Topic: Health Care
H1N1 Vaccines, Breast Cancer, and the Congressional Health Care Bill. Are the Republicans and Blue Dogs just fear-mongering when they warn about government health insurance? A look at the H1N1 vaccine and recent Breast Cancer guidelines suggest the begining of rationed care...by Tully
(libertarian)
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Anti-Government Health Care Argument: "Around the world, socialized medicine has resulted in a rationing of care. Governments have found themselves limiting access to services and establishing waiting lists. In Canada, patients wait an average of 27.9 weeks just to see an ophthalmologist after referral by their GP [link edited for length]
Americans will end up with higher costs and less care as it is rationed."
Real? Or just fear-mongering? Those in favor of government-provided insurance and care say this is nonsense, and point to anecdotal incidences of friends receiving care in Canada and finding it just fine.
So let's stop talking "what ifs...," and look at Current Reality:
The H1N1 vaccine *is* a socialized, government program. The shot is free. It is also in short supply everywhere, and doses are restricted to only the most at-risk patients. Conversely, the usual vaccinations, provided by the market, are readily available.
The Federal Government recently funded a study released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which recommended that women of average breast cancer risk start mammograms at age 50, not 40, and have them every two years rather than annually. Breast Cancer is currently the leading form of cancer in women. Many of us know women who are alive today because they caught a vigorous form of breast cancer early (including my own mother).
But now, the feds are recommending that women reduce their preventative mammograms. Meanwhile, page 1,190 of the House health care bill specifically states that Government Insurance shall not pay for preventative care that exceeds the Task Force's guidelines - even though NOT ONE member of the Task Force specialized in cancer or women's health!
There is the reality of Socialized Medicine. Rationing. Less Care. But we can all feel 'good' because Government is Caring for us, right?
Health Care needs reform - but this bill must be defeated.
And if it is passed, it needs to be repealed.
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The views expressed in this
article are those of Tully only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Tully is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
I agree completely. The big problem is keeping it from getting passed. We can write to our congresscrooks until we're blue in the face. They absolutely do not care. The only way to fix this is to throw them out at the next election. The entire House is up for election in 2010 plus 1/3 of the Senate. This bill will likely be law by then, so we have to think about repealing it. Obama would probably veto any repeal and we probably won't have enough support in the Senate to over-ride the veto. So we might have to wait until 2012 when we can throw out Obama and another 1/3 of the senate.
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![[link edited for length]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qitX51yxj7M/Swf7ftiMQYI/AAAAAAAAAQk/OrA4BTOWC2s/s1600/breast+cancer.jpg){kind=link}