Bush & Govt Run County Health Clinics

[sandnsea]

I was just watching Bush (waiting for Kerry), he said he wants to have a clinic in every county in America. Folks, THAT is goverment health care! How much is that going to cost?

Folks in the cities might think that's normal, but in rural America, we don't have county clinics. A shot clinic maybe, if there's even still funding for that, but not generally a fully-staffed health clinic.

So here's his plan, if you can afford to save for your health care, you can have a health savings plan, like an IRA. Do you think the people without health insurance have IRA's?? OR you can go to the county health clinic. Two Americas.

Get that out to every newspaper, I think it would sink Bush in days in almost any of the swing states.

[silverweb]

1. What an idiot.

There is absolutely no logic or sense in anything he proposes.

Can you give a source for this statement so we can reference it? Where was he speaking when he said it?

[sandnsea]

2. Central Point OR

I just saw it on C-Span, I couldn't believe my ears. I'll see if I can find it in print after Kerry on C-Span. I don't think this will go over well with rural voters AT ALL.

[silverweb]

4. Thanks.

This needs to be spread around for sure.

[pinto]

3. County health clinics are an endangered breed.

The very definition of county health clinic has ebbed and flowed over time. Originally developed as a front line against TB, measles, rubella and other killer diseases of their day; later expanded to provide on site primary care, especially for children, the clinics are shrinking their role nationwide. Most have been squeezed by financial constraints.

In our county, many of the functions of public health have been "privatized". How this will play out locally, is still an open question.

[sandnsea]

6. Where do you live?

I'm curious, because I've never lived in a county with a clinic that had primary care. I know there are some in larger counties in some states, but not rural western states. People don't want two health care systems, that's why.

[CBHagman]

5. The right wing has tried to push MSAs for years.

Back in the 1990s, the Christian Coalition, among other groups, tried to push medical savings accounts as a solution to the health insurance coverage problem. Unfortunately, such a proposition is suited to A) healthy people who B) have disposable income. It's not the answer for an aging population or people with chronic illness. Look at the problem with diabetes in this country, for example.

The other day the New York Times business section discussed MSAs and how few employers and employees even opt for them.

It's a typical Bush proposal -- worse than merely a gesture, it either ignores a problem or furnishes a solution suited to the wealthiest. People need to watch for things like this.