Can someone please explain to me why the US does not have -

[American Kid]

I admit to having profoundly amateur-ish knowledge of the nuts and bolts behind what force drives the health care system here in the States.

What I happen to have profound knowledge of is how much it sucks. I just heard (JUST heard) on the radio that another HMO is dropping patients from five or six entire TOWNS near where I live. This is getting absolutely rediculous.

I would appreciate any insight anyone can give me into the infrastructure of these gigantic companies.

WHAT I DO NOT WANT is rants and ravings from fanatics and anti-Americanists. I don't want your fucking conspiracy theories. I don't want fucking diatribes against the evils of capitalism.

I don't want anarchist going "ha! stoopud cappy! its ur fault your peeples dont go see dockorz when they sik! die cappy!! i'll see u at the doctorz offus!!"

I want sensible answers from intelligent, informed members here about what the fuck is going on in this country. I know that more than a few of you are capable of this. Again, I would appreciate it.

If possible, I'm very interested in trying to get involved in organizations to do something about it. This isn't the first time in this forum I've brought this up, I'm more than eager to act on my frusterations.

-AK

[Maaja]

A 'friend' of mine from USA (a real cappie) told me that they don't have the universal health care because it's a part of the real democracy and capitalism. That every person should work and pay for their own medical help and insurance because then every person can have the choice between different possibilities. For example if you are rich then you can go to a good doctor but if you are poor then your doctor may not be that good or have that good drugs and possibilities. And that it's every person's choice do they want to work and get rich or to be poor... Well, I can't agree with what he said but probabaly it's close to the official theory of USA as he admires it. Maybe I am mistaken because I am not from USA, I have never been to there and I don't know many people from there but that's all I can say!

[vox]

Maaja,

I think that part of it is indeed ideological, but there are two things to remember about that. One is that when Hillary Clinton introduced her health care plan there was a huge, insurance-company sponsored campaign against it, saying that it would limit choice. Then, of course, the insurance companies took over health care and limited choice. Hmmmm. And not only choice of doctors, but choice of medication, for it seems that almost everyone has a story about their HMO changing its list of approved drugs and no longer being able to afford the medication that they had been taking. This amounts, in reality, to HMOs overriding doctor and patient decisions. I know of a woman who was on an anti-depressant, the only one that seemed to work for her without a ton of detrimental side-effects, and her HMO dropped it from its approved list.

The cost of researching and developing drugs is often used by the industry to justify the high cost of pharmaceuticals, but Public Citizen found that the figures cited by industry groups are severely inflated (http://www.citizen.org/publications/release.cfm?ID=7065). (You can also see the response from Public Citizen to two industry statements that criticized this report here (http://www.publiccitizen.org/congress/reform/drug_industry/articles.cfm?ID=6514).)

The other big thing to keep in mind is that the US spends over 50% of its discretionary budget (http://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget/FY03/DiscretionaryChart.htm) on past and present military expenditures, which also, not surprisingly, the biggest receiver of corporate welfare. The waste and fraud (http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Corporate_Welfare/Military_Fraud.html) alone is staggering.

What's clear here is that concerns of the ruling elite and the concerns of industry coincide, whether that industry is making bombs or delivering health care. Gone are the days when there was any idea of corporate responsibility, and the propaganda machine (commonly known as Washington DC) tells us that this is good and that the "free market" will provide for all (see my sig). So HMOs can drop the sick, which they do, and this is not only fine, but a good thing, for the "free market" had determined that's the best way to go. The inherent contradiction is, of course, neglected by the ruling class, which seeks only to protect its own self-interest and not the interests of the citizenry for which it pretends to speak.

The sacrifice of public health for private profit is unconscionable and one of the clearest examples of the true values of the capitalist class.

vox

[American Kid]

This is probably the first thread I ever started where one of the only people's who's input I actually hoped for was vox's.

And it seems to have payed off. Very good, interesting stuff. And, y'know vox, it's okay with me- to address me- in posts, in any manner you wish, so long as I'm not being condescended to and/or being insulted.

I understand though your angle is I'm one to be condescended :) , and therein lies the heart of our eternal struggle.

But fuck it.

Thanks for the responses. I know it's getting late in Europe, but I hope more informed individuals will pitch in to help the Kid out.

Much appreciated,
-The Kid