Nosy Canadian Slams US Health Care System

Human Life Is Not A Commodity. Why Is Human Health Care In The USA?

I may be a nosy Canadian, but I’m not the only one with compassion for my neighbour and an opinion on the outrageous undertakings in the American version of a health care system. So, on the heels of Michael Moore’s ‘Sicko’ and Bill Moyers’ revealing interview on PBS with Wendell Potter, ex-Head of Corporate Communications for CIGNA, I feel compelled to share my views and offer some solutions.

Apparently in the USA there are publicly trading corporations made up of morally-challenged money mongers and pompous profiteers who determine health insurance policies for the nation. More so, the government is said to be powerless to stop these bullies and even allows them a brash god status to decide if a claimant lives or dies based on what it’s worth to shareholders.

Anyone with a little knowledge about publicly trading companies knows that the one and only goal above all for this type of industry is to satisfy the shareholders, which is where it makes sense – on that level. It’s within this framework that the shareholders are served by the company, but it’s also within this framework that the life and death fate of American insurance policy holders are made. In plain English, the insured person’s fate is based purely on financial reports at the time of the claim, which determine and are reflected in the company’s stock price. Hence the decision to allow or deny claims based on the Balance Sheet figures – make sense?

Where it doesn’t make sense is on the intellectual and human(e) levels. Every consumer is familiar with orange juice as a publicly traded commodity and the orange juice company has a single directive to create profit in order to make money for its shareholders. If the company fails to do that, because frost happened, the shareholder has the option of selling the shares and investing in another product. Cancer is not a commodity, so why is the approach to health care of an individual the same as the buying and selling of stock in orange juice?

It is shocking to realize that the deployment of health care is structured on the business model of a publicly-trading company rather than a non-profit or other organization – and ungoverned to boot. Let’s consider the business model of the College of Physicians & Surgeons; it’s a self-governing body with very strict policies and higher standards of conduct than a court of law – they govern the doctrine of doctors in order to best serve the people.

You can ask why I should care if it doesn’t affect me directly, because I live in Canada and my government provides for a national health care program. Simply stated we all want the same thing – to be surrounded by healthy people in a healthy world. Let’s face it, accessible and affordable health care makes healthy people and healthy people make money and create wealthy societies. Who doesn’t want that?

The flaw in a rampant renegade system of corporate-governed health care is for them it’s not about health care at all, it’s not even mandated. Subsequently, the burden of cost for rejected claims lands squarely on the shoulders of family and friends – then they get sick – then they develop health issues – and society suffers – and so on.

If you agree that your health care does not belong on Wall Street making money for shareholders, but under the protection of a national committee where all are equally treated, the only way it can happen is to make intelligent and informed choices in a loud voice.

Send a fax, email or letter to your local politician; put your name on a list that supports a higher quality of life. Better yet, tweet!

Consider this your invitation to a long and healthy life. http://www.bit.ly/15LwsC

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http://www.dianebabcock.ca

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