Sand wrote:
The miseries I've indicated are nothing extreme, they are a common fact of life for millions of people and if people could take adequate health care for granted they certainly would not be miserable for having that facility. There are millions of people within the USA that have to choose between paying the rent, paying for their health care, eating properly and adequately, losing their homes, etc. Attitude has little to do with it.
Well, let's take me.
I have no health insurance. Last time I tried to get it, they wanted such broad exclusions, I'd essentially be uninsured. One hospital visit could bankrupt me.
I've been blessed with good health...or, at least, no medical issues I can't deal with out of my own pocket and over-the-counter medications.
I've not tried recently to reacquire health insurance, and I wonder what the monthly cost would be...if I could afford it.
The issue of not being insured for health care matters does concern me, but it does not take away my contentment in life. I refuse to let it do so. That's what attitude does.
Does it bother me that I live in the best country in the world that spends more each year than any other nation for health care but has millions underinsured or uninsured? Yes. Do I think the system needs fixing? Yes. Does that rob me of my joy? No.
You and I are rather lucky exceptions. At the age of 83 I have no violent exceptional physical health problems. My wife, on the other hand has cancer that has metastasized from an old assumed cured breast cancer and has tumors in all parts of her body and without national health here in Finland she would be dead. She is undergoing chemotherapy with all sorts of scans at little or no cost. I think she might have a chance to make it. I would not wish this on you or myself but I cannot see that a dopey optimism can be a proper substitute for proper medical care.
06 Jul 2009, 12:49 pm
