On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 22:12:00 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
wrote:

>
>>>
>> it's another right-wing myth that one will be forced to use government
>> services. if you have the money, you can bypass the system under
>> almost any universal care program.
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
>Blake, if anyone disagrees with your politics, religion or whatever, you
>don't seem to know how to listen to anyone. It's like throwing a dog a bone
>and he growls without thinking, parroting the same ole growl.
>
when someone posts something contrary to fact - and it's usually some
republican talking point - i respond to that. i haven't seen anyone
refute my main point, which is the u.s. spends more for health care
(almost twice as much as the some other industrialized countries) for
worse results.

This article, based on data from the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), shows that at $4,887, U.S. per
capita spending in 2001 was higher than comparable health spending in
all other OECD countries. Switzerland, the second-highest-spending
country, spent only 68 percent as much as the United States on health
care per capita, and Canada, with similar health care delivery systems
and medical practice styles, spent only 57 percent as much. The median
percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) absorbed by health care in
non-U.S. OECD countries in 2001 was only 8.3 percent, compared with
nearly 14 percent in the United States.

<http://healthaffairs.org/press/mayjune0401.htm>

....and not everyone is covered in the u.s., despite the fact we're
spending more.

>I have stated this previously, and you don't care to listen. When one has
>medicare, one HAS to have it and cannot bypass the system. I would rather
>not ever have medicare -- I don't want it. I don't mind paying into it for
>others, but I don't want it for myself. You are right, it isn't good enough
>for me. I carry my own insurance, I want it, I pay for it. I have the
>money to pay for it, and I do without other things because I want it. My
>own insurance went up 300% last year. I kept it. I don't want to have to
>go thru medicare paperwork before my insurance will take care of anything,
>but I goddamned well HAVE TO.
>
>IOW I have the money, and I cannot bypass the system. You don't have a clue
>to what you are talking about.
>Dee Dee
>
then it sounds to me like you have bypassed the medicare system.

with medicare, you can buy additional insurance if you wish, and use
any doctor that accepts medicare. if you have the money to pay the
whole bill, you can use anybody you want.

<http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare/traditional/a2003-04-28-medicarecomparison.html?print=yes>

but this is somewhat beside the point. a universal health care system
does not necessary equal the present medicare or v.a. systems, or even
systems used abroad (though most of them seem to provide better care).
the u.s. could devise a system more to their liking if they cared to.
the people who like the system as it is, because they're making the
money, make it difficult to change by propagating all these tales of
six-months waits for hip replacements in canada, etc., to make people
fear any change that will cost them money.

but this, too, is somewhat beside the point. in the united states a
working citizen can lose his home from the expense of getting sick. i
think we can do better than that. (i don't think even a lazy,
shiftless person like me should lose his home by getting sick, either,
but that's perhaps another discussion.)

i don't recall taking part in any discussions concerning religion,
unless someone wants to mandate his beliefs by legislation.

your pal,
blake