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E-mail
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WHY THIS SITE?
Read about the the hideous overcharges
that Cedars-Sinai Medical Center inflicted on me because I was uninsured.
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LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
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"The promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is a lie without universal access to
health care." - - Bradley Whitford, actor
NOTE: Full names and e-mail addresses have been edited to protect our reader's privacy.
Any message over two paragraph will be posted in smaller text to save room on this page.
From location unknown
From: "m and v ma*****"
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 13:36:28 -0600
I have heard that if a national healthcare system was implemented in the USA, then everyone who wanted to would simply go to the doctors' offices and
hospitals for relatively no reason at all. There would be long lines and inadequate services, and eventually an upside down pyramid of the sick and dying destroying the economy. Personally, I
believe the above reasons for not having a national healthcare system are lame at best. Certain measures can be taken to reduce if not eliminate problems that can come about because of a
national healthcare system. In fact, the USA needs to look carefully at the other countries with national healthcare systems and maybe get a hybrid of all the forms.
The US is larger than the other countries, so again, a national healthcare system that incorporates the unique needs the US has with the knowledge that the much older countries have can only help in the formation of a good national healthcare system. The federal government does not have to be the sole guardian of the system, it should be part of a checks-and-balance whereby local, state and federal work together. I think this means that pharmacies,hospitals, nursing homes, all healthcare institutes and all medical staff need to work together also. I am sure that what I am relating is nothing new. I also wanted to share a thought I have about why the USA does not have a national healthcare. The closest the US has to a national healthcare is what is reserved for the military members and the retired military members. If a good national healthcare system were available, who would join the services? In many respects, some of the flaws described such as long lines, etc. are true in the medical system for the services. Usually this is due to understaffed medical facilities in the branches of services. There are many issues I do not know about and are completely ignorant of in this search for a better way to address the health of Americans, but I do know that what is in place is akin to a Sanhedrin type beast.
From Australia
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 21:22:23 +1030 (Cen. Australia Standard Time)
From: colw****@ozemail.com.au
Subject: Health Care In Australia.
Having been hospitalized here in Australia several times, I can only heap praise on the
Federal Government funded health care system in place here. I have had extensive out-patient treatment, too, and have had occasion to visit my General Practitioner
several times this year. All these services were at no cost to me. As a 65-year old aged pensioner, I also receive subsidized pharmaceutical benefits providing me with
vital medications at a cost of $4.60 per prescription. Of course, this relieves our citizens of the worry of becoming ill and/or requiring hospitalization. I find it
absolutely amazing (and appalling) that Americans can easily face bankruptcy through becoming seriously ill. This, in a country that constantly boasts of having the 'highest
standard of living in the world' and more millionaires per capita than any other nation on earth! Universal health insurance schemes do have their faults (what system
doesn't?) but at least the citizens of Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland and several other leading
developed nations do not have the threat of financial ruin hanging over them if, through no fault of their own, ill-health strikes them down. What is the good of having superb
medical facilities and treatments if at least a quarter of the population cannot afford access to them? Surely the health of a nation's most precious asset - its people -
should be of the highest priority for any Government claiming to be 'humane' ?
From location unknown
From: "Lise B****" <lise****@g**online.com>
Subject: What can we do?
Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2005 14:42:33 -0800
I agree. We need health care reform now. It will never happen with a Republican
congress and president. But can't we, the people, revolt? Let's boycott something. If we get enough supporters at a grassroots level through the Web, let's unite and
figure out an effective boycott. Here' a radical idea, what if thousands, if not millions, of us progressives agreed to stop paying our premiums on individual health plans and
stopped paying our coinsurance on hospital bills until Congress agrees to at least start to reform the health care system? Yes, they would threaten to sue us, but it would get
media attention and have an immediate economic impact. What do you think?
From Southeastern Ohio
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:29:34 -0400
From: "Duncan C. Kin***" <d*****@takebackhealthcare.info>
Organization: Take Back Healthcare
Subject: Link Request: Take Back Healthcare
Please include as a link "Take Back Healthcare" http://www.takebackhealthcare.info
Take Back Healthcare provides news and analysis about the uninsured, single-payer, employee health benefits, medical insurance, medical tourism, Medicare, Medicaid,
health costs, drug costs, the Canadian and other foreign plans, and more.
-- Duncan C. Kin***
From: California
From: "Jeanne M****" <jeanne*****@msn.com>
Subject: Belated Congratulations!
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 22:31:45 -0800
I am so proud of your efforts, Senator Kuehl. Yours and your staff and your team are all wonderful people. I will follow your project and maybe soon learn more about this
bill. I am looking forward to helping you and California make this work for the uninsured. I am a ANA member (American Nurses Association), RN, BSN,
USNR-HM3, Mom of two, and a community volunteer. I'd be happy to help you promote this in my area when you are ready. I have a skilled background in managing
small community clinics and am fearless of challenges that will help others maintain health and pursue independence as an (functional) American citizen. Please let me know how I can help.
With my utmost respect,
Jeanne M**** RN, BSN
From: Heartland U.S.A.
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 19:57:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: a ru** <******2de***@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Angry Patient (c)
Wow, your website is amazing. Thank you. America's health care system is a bureacratic quagmire that cares more about a healthy bottom line rather than healthy patients.
We just read an interesting article the other day about how doctors are now refusing to treat lawyers and their families because the lawyer makes a living filing malpractice
cases against doctors and how the good ol' boys network of doctors are also boycotting patients who have filed malpractice claims. The brotherhood of the
Doctor's is tight. You can rarely find a doctor who will testify against their brethren.
This is a dangerous precedent. We have found nurse practitioners or D.O.'s to be a much better
alternative to the Men of Medi-Sin (c), who care mor about funding the coffers of their pharmacist phriends. If it isn't lack of, or not enough, medical insurance being a problem - the
opposite is also true - TOO much insurance coverage.
You work hard all your life. Pay your hefty insurance premiums. Grow old with some grace and
dignity. Only to find yourself incarcerated in a hospital where you get doctored 2 death (c) because of your 100% medical insurance coverage. Check out the following website http://www.theangrypatient.com It is the diary of one lone patient's nightmare incarceration at
St. Frightening Hospital, Heartland USA.
We will pass on your website link to all of our friends. What would this world do with activists? Thank you for this website.
Take Care,
The Angry Patient
Heartland U.S.A.
(please do not disclose this email address to third parties. thank you.)
From Wayland, Michigan
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 12:37:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kelly M**** <kelly.m.*****@sbcglobal.net>
A few years ago my husband had a job at a company that offered excellent Health Insurance. We payed $9.00 a week for 100% coverage on our entire family. There
weren't any co-pays and the doctors were great. Then the company started going under, my husband found another Job but they were a new small company and
couldn't get a insurance policy that anyone could afford. I was scared to death, we had just found out that I was pregnant for the third time. His old employer offered
cobra insurance and we took it.
It was very hard for us to pay or normal bills and that huge premium every month but
we had to do it because if anything ever happened to us or our children what would we do, then we reasoned that it was worth it because it was 100% coverage. That
didn't last long, after 18 months we were told that we could no longer recieve our cobra insurance. We didn't know what to do. We looked into getting private
insurance but it ran 1,000 per month, and it was only 80\20 coverage with copays on everything. Then my husband lost his job.
He got another job with no benefits and took a huge pay cut. We had no choice but to see if the
kids could be insurance through the state. After jumping through hoops we finally did get insurance for the kids from the state. For awhile I thought that that was good enough until my
husband got injured at work and his employer didn't want him to collect the medical costs from workmans compensation. About six months later I tripped over one of my childrens toys and
thought I had broke my foot, luckily it was just a nasty sprain. I am still getting bills that I have
to pay but I don't know how. My husband and I haven't been for a physical in about four years. My children having insurance is one of my top priorities, but the parents need to talk care of
themselves too, so that we can take care of our children. It scares me to think that a simple physical could prevent me from missing something and getting very ill and therefore not being
able to care for my children.
Kelly M****
Wayland, Michigan
From: Indiana
From: Douglas M***** <d*****@interaccess.com>
Subject: nice site
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 23:19:38 -0500
Hi
I am a practicing orthopedic surgeon in Indiana, and I came across your site on a google search for Universal health Insurance. I am spending time googling this topic
on a sunday night because I am beyond fed up with the abysmal state of Health care in this country. I have been massively disappointed by the proposals for "solutions"
that I have heard from the organized medical societies I am a member of, all of which start out with, "let's get rid of all these lawyers first and then the problem will solve
itself". The overall state of this country's health insurance system is far worse than your web site conveys.
The thing that most startled me today is that yours is the only website on the first google page for this topic that has content from later than 2003. How this huge a
problem can go without even a current proposal for a solution circulating on the web for three years is mind-boggling. Nice try though. Keep up the good work.
Douglas M*****, MD
From: Montana
Subject: Health Systems Financial Recovery: updated National Strategy document
available
From: "Lawrence B*****" <Lawrence*******@bc*smt.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 08:42:02 -0700
More of our national leaders are recognizing that current Health Care reforms are
merely band-aids that focus on fixes to the current system or throwing dollars at special interest groups. I believe our nation has overlooked a better approach.From
this belief, I have dedicated myself to developing the enclosed plan. (The actual document will be sent immediately via this address. Because of its size it will be in
a ZIP file)You will quickly see it addresses all aspects of our national health care infrastructure and the benefits of restructuring it in the context of current federal
systems. Please note I have included current reform efforts (like Health Savings Accounts, World Health Organization strategies for implementation, the baby
boomer and uninsured issues and HR 660, Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003) and that this restructure vision is designed for implementation at no additional cost.
This plan promotes hybridization of the socialized medicine concept and reinforcing
consumers' ability to pay, while retaining the advantages of a free market industry where
demand and supply determine what is fair. By restructuring funds within our current system
as indicated within this proposal, a free market will again reign, causing health care inflation to
trend more toward traditional levels. Savings to the overall system, in terms of GDP, could be
reduced by an estimated $2.8 trillion by the year 2010. This is quite a different outlook than
what most legislation proposes, namely, to throw more scarce dollars at an already doomed system. A more complete analysis of projected costs is provided within the body of the white
paper attached. In summary, this paper gives thoughts to the restructuring of health care through:
A health credit to all American citizens to use for health care options they desire that is
funded solely by American businesses. Business costs would decrease for those currently
funding employee health coverage and increase for businesses not currently funding
employee health coverage. All Americans would have these funds placed in a personal
Health Care Savings Account and would shop for health coverage based on their own personal needs. This new 'focused expendable income' when combined with allowing
interstate commerce to market insurance products would promote more competition by insurers
and providers. Since all Americans would have the ability to pay, providers can end cost
shifting. Efficiency and service would become the tools most valued by those focused on
profit. Unethical and incompetent providers and insurers will be sanctioned from over 80
percent of the industry, a huge improvement over the third of the market currently monitored
through HHS. Providers would find it very difficult to hide their unethical behaviors from
private pay organizations. ICD-10 and the move to the World Health Organization guidelines
would also offer other opportunities for competition through the availability of alternative and complementary medicine.
I am asking that you take a few moments to review the four-page prologue of the enclosed plan for a quick overview of how our current health care industry can be restructured. We
desperately need free market economics to promote competition and control inflation to ensure a strong, viable economic future for all Americans.
If you are not interested in helping to enhance and promote this plan, I respectfully ask you to recommend how I can improve it and place it in the hands of those who may be able to glean
some worth from its pages.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of the enclosed plan. Please contact me at your
convenience if you have any questions or need additional information, by phone at (406) 439-**** or (406) 444-****, or by email to lee*********@montana.com.
Sincerely,
L. Lee B***** MBA/HCM
From New York, New York
From: Jac*****@aol.com
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 13:32:33 EDT
Subject: (no subject)
I am sure that there is a lot of corruption in the system, specifically the insurance companies and some hospitals, however my husband. for one, is a periodontist,
paying back hundreds of thousands of dollars for dental school, and the insurance companies reimburse terribly for the hard work he does. Additionally, he pays
thousands of dollars a month to pay for family and employee health insurance and malpractice insurance. Everyone seems to think the doctors are making out like
bandits, and I am sure some are, but most of them are middle class. Maybe I'd be more for reform if the government paid for his medical schooling also.
Jac*****
P.S. I am a psychoanalyst and am not a provider for managed care because they pay $40.00 an hour and the going rate in Manhattan is about $150.00 -$200./hr. and also
they ask too many personal questions about patients that should be confidential. Healthcare reform is more complicated than people make it out to be.
From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:35:41 -0400
From: "Co** M****" <****@familyplanning.org>
Subject: What about car insurance?
I think that it is a missed opportunity for advocates of universal health insurance to not talk about the impact lack of universal coverage has on automobile insurance. Most
of my insurance cost in Massachusetts and here in Pennsylvania is for medical cost. It is now common practice for the medical insurance companies to go after the auto
insurance companies to pay for medical services as a result of an accident. If we had some type of universal coverage and medical cost were not the burden of the injured
then the cost of care from an accident could be put onto he health system and insurance premiums could drop in half.
These are the effects of not having a universal system that individuals in this country often have a hard time seeing. Just like the fact that everyone does get medical care
at some point whether they have insurance to seek regular treatment or they are rushed to the emergency room and die. And those who can not pay don't, however
because these cost are outside the insurance pool they actually or more expense than those in the pool. Thank you for your time. Keep up the fight.
Co** M****" MPH, Program Analyst, Circle of Care/ familyplanning.org
From White Bluff, Tennessee
From: Rin****@cs.com
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 05:17:10 EDT
Subject: Knowledje without wisdom is dangerous
Note - - This e-mail was over 22 paragraphs long, so we have edited key points
on health care, and published the entire letter here.
<snip> "..... it is absolutely unconstitutional and furthermore a crime against humanity
to bar people from health care since the United States have taken money out of our pocket for the research and now has the method for the cure. So in essence I and my
ancestors have paid the dues and only the ones at the top get the benefits, and the ones at the top are making the laws. I have been denied my rights!"
<snip>.."Here in Tennessee and in America, health care concerns have become second fiddle to the interest of the able body working class and to the foreboding
lobbyist who kiss our legislatures feet and present them with shady deals that compromise the foundations of our country's ethics."
<snip>...."I was once one of the so-called "healthy working class" people who did not respect life and humanity as I do now. I thought I did, but I had not yet
experienced the devastation of illness and disability and I had not yet become an individual who was at the mercy of this rich society. I had no concerns for "those"
people and have heard and participated in discussions that contained sentiments of "trashing the trash" of our country. It seems now even more insensitivity exists
because our legislatures and judges are still grinding the ax. Now as I experience some of these horrible scenarios I am shamed by that ideology. Now I know different
and I am a different man for it. I have exchanged that life for a deeper understanding of the value of any mans rights and his rights to life." Read the entire letter here.
From Wisconsin
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 15:54:46 -0500
From: JASON * MA***** <jp*******@wisc.edu>
Subject: Question on SB 840
Hello,
My name is Jason Ma***** and I am a researcher at Wisconsin Citizen Action, and
Currently I am working on a project in Wisconsin to pressure major corporations to accept Universal Health Care. Basically, We have been focusing on Wal-Mart
because of their excessive problems with Health Care, and I know they currently fought tooth and nail to shoot down Prop. 72, but I am wondering what they are
doing about SB 840 the California Health Insurance Reliability Act. I know most educated people, especially your group would see that universal Health Care would
help underwrite a businesses bottom line, but I want to see if Wal-Mart also opposses universal Health Care laws, based on partisan principles, because if they
did we can show how they oppose pay or play plans, and universal health care, and appear to only support health care for no one but the rich, which hopefully would get
them to support some sort of universal health care system. Any ways, I just need to know if you have any information on Wal-Mart and their lobbying efforts with
SB840, it would be extremely helpful, and would push us both towards our mutual goal of protecting the uninsured and the poor.
Thank you,
Jason Ma*****
From ? location unknown
Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 19:05:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: tim he**** <h********@yahoo.com>
Subject: national healthcare
I do not want a national healthcare system. I don't want the government to take care of me. I want to keep my money and take care of myself. If we all could keep more
of our money we could but we keep giving it to the government trusting them and believing it will be there tomorrow. It has to stop. This is socialism. Please don't push
this any farther. I can take care of myself! Stop raping me financially!
From Jackson, Michigan
From: Russell*****@aol.com
Date: Tue, 3 May 2005 01:18:22 EDT
Subject: Need for national health care
I think its a terrible shame that this nation has no health care system. If you do have
insurance you can count on your premiums and deductibles rising substantially every year. If you don't have insurance you better hope and pray you don't get sick. I do
not have any insurance now but I pay medicare taxes so that old people who don't work can get their Viagra prescriptions filled. This money then goes to the
manufacturer of Viagra who uses it to produce television ads that are shown on prime time so that my kids can learn about the dangers of four hour erections. In the
meantime my asthmatic brother has to worry about suffering an attack because he can't pay for his inhaler. He also misses alot of work because he can't breathe like he
should. Somehow I think that making sure a working person in the prime of his life can breathe properly is of greater societal importance than making sure a geriatric can
achieve an erection. But of course, that is merely my opinion. The so-called leaders of this nation surely know what is best for all of us. What a bunch of gutless
wonders! Let's vote them all out of office before they ruin us completely! People are dying and suffering and the government does not care.
That is unless you are a brain dead vegetable like Terry Schiavo! Who paid to keep her alive in a vegetative state for all those years? Answer: me and you. It was a
national emergency when the courts said let this woman die in peace. Then a special session of Congress had to be called to deal with this national emergency! It was so
important that our tax dollars be used to keep this woman in a "permanent vegatative state" alive at any cost while millions of Americans can't even get basic health care.
Please, what is wrong with these people in Congress? Maybe we need to invade another sovereign nation at tax payer expense while we are at it. And when the boys
come home with missing limbs and screwed up minds we will treat them like we did our Vietnam vets. Makes you feel proud to be an American doesn't it?
Yes you have my permission to post this letter on your site. My first name is Russell and I am from Jackson, Michigan. Thanks for trying to do something about this. Good luck!
From San Francisco, California
From: Troy****@aol.com
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 16:37:51 EDT
Subject: help
Hello,
I'm also an advocate for a national health insurance program. After reading your website, I wanted to learn more about your organization and discover ways I can
help. For 15 years, I was a healthcare reporter at various newspapers and now I'm in healthcare public relations. I live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area. Please,
give me more information about your efforts. Thanks. Troy
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