A Very Sad Story Thanks To Our Marvelous US Health Care System

[MannyGoldstein]

The single adoptive mother of a girl in my son's first grade class died suddenly last week. Had surgery on Friday, collapsed and died in her home on Monday. Probably a sudden cardiac arrest or blood clot. We went to the memorial service last Friday.

If she had been in any other other industrialized country, she'd probably have been kept in the hospital a few days after the surgery' She'd have been in the hospital when the fatal event occurred, where they might well have saved her. Hard to believe, but people are kept in the hospital far longer in other countries to properly recuperate - and still they spend far less per person than we do. More for less.

I feel awful for her little girl - she's going off to live with relatives of her Mom. So damned sad.

When I think of things like this, and I see so many in the media lying, utterly lying, about the costs and quality of care in countries with universal health insurance, I go nuts.

What's our fucking problem that we can't get our acts together to make world-class health care happen?

[Maat]

1. Precisely.

Healing energy to that child and her family, and may her mother rest in peace.

In her honor, I will harder than ever to secure a single-payer, universal health insurance in this country.

[unkachuck]

2. very sad indeed....

....poor kid just wants and needs love and stability....

....just about every progressive thing we might want to accomplish can't be done using the two main political parties because of corporate domination....

....negative corporate domination looms over all aspects of our lives; cradle to grave, you can't escape direct or indirect corporate control no matter how hard you try....

....yet, 'we the people' all need stability in our lives....unfortunately, our system is designed to be 'unstable' by corporations and not to serve 'we the people'....

[midnight]

3. I like your question.... Why can't we get our act together and

create a world-class health care system? Nafta created a world-wide trading system.

[ProudDad]

4. K&R

HR 676 - http://www.house.gov/conyers/news_hr676_2.htm

[silverojo]

5. This crap starting happening back in the 1980's

I grew up around a family who worked in hospitals and clinics, so we saw this BS when it started to happen. Not only did they start reducing the length of hospital stays, they actually began FORCING people to leave after surgery, even if they were complaining of post-surgical problems. So of course, people kept coming back to ER with their inevitable complications.

And the beat goes on. :mad:

[alarimer]

6. I know someone who had neck surgery (after rupturing a disk)

and they let him out after three days. Ridiculous. He was still in a LOT of pain.

[AwakeAtLast]

7. Don't forget that a law had to be written

forcing health insurers to allow mothers who just gave birth to stay in the hospital 48 hrs! Some were forcing those mothers and babies out after only 12 hours! No one with a heart should have thought that was a good idea ! :grr:

[bobbolink]

8. "What's our fucking problem.......?"

Simple.

We don't DEMAND it.

Pure and simple.