEARS WAS PROCECUTED FOR STEALING AND TAKING BRIBES IN THOUSANDS OF OUR TAX,ECT DOLLARS.THERES A WHOLE LOT OF HIM OUT THERE.ITS NOT ALL THE PUBLIC PEOPLE WITH LAW SUITS ECT TO BLAME HERE.LOOK AT CORZINE-TOLL HIKE THAT WILL LATER HURT ALOT OF HARD WORKING PEOPLE AND OUR KIDS DOWN THE ROAD.FOR THE MATTER OF BUSH HE HAS FAILED US WITH ALL HIS HELPERS BUT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED AND DONT EVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A THING AS WE ALL DO!TO BE FAIR SOME PLACES LOOSE THEM BECAUSE THEY DONT PAY THERE BILLS THEY USE MONEY FOR OTHER PURPOSES LIKE CO CARS,LUNCH,ECT.WE ALL KNOW HOWTHAT GOES.WHERE WE ARE THERES ALOT OF BOSES ARRESTED AND TRYED FOR STEALING THE MONEY WITH THERE PARTNERS .SO WE CANT JUST BLAME THE PEOPLE.THERE A VERY SMALL PART OF THE PIE.WE KNOW WHERE THE LARGEST PEICE IS! I THINK IF WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE WEALTHIEST STATE THEN THEY BETTER FIND ALL THE MONEYS THAT ARE NOT ACCOUNTED FOR AND STOP WHAT HAPPING BECAUSE YOU AND I AND OUR FAMILYS WILL BE SHARING A TENT IN OUR OWN BACK YARDS THAT THEY OWN!
WITH THAT SAID I MUST GO AND GET READY FOR MY MOTHER TO COME AND HELP ME OUT OF MY WHEEL CHAIR THAT IM IN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE TO GO TO BED! WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THE BEST OF HEATH AND SAFTY! THANKS FOR YOUR OPION!TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND MOST OF ALL TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY AND NEVER FORGET WHERE ALL SUFFERING IN SOME HORRIFYING WAY OR WILL BE!!!!!!

NANAGATORSMART, Sorry, to hear about your condition. My family is currently dealing with medical negligence that led to my grandfather's death last month. We have not obtained an attorney due to reasons I previously posted. However, my response to the original video had nothing to do with your's, as you yourself pointed out. Many times I receive random responses by other people on current, via my blackberry, when I post my own comment and they are not usually meant for me either. I believe new activity is just forwarded on after you post a response. My statement was only an opinion based on factual information and really was just addressing the original activity. In fact, I barely skimmed your comment before posting my own. But I also wish you well and in the future you will know if I am addressing you because I will use your name.

Wow! "mirimysweet" Thanks for putting that up with good, few and simple wise words. Could not agree more with you. My vote in this subject goes for you then!

When People are more important than money things will change. Will that ever be?

that's exactly what I'm gonna say!