IT'S TIME FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

okie wrote:

Until I see the information behind the numbers, yes, I am skeptical, especially when accompanied by the admission that programs are available in virtually any situation.

You're sceptical about the numbers published by the US Department of Health and Human Services - but numbers cited by a blogger about specialised care beds in the UK convince you that the British system is underperforming?

Do you think your ideology gets in the way of a critical analysis every now and then?

okie wrote:

I think it has already been brought up about illegals and other problems with the statistics. For children of parents that can afford insurance but don't buy it, and for children of parents that can't afford it but qualify for other programs like Medicaid, but don't go sign up, are we supposed to now go find those people and lead them by the hand down to wherever they need to go to sign up or get insurance? I thought parents had a responsibility for their children?

So if children get no health care when they need it, it's sufficient to blame the parents and be done with it? Society has no responsibility? Does the same go for child abuse? Should we just say "Blimey, I thought parents had a responsibility for their children?"

Our Financial Assistance Program

For many years, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has provided financial help to patients in need. If you do not have health insurance or are worried that your health insurance may not cover your hospital bill in full, we may be able to help.

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Financial Assistance Program helps uninsured and underinsured patients with household income up to four times the federal poverty level who cannot get publically funded health insurance and cannot afford to pay for their medical care.

Hospital and physician fees can be reduced for patients who qualify for this Program. Aid is given based on the patient's household income, assets, family size, expenses and medical needs. Each application for assistance is handled confidentially and requires the cooperation of the applicant. More information on applying for this program can be found in the Financial Assistance Program brochure. (Este folleto está disponible en inglés y en español.)

If you do not qualify for the Financial Assistance Program and your health insurance does not completely cover your medical expenses, we will work with you to arrange a payment plan. We understand that each patient has a unique financial situation and encourage you to contact our Patient Financial Services department if you need our assistance.
Contact Our Financial Assistant Program

If you have any questions or wish to speak with someone about the Financial Assistance Program at Memorial Hospital, please contact the Patient Financial Services department at 212-639-5880

old europe wrote:

Miller wrote:

This mission is carried out without cost to the patient or family and without regard to financial need or relationship to a Shriner

How many children are treated at a Shriner across the United States?

5 seconds on google provided:

In 2006, Shriners Hospitals approved 38,984 new patient applications, attended to the needs of 128,578 patients and provided the following:

* 251,461 radiology procedures
* 296,859 outpatient, outreach and telemedicine visits
* 61,103 orthotic and prosthetic devices
* 24,609 surgical procedures
* 412,387 physical therapy treatments
* 181,174 occupational therapy treatments

Charity Care

Mayo Clinic has a long history of providing care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Our primary value is "the needs of the patient come first."

Mayo Clinic provides services to meet the needs of patients who are unable to pay for care. These services include:

* Helping patients find sources to fund their care, including opportunities to work with outside agencies.
* Using fair and consistent collection practices that are in the best interest of all parties involved.
* Providing individualized payment plans, medical services at reduced rates or at no cost -- based upon the patient's ability to pay.
* Providing emergency care to stabilize patients, regardless of ability to pay.

Mayo Clinic has developed a process for directing patients to alternative sources of funding for their medical care. Mayo Clinic determines a patient's need for charity care based on financial information and the medical services needed. The financial information includes the patient's individual and family income, assets, employment status, family size and availability of alternative sources of payment. Mayo Clinic's charity care policy requires that the medical services must be extraordinary and unique to Mayo (i.e., services that are not readily available at medical centers closer to the patient's home).

If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact Patient Account Services at (507) 266-5670 or arrange to meet with one of our financial counselors, who can talk with you about options such as a payment plan or government assistance. Visit our offices in one of the following locations:

* Eisenberg Lobby
* Rochester Methodist Hospital
* Gonda Lobby East
* Gonda Building
* Mary Brigh Main
* Saint Marys Hospital

Our staff may ask you to complete a Mayo Clinic Financial Statement form (PDF), which will help us evaluate your eligibility for charity care. Note that until your financial statement has been reviewed and approved by our financial counselors, you will be financially responsible for your medical care

Miller, could you provide links or numbers with your posts as well? It was really nice of McGentrix to go and find the numbers, but it'd be even more helpful if you could provide some numbers right away - rather than just mission statements....

Try:

www.google.com

old europe, I agree; it's not for us to prove their claims.

Who here agrees with the premise that health care is a "right" or should be a "right" and guaranteed by the government?

okie wrote:

Who here agrees with the premise that health care is a "right" or should be a "right" and guaranteed by the government?

I think a society is measured by how it treats the vulnerable, the poor and helpless. It is measured by the compassion it shows, not just by the chances and opportunities it offers to those who are able to take care of themselves.

Health care isn't a right just like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But if we think it's okay that people are deprived of these rights because they are ill and can't pay for the treatment, I find it questionable whether the profession of those rights is really more than lip service.

So I think it makes sense for a society to see to it that health care is something everyone can obtain whenever he needs it, and it makes sense that the government that we have elected makes provisions for this to happen.

That does not mean that the government has to provide health care itself - merely that the government puts regulation into place that makes health care available for everyone.

okie wrote:

Who here agrees with the premise that health care is a "right" or should be a "right" and guaranteed by the government?

I think a society is measured by how it treats the vulnerable, the poor and helpless. It is measured by the compassion it shows, not just by the chances and opportunities it offers to those who are able to take care of themselves.

Health care isn't a right just like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But if we think it's okay that people are deprived of these rights because they are ill and can't pay for the treatment, I find it questionable whether the profession of those rights is really more than lip service.

So I think it makes sense for a society to see to it that health care is something everyone can obtain whenever he needs it, and it makes sense that the government that we have elected makes provisions for this to happen.

That does not mean that the government has to provide health care itself - merely that the government puts regulation into place that makes health care available for everyone.

Is food a right or should it be?

In other words, to requote you, would your quote apply as follows:

"I think a society is measured by how it treats the vulnerable, the poor and helpless. It is measured by the compassion it shows, not just by the chances and opportunities it offers to those who are able to take care of themselves.

Food isn't a right just like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But if we think it's okay that people are deprived of these rights because they are hungry and can't pay for the food, I find it questionable whether the profession of those rights is really more than lip service.

So I think it makes sense for a society to see to it that food is something everyone can obtain whenever he needs it, and it makes sense that the government that we have elected makes provisions for this to happen.

That does not mean that the government has to provide food itself - merely that the government puts regulation into place that makes food available for everyone"

So to be consistent, would you guys advocate a single payer system for food?