Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Universal Health Care. The Way Of The Future?

Pregnant women in Canada have to find new doctors.

Don't get Cancer in the U.K.

Nurses in England eat pizza while man starves.

Man refused hip replacement surgery because English hospital doesn't agree with his abortion views. Also, you can be refused treatment for eating, drinking or smoking too much. Wow.

And this is the type of plan Ted Kennedy wants to implement in this country? God help us all. Now, our health care isn't perfect but it's a hell of a lot better than in other countries.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

As someone who lives in a country with universal healthcare, of the highest quality (for now), I can explain why universal healthcare isn't an intrinsically bad thing.

'Medicare', as it is known in Australia is covered by tax. They is also a private healthcare system, and private health insurance.

The universal system is slowly being dismantled, and replaced by pressure to take out private insurance. The problem exist between ideologies. The universal system has worked for decades. Most of that time the ALP (centre-left political party) have been in power as Federal Government. Now Australia is governed by a conservative government, the Liberal/National coalition (don't worry 'the Liberal Party' are anything but liberal, they are the conservative party in Aus politics).

Conservative doctrine dictates minimal government, and the present government has sold-off assets and privatised as many services as they can (not going well).

The point is, you can have universal healthcare, or not have universal healthcare, but not half way. It is probably better paid for by tax, rather than Ted Kennedy's insurance idea.

Universal healthcare brought me back from the dead (no, not joking). From the two ambulances that attended, to the 'intensive care' unit, to the nine days in a specialist-medicine ward, I walked out the front door after it all, without paying a cent. (You could say I feel good about paying tax).

Anonymous said...

don't worry 'the Liberal Party' are anything but liberal, they are the conservative party in Aus politics
I believe the term is "neo-liberal" - economically liberal, but socially conservative.

I was going to comment to Chris though, that... well, duh, of course you can be refused treatment if you drink or smoke too much. Think about it - organ transplants for instance, are difficult to obtain, and thus there are waiting lists. If you have the option of giving a lung to a person who has cancer from passive smoke, or to a chain smoker, which is more likely to benefit? Same with livers and alcoholics.

Anonymous said...

"I believe the term is "neo-liberal" - economically liberal, but socially conservative."
Yeah, I believe you might be right.
I've never been too concerned with the exact terminology when it comes to the Howard Government, I just know that the fuckers have plenty to answer for in this country.

Universal healthcare itself isn't an evil, it's when you get the model wrong that you have problems.

For positive models try some of the Scandinavian countries

Anonymous said...

Murphy, I have a pet project starting up for the election this year - an anti-Liberal Party poster/web campaign based around questioning their decisions and statements on a wide range of issues. Meant to be informative, not vitriolic though. :P

My email's on my website, give me a buzz if you want in.

Anonymous said...

Socialism in any form does not work. How many times does it have to be proven a failure of a system before people stop wanting to try it with new people in charge?

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, I keep forgetting the American way, if you don't like something, and aren't able to argue against it, just label it something bad, it saves you having to think, Socialism!

Some people have no problem with Tax paying for critical infrastructure and services (road construction/maintenance, police, fire dept. etc) but have a problem with universal health care, because someone said it is Socialism. How is that absurd double-standard not a problem?

The simple fact is that universal health can and does work. Australian medical care is second to none.

The only real problems with Australian universal health is the interference of this half-wit neo-con twat of a prime minister we've got, who slashes funding and blames the state governments.