Last night we watched a couple documentaries on the healthcare systems of different countries, including our own system here in the United States. Both of the documentaries confirmed our worst fears about our lack of a good healthcare system. All of the other advanced countries in the world (France, England, Japan, Taiwan, France, and others) have good, workable systems that seem to put the patients and their health problems first, and money last. In the United States money comes first and care, if you can get it, comes last. According to the films the health insurance companies (like Vista, Cigna, and others) are only interested in making money from premiums and in not paying insurance claims. There were numerous examples from this country that show the lack of concern here at home for people, and the great care that is ubiquitous abroad. There was one instance where a young adult developed cervical cancer; her insurance company turned her down even though she had up to date coverage. Desperate to find someone to help her, she crossed the border into Canada, found a friend there, and went to a clinic where she was accepted for treatment. Total cost to her: none.

The people who produced the documentaries traveled to several different countries to find out exactly what is and is not true with their healthcare systems. In both Europe and Asia the producers found that the doctors and hospitals are government run and the medical personnel are paid a very good salary to keep people healthy. In fact, if the patients in a doctor's care show improvement in preventive care (such as quitting smoking, exercising, lowering sugar levels, etc.) then that doctor will get a bonus; there is an incentive to keep people healthy. By contrast here in the United States, doctors are encouraged to keep people on pharmaceuticals because our government has been "bought" by the people who produce the pills. In addition, the common person with an insurance plan will have to fight to get the plan to pay a covered item. There are even "hit men" that are employed by the insurance companies to search a person's records and health history to find something that they can use to deny paying a claim. There were a few people interviewed that reported that their family member died because the hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies refused to treat them.

What can we do? First, we must have a government that is not corrupt (we don't have one), next we need medical personnel who have gone into the profession with a genuine desire to help people (most of our medical people are too interested in their golf scores and making huge sums of money for themselves), then we need a population that will respect an honest healthcare system. That is, if a person is not really sick, then don't bother the doctor with useless and frivolous complaints. Also, there is a quaint custom that my husband remembers from his childhood. It is called "house calls" wherein a medical person will come to your home to administer care. Just think about this, with one doctor going to private homes that is a whole bunch of people not going to emergency rooms. There are many horror stories about emergency rooms - don't get me started!