Is this where the Dems' Prez Candidates want to take the US?
This would have been great to have if Chaz Proulx had continued with our proposed debate on campaign issues - unfortunately, with his schedule, it got dropped. However, with his candidate, Hillary, wanting to implement UH, this is just ONE of many examples why total governmental control of individual healthcare is unworkable. All of the Democratic Presidential Candidates say that they WILL bring Universal Healthcare to the US. Yet, when I read of this story, and the others that I have already blogged about, why is it that the MSM or others never directly ASK them "and why or how is your implemementation going to be different?"
Again, one of my criteria for anything, as I get older and wiser, is to judge things by either my acquisition of choice, or the deletion of choice - and that for me is a good, simple definition of freedom. If I get to choice, I have freedom. If someone or something does not allow me choice, I have lost a bit of my freedom.
Especially with this outcome:
NHS Threat to halt care for cancer patient
A WOMAN will be denied free National Health Service treatment for breast cancer if she seeks to improve her chances by paying privately for an additional drug.
Imagine that - the ultimate in freedom and choice - to purchase a legal medicinal to help prolong her life. And a governmental agency will not allow her to spend her own money
Colette Mills, a former nurse, has been told that if she attempts to top up her treatment privately, she will have to foot the entire £10,000 bill for her drugs and care. The bizarre threat stems from the refusal by the government to let patients pay for additional drugs that are not prescribed on the NHS.
That's right - our way or the highway. Never mind that government is there to serve the people that employ them. Never mind that some have made better decisions and thus have more to spend than others - well...well, that just isn't "fair" is it. After all, we the government, have the right to say what you can spend your money on, right (sounds like John Edwards - we will garnish your wages via the IRS to make sure you buy health insurance or RomneyCare in MA where you get fined if you don't buy healthcare insurance).
Ministers say it is unfair on patients who cannot afford such top-up drugs and that it will create a two-tier NHS. It is thought thousands of patients suffer as a result of the policy.
Right. Basically, the mantra is "we will all suffer universally together"....gee, isnt' that what they said...
...about Communism?
[snip]With many “wonder drugs” in the pipeline that the NHS is unlikely to fund, her predicament is likely to be shared by increasing numbers of patients who could afford additional life-extending drugs but not the cost of their entire care.
And this is what will happen in the US. With a market based system, scarse resources will be regulated via personal choices based on cost and need. With a government based system, all that will happen is that drugs that could save lives will be off-limits....have to be fair about this, ya know...
Some doctors support her case. Professor Karol Sikora, medical director of CancerPartners UK, a private cancer company, said: “This is unfair to taxpayers who are entitled to NHS care. If this patient wishes to pay for another drug, that should be her choice. The patient should be invoiced by the NHS for the extra treatment, with a mark-up to cover the hospital’s costs.” The government is opposed to the so-called “co-payments” because they would lead to patients in the same NHS ward receiving different drugs based solely on their ability to pay. But doctors say this already happens where private and NHS patients are treated at the same NHS unit.
[snip]
The Department of Health said: “Co-payments would risk creating a two-tier health service and be in direct contravention with the principles and values of the NHS.”
After all, we know best for all of you...and we can't let mere people get in the way of our mission now, can we?
Comments
Posted by: Chaz Proulx | December 23, 2007 8:33 PM
Posted by: Chaz Proulx | December 23, 2007 8:34 PM