In the early 80's, a friend of mine contracted RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa) in both eyes. After realizing that treatment wasn't available here (US), his family scrounged up the money to send him to Moscow. It seemed they had a medical treatment program there specifically for this.
Several trips over there for the treatments slowed the progress of the disease, but he lost the battle all the same.
Several things about that are being targeted in this discussion.
Medical treatment, and cost.
His problem was that this treatment wasn't being done here on humans, with all our compassion, and understanding for the effects it had on peoples lives.
Several things this guy, and his brother who went with him noticed however. In Moscow,
the streets were extremely clean, and the subways were sparkling, no graffitti, no trash, no punks running around creating havoc and crime.
Most everyone you saw was doing something. Either picking up trash containers, sweeping stairs, walks, etc...
They even made mention of how many armed military soldiers there were walking around, everywhere.
These guys were amazed the the Soviet Union was the only place where the one could get help.
If there is a moral to this story it should be fairly obvious.
That we live in a Capitalistic Society. Everything can be had for the right price.
Medical care for the masses is available in some form, and more so in a different political environment.
When you have HMO's telling you what kind of treatment you can get, and what not. Even when you're paying a decent part of the plan's cost, something's wrong with the system. That doesn't necessarily mean it should be totally trashed, and all the books completely rewritten.
HMO's are managed for a profit. That means part of your cost of medical is handed over to another party, and less applied to your medical care directly. So, it will cost more for you to get the same care, right?
In fact, if you were to drop a lot of the BS from the process, you would receive better care for less. And that is a BIG part of why so many people can't afford medical help.
Fact is, we live in a society where greed is encouraged. Where you're right to step all over other's to get what you want. Want that kid's shoes? Go knock the daylights, or kill him, to get them.
It would be easier to go get your own, but then the domination factor doesn't play into the equation either. And that, unfortunately a big part of our society too.
For the record. My HMO won't allow me to have surgery to correct my vision problem. They pay for a surgery procedure that nobody does anymore..
They do however pay a good part of the cost of the exams, and the glasses.
This is ridiculous, because the exams every two years, plus glasses, home and work prescips cast a bunch. I've already figured they've spent more money doing that than the surgery would have cost...
Here's one for you.
A couple years ago, my wife had to be admitted to the hospital for kidney stones.
I signed the papers for admittal, etc.
After all was said and done, I entered an agreemant with the local hospital for my share of the cost. Apparently I'd not placed the signature in the right place, and the hospital later turned me in for violation of the contract, even though I'd faithfully paid every payment on time.
When I confronted the Judge on the matter, I showed the Judge my copy of the agreement, and that I in fact did sign the paper, but I signed it below the line, instead on on the line. The Judge found for the hospital on the technicality of where my signature was, rather than on whether I had signed it.
So, the hospital sued me for damages, etc...
Even though I had been payin.
This was all about the hospital used a BS thing to get out of the contract, and make me get a loan and pay them in full. It's all about money, nothing less, nothing more.
So the next time someone says lets have some compassion about medical care, I think about that event.
[This message has been edited by Donny (edited August 11, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by Donny (edited August 11, 2000).]