 Why I Support Single-Payor Health Care
As a medical anthropologist and college professor, I study health care systems around the world, and a single payer system (some countries have additional private sector options) is the only system that can assure a baseline of adequate care for all of its citizens. We have that system in Medicare, and we need to expand its effectiveness to the entire US population. There is such unbelievable waste and greed in the present hodge-podge "payor" system! Just the savings alone of eliminating these "continuous denial methods" would provide a baseline of care for everyone, and do so with a seamless network of electronic medical records -- something that is vastly needed to update and optimize medical access and care. Please wake up, America. You're in a trance. You've believed the hogwash about "socialized" medicine being an evil that will eradicate your choices. There is still choice under Medicare. In fact, there are better choices with 30% savings. The US ranks among the lowest in industrialized nations in life expectancy and infant mortality. We can't keep doing the same thing, expecting different results. Our nation's greatness was founded on a strong middle class, educated and empowered through efficient public systems.  Happiness is Hot--Even When the Dollar is Not
Some unexpected findings from the economic downturn are turning up, and ironically, they all point to emotional highs. Medical anthropologist Meg Jordan, PhD, RN, reports, “People are determining what matters most, enjoying a period of introspection and shoring up your personal resilience. Happiness and quality of life are stacking up as higher priorities, as evidenced by a halt in high-end spending, and less attention paid to “high maintenance” vacations or resort travel. Jordan cites higher rates of cancellation among non-essential business travel, increasing webinar traffic and an interesting resurrection of low- or no-cost entertainment from the Great Depression generation: poker night, card games, potluck dinner parties and yes, even bowling leagues. “Think of the activities that your elder parents or grandparents talked about doing ‘back when we didn’t have a pot to pee in’ as the expression goes, and you’ll see a resurgence of belt tightening that goes beyond the simply shopping less, and instead revives a quest for meaningful social interactions and purposeful living.” |
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