Thursday, October 14, 2004
presidential whoppers regarding healthcare
Tonight in the presidential debate (see full text here.) W said:
"there's no market forces involved with health care."
Oh yeah? Check out this Washington Post article (reg. reg) about the effect of supply and demand on the price of the flu vaccine.
"And just look at other countries that have tried to have federally controlled health care. They have poor-quality health care."
Oh yeah? Maybe W should talk with some people in Canada, France, Spain or Japan for starters about their universal healthcare systems.
"Our health-care system is the envy of the world because we believe in making sure that the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by officials in the nation's capital."
Oh yeah? Check out this press release from the World Health Organization in 2000. The US spends more of its GDP on health care than any other country, but ranked 37th overall in healthcare.
Tonight I watched on local news about people lining up at the Clackamas county Costco for flu vaccines that they weren't able to get from their doctors. How does it happen that a retail store is able to supply flu vaccine but people's own doctors can't provide it for their patients?
Something is very wrong in our health care system.
A friend who is a doctor in the Monterey area recently wrote to me about how the biggest provider of health care to indigent people in Moneterey county is going under. And another provider is not taking on any new patients so thousands of people are left to rely only on care for acute emergencies.
Do you trust Bush to solve problems like these? I certainly don't. Especially given his penchant for ignoring reality, as evidenced in tonight's debate.
¶ 12:55 AM
Tonight in the presidential debate (see full text here.) W said:
"there's no market forces involved with health care."
Oh yeah? Check out this Washington Post article (reg. reg) about the effect of supply and demand on the price of the flu vaccine.
"And just look at other countries that have tried to have federally controlled health care. They have poor-quality health care."
Oh yeah? Maybe W should talk with some people in Canada, France, Spain or Japan for starters about their universal healthcare systems.
"Our health-care system is the envy of the world because we believe in making sure that the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by officials in the nation's capital."
Oh yeah? Check out this press release from the World Health Organization in 2000. The US spends more of its GDP on health care than any other country, but ranked 37th overall in healthcare.
Tonight I watched on local news about people lining up at the Clackamas county Costco for flu vaccines that they weren't able to get from their doctors. How does it happen that a retail store is able to supply flu vaccine but people's own doctors can't provide it for their patients?
Something is very wrong in our health care system.
A friend who is a doctor in the Monterey area recently wrote to me about how the biggest provider of health care to indigent people in Moneterey county is going under. And another provider is not taking on any new patients so thousands of people are left to rely only on care for acute emergencies.
Do you trust Bush to solve problems like these? I certainly don't. Especially given his penchant for ignoring reality, as evidenced in tonight's debate.
¶ 12:55 AM
