National Health Insurance

National Health Insurance...
One of the reasons that Hilary
scares me.

Even though I believe a President
is only as powerful as the Congress
lets them be.. I still know that there
are arm twisting and I will scratch
your back, while you scratch mine.

What is scary is the idea of
National Health Insurance. And I
have to tell you in the past, I was
one of the ones voicing the approval
of such an idea.

Most of us have heard about the
wonderful Canadian national insurance.
Years and years of it. But what had
me looking closer, is some of the programs on
television. About the waits and even a lottery
for an appt.

Even the cynical part of me, had to wonder
how much is true, and how much is spin by
the media. That is, until I talked to some
people who live here, and where long time
Canadian residents in the past.

They concur with the reports. Which made
me think about our own system. Many
have complain for years, media stories,
for years about HMO programs.

And then you have the Veteran's hospitals,
(they don't have doctor offices) and those
families, who have gone thru the service
system of having children thru the hospitals
for dependents. I had my first child 47 years
ago at Balboa Naval Hospital. I remember the
waits in the waiting room. Up to at least 4 hours.
And never the same doctor. And when I went to
the hospital to have her? another different doctor.

One thing they all have had in common.. The
wait. My deceased husband was subject to
the Veteran's hospital. In Vancouver, Washington,
and in Spokane, Washington. The take a number and
wait. Wait maybe up to 6 hours to see a Dr. and
then ... a wait and see what they will do for you. It
might take weeks before you get in the hospital.
And if they decide right there and then, you need
to be put into the hospital... then you wait weeks,
before anything is done. My deceased husband
was taken into the Vet's hospital in Vancouver,
he was there for over a month. Most of it waiting.
Was finally operated on... 2 weeks after being there.
Was kept there another 2 weeks. His operation
was a bypass. Oh, to help him kill time, they
removed his teeth. Even though he never complain
about them. They had served him well for over 50
years as they were. Even in the Spokane hospital
he was there for 2 weeks, sent home, for 2 weeks,
while nothing was done... then taken back in and
removed his leg after doing 3 other bypass operations.
Then removed his other leg. He was there a total of
2 and half months. He died there. Is this the type
of health care you want?

And then those of you who have gone to your
county health places. I had to rely on them for
my children's shots when my husband was in
the hospital the first time, and we didn't have
an income. The wait. The overworked staff.
And that was just to get shots, thankfully none
of us were actually sick.

This is typical because of the overload. So wait
until you add all of the nation on this. And while
you are at it... call your doctor and ask him/her,
if the nation goes national health care...will
he/she take those patients? They do have a choice
you know. There are ones who will not take
Med-care now. So don't you wonder how others
will feel about National Health Care? Will they
hold out for those who will pay for their own?
Those are the Canadians who get the best care
in Canada... the private pay. Got a Canadian
friend??? Ask them. And ask them to tell you
the real truth.