"Socialized Medicine" - I want my right to choose.

[percussivemadness]

I grew up in the UK and Ireland. When I was 4 I had my tonsils removed. When I was 7 I had Tuberculosis and was in hospital for 6 months and had 2 years worth of medicines and monthly x-rays. When I was 15 I last went to the doctor. My mum, aged 70, came to stay with us last January. She wasn`t feeling well. She left here on a Tuesday, had a doctors appointment in England on the Friday (made from the USA by phone). She was referred to a specialist the following week, had a number of tests, problem was diagnosed within 3 weeks, now she is as right as rain. My dad a few years ago fell off a ladder, He broke both his ankles and all the bones in his feet. He was hospitalised for a month, received specialist treatment for 2 years. My sister has diabetes. She has received ongoing care for the last 10 years. My entire family get an annual check up. For the remarkable service we pay National Insurance. The NHS isn`t perfect, but, and this is something that is being missed, if you need essential surgery, specialist care etc, you will get it when you need it. You don`t wait. The rationing that the right Winger lunatics refer to, comes from your family doctor. For my 6 months in hospital, for my tonsil operation, for my mums treatment etc my family paid, ummm, their NHS contribution (15% if taxable income after allowances). What would I have paid in the USA? My friend spent a week in hospital and was presented with an $18,000 bill.

Oh, and something that is never mentioned in the debate. You have the choice to go private in the UK if you want it or can afford it, some of you may have heard of Harley Steet in London, consisting of Private Doctors, go figure huh?

Then I moved to America.

I broke my toe, went to the emergency room, they xrayed it, gave me a shoe, a prescription, and for that I had to pay 1500 USD. In the UK I would have paid my 15%. I now have insurance. I pay 200 bucks a month. I am lucky, I am able to afford it. Would I rather give that 200 bucks to a single payer option so others less fortunate than me could obtain quality health care, of course I would. This is the point not being discussed. The astroturfers say they want to keep their right to choose, I fully support that. But what about my right to choose?

This is what this entire debate boils down to and this is not being discussed by the Obama administration. I want my money to help other people. That is my right. I want to pay a little more into a govt option so I can do some good for people less fortunate. Removing the public option deprives me of my right to choose and that is scandalous.

In a nutshell, I want my right to choose and at the moment, I do not have that. I am living under corporate tyranny in the supposed land of the free and if Obama betrays me on this issue, he will never get my vote again.

[Hello_Kitty]

1. K and R. eom

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. K&R

[aquart]

3. k&r

[slipslidingaway]

4. knr for national system of health care. The proposed public option

estimates are that maybe 10 million people will be enrolled in the plan by 2019, the rest of our tax dollars will be used to subsidize payments to the for profit companies.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. And there you have it - either way, you pay.

Either you pay private insurance, and if you stay healthy the insurance company execs get your money.
Or you pay for national healthcare, and if you stay healthy some other sick person gets your money.

The second option improves the health of the population as a whole. Who could have a problem with that?

[percussivemadness]

6. exactly...this point however hasn`t been hammered home

by the Obama administration. In fact, their entire handling of this has been amateurish at best. They are trying to seel a new idea using traditional methods, exactly the opposite of what they should be doing. I could make a 1 minute video that would end this discussion once and for all.