For Those Screaming Against Health Insurance Reform

I say we should let those who are screaming against the health insurance reform bills because they're "Socialist" opt out - not just from the bills, but also from ALL of "Socialism."

Let them put their names on a list, and:

• The police won't respond to their calls.
• Firemen will only protect neighboring houses as theirs burns down.
• No one will come when they dial 911.
• They will be banned from government-supported emergency rooms, hospitals and clinics.
• They will receive no Medicare or Medicaid benefits.
• They will not receive water from municipal sources.
• They will not be allowed on municipal buses or trolleys.
• They may not drive their cars on government maintained streets.
• They will be banned from State and Federal Parks.
• They will receive no federal insurance on their bank deposits or investments.
• They will not be able to use the government-run courts to sue if they are injured, or to collect debts.
• They will not be allowed to collect unemployment benefits.
• They will be required to shut up about what the rest of us choose to do as a compassionate nation.
• In return for this, they (most of whom are probably net consumers of government largesse) they will pay dramatically lower taxes. And, they WILL be allowed to die in municipal gutters.

Is it a deal?

From: Fredrick H. (MD, PhD, JD)

Subject: The solution for those who are screaming against "Socialism"

Date: August 26, 2009 12:49:02 AM EDT

To: Dr. Kaplan

Note: in the Aug. 26, 2009 NY Times.com is a relevant editorial, "World's Best Health Care." It allays these trumped up fears about reform by saying:

The Urban Institute in a meta-analysis compared the "clinical effectiveness and quality of care" in the United States to other advanced nations. They found a "mixed bag, with the United States doing better in some areas, like cancer care, and worse in others, like preventing deaths from treatable and preventable conditions." There was "no support for the claim routinely made by politicians that American health care is the best in the world and no hard evidence of any particular area in which American health care is truly exceptional."

Indeed, our health care system "puts patients at greater risk of harm from medical or surgical errors than patients elsewhere and ranks behind the top countries in extending the lives of the elderly. It has a mixed record on preventive care—above average in vaccinating seniors against the flu, below average in vaccinating children—and a mixed record of caring for chronic and acute conditions." Generally speaking, our Canadian neighbor enjoys "longer survival times while undergoing renal dialysis and after a kidney transplant" than us, but in 10 comparative studies of diverse clinical conditions, 5 favored Canada and only 2 favored the U.S.