One of the things I cannot fathom about American's is this innate fear of taxes. It's like the last 250 years never happened?! God forbid someone takes our guns, our shopping malls or our Big Gulps (2 liter cups filled with cola!) away, but god had better be looking out for anyone who hints at raising taxes. I bring this up because the main debate now { besides the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court Justice (I am for this, and any woman who is not, is mentally ill, in my very humble opinion!)} is the health care debate.
Health care in the US sucks. Everyone admits to this but they blame the insurance companies. The insurance companies blame the pharmaceutical companies and the pharmaceutical companies are rich enough to not have to say anything. They know a good thing when they see it and they know they will always be necessary. Especially to the Americans. The fat, non-exercising Americans. The Americans who blame everyone for everything but take no responsibility for themselves. These Americans, and the last guestimate has it at about 35% of 281M people, these Americans will keep the pharmaceutical companies & the insurance companies rich forever. Don't get me wrong here, there is a movement I am noticing within the health care profession to change this behavior. I myself, heard my new doctor during my first ever physical (I am exceedingly healthy by the way!), yelling at a patient to tell his wife that she doesn't need the screening Dr. Phil recommends, she needs to eat less and walk more! Hurrah! I loved him at that moment.
Getting back to these Americans, who undoubtedly still think the Red Threat is still real, they espouse the ideal that if health care is made available to all and 'reformed' that means more taxes for them. Yes, it probably does. They say that it means socialized medicine. Oh no, the "S" word. I hate to tell them, but after 3 years here and 14 years in Europe, guess what. Socialized medicine is already here. HMO's abound. Most company policies require a general physician to 'refer' to a specialist, exactly what the European systems have. Generic drugs are pushed in place of name brands. Again, socialized. Come out from the cupboards, silly people, in reality not much will change...except...
When you go to the emergency room and see only illegal aliens surrounding you, you will be able to rest in the knowledge that you will no longer have to pay $1500 for a visit ($300-500) out of your own pocket, because you have a valid social security number and give your real name and address. Why? Because everyone will pay the same basic rate. Everyone.
Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to monopolize and cartel together pricing as they have been doing for years. I bought insurance in for companies in the The Netherlands and I know they all know what each other does and bids. What a joke to think they don't. They do and they use it. With a 'social' health plan, they will now be regulated, out in the open, and unable to create crazy matrices that no one but the most skilled bridge players could possibly understand to confuse consumers. They will have guidelines and they will have to play ball or they will lose the game. I like this. This is American. Looking out for the little man and screw the insurance companies.
Lastly, with health reform comes the comforting knowledge that everyone will receive at least basic health care. No longer will single mothers and fathers, kids and especially, the elderly giving up one meal a day so they can stay on their diabetes medication. That's the most important cause of all. Everyone still asks me if I want to go back to Europe and my answer is still unequivocally yes. If for nothing else, for the health safety net that saved my son's life 14 years ago and continues to be better than anything American has yet to offer.
Having said that, my bonus next year will be spent on some land near Seattle. I seem to have left a piece of my heart back there and I intend to see it once in awhile.
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