Best health care

EDITOR:

Repeatedly during the ongoing debate over health care reform we are being told, "Americans have the best health care in the world. Right?"

Let's take a look, but first, let me state that I am one American who feels he really does have the best health care possible.

That's because 44 years ago, Congressional Democrats prevailed over the anguished cries of the opposition party (sound familiar?) and passed the "Social Security Act of 1965," creating Medicare, a government run, single payer health insurance plan.

Some things to ponder:

The per capita cost of health care in the U.S. is nearly double the average cost in Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales that all have universal, government run health insurance.

We are 29th in infant mortality, behind the aforementioned countries, and even Cuba and Albania.

We score a miserable 57th in longevity, again behind countries with so-called "Socialized Medicine."

We hear over and over, "I don't want the government prescribing my treatment" when, in reality, the extent and quality of health care in this country is now being prescribed by insurance executives.

Recently, a contractor friend was told he needed back surgery but the procedure was denied by his insurance company due to a "pre-existing condition." It took the expense of an attorney and a court date to change their mind, just one such instance of those with which I am personally familiar.

A record number of Americans are now without any kind of health insurance: a recent study found that uninsured patients admitted to emergency rooms across the country have a 50 percent greater chance of dying than their insured counterparts.

In the past five years, my wife, Nelle and I have spent a total of eight weeks in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and, while those we met were not universally happy with their health care, we spoke to no one willing to trade their system for ours.

The disciples of "The Gospel According to Sarah Palin," will not likely be swayed by any of this. For them, the moon will still be made of green cheese and the earth will still be flat.

Do Americans have the best health care in the world? I guess maybe you can say that, if you add, "for those who can afford it."

John O'Neill

Minden