A good friend of mine said, “Capitalism and public health make poor bedfellows.” I think he is wrong. Capitalism is based on control by the individual for profit with no interference from the government. The current public health system is based on profits for stockholders with help from the government. This means that regardless of whether you are left or right on this issue, the government has an investment in the control of how it works therefore debunking the very idea that it is a capitalist system.
What do I mean? Let me explain. Capitalism is based on competition of products to produce profit. If we are forced to shop at a store by law or gun point, the system is flawed and unfair. For example, those with diabetes. Diabetics need insulin. A teaching partner of mine was a diabetic and had a neat electronic computer connected to him that monitored and when needed, administered insulin to him.
We worked in Turkey together. He said that he will not go back to the USA because of his diabetes. The cost of care is too high. He also explained that he was not allowed to bring more than three months of meds with him into the USA when he went home to visit.
What does this mean? It means that the medical system is rigged. It is a cheaters dream and fair players nightmare. Another example, a friend of mine has HIV. She is in the same boat. With her deductible and monthly insurance cost, her monthly cost for HIV is $1800. Instead, she lives abroad. Gets great quality of care and pays $800 per year for her bloodwork and meds without insurance.
This goes across the board for any disease or medical condition that takes consistent monitoring. Let alone surgeries. In Costa Rica $15,000 will get you a new hip including airfare, room and board and recovery. They use industry standards at a fraction of the cost. The same surgery only out of pocket with insurance is $40,000. This is a rigged system plain and simple. https://www.medicaltourismcostarica.com/compare-prices/
So clearly I don’t understand why any citizen of the US is against medicare for all and presidential candidates like Sanders and Warren. The system doesn’t meet the needs of the people and it doesn’t meet the criteria of what it says it is.
The federal government should either stand back and let insurance companies and doctors battle it out for profits on a global scale or they should step in to provide a basic need to the citizens it governs. Doctors should have to sell their product like Starbucks or Ford and compete against other international brands like LaVazza and Toyota.
We are currently in a cake and eat it too scenario and I don’t like it.
- All works at Observations from the Spectrum written by Dylan Netter
- Observationsfromthespectrum.org
- OFTS.blog
- On? a third point of view – book of Essays
- Marinehippie.com podcast w/ Docstodden.com – dialogue exploring politics and musings of life
- Horizoncoaching.org – English Tutor and Guide
- BeeHIVeplus1.org
Observations From the Spectrum 
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