I thought people should know about my retired mother’s experiences in the last week on Red State. I have included the entire diary below verbatim, primarily because I cannot link to it on Red State as all evidence of its existence has of course been removed, and my mother has been banned.
Living in Australia, she finds it difficult to understand the rabid anti-healthcare reform people on America’s political right. From her experiences with the healthcare systems of three countries – England, New Zealand and Australia, she thought at first it was unusual that the country that likes to hold itself up as a beacon of freedom and fairness to the rest of the world, is ranked 37th out of 38 industrialized nations on healthcare. Further research on her part made her aware of just how bad the situation is over here, and prompted her diary as a means to talk rationally to Conservatives and understand why they felt the way they did, particularly after her positive experiences with ‘socialized medicine’.
She was shocked at the vitriol that was spewed in more than 20 comments, which I told her for a Red State diary was a fairly good response, and not just on healthcare or aimed specifically at ‘granny’, no these comments condemned Australia, Australians, and many other aspects of the country she calls home, a country that has for the best part of 100 years been at the right hand of America in times of conflict, and a country that it appears none of these people had ever been to.
Stellainoz’s Diary:
There is a lot of discussion going on in America at the moment about the disadvantages of so called "socialised" medicine. I would like to try to set the record straight for those who can see only one side of the argument.
I am a 76 year old resident of Australia. I have lived under three different country’s health services. I had my two children under the UK one, my husband died under the New Zealand one and my grand-daughter was born under the Australian one. My experiences under each one have been mostly good. Let me tell you about them.
My daughter was born in an English maternity hospital, fortunately with no complications, and I was discharged after two weeks very good care. My son was born at home with constant care from both my GP and the local midwife, once again a straight-forward birth. Had there been any complications then I would have been hospitalized immediately. All of this at no cost whatsoever to my family above the standard payroll contribution.
We emigrated to New Zealand and my husband developed cancer after only five years. The care we received there was first class. He was admitted to the hospital, to a private room, to continue his treatment. Although he could not work for a long time, he never lost coverage. Unfortunately he did not respond to the treatment and wanted to return home. When he did this the hospital service provided everything - a special hospital bed; the medical equipment he would need, a wheelchair etc. The nurse at the hospital told me that he would eventually have to return to the hospital and that when he did his room would be there waiting for him. Eventually he did and that was where he died.
All this at no cost whatsoever to my family above our standard payroll contribution.
My daughter and her husband moved over here to Australia and after being married for ten years she fell pregnant. Complications set in towards the end of the pregnancy and she was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Syndrome, often fatal. The baby was delivered by an emergency caesarean and both were in intensive care, my daughter for a week and the baby for a month. My daughter’s condition was such that she was put on the list for a liver transplant which fortunately was not necessary. The baby’s heart became weak and she was sedated until she recovered.
All this at no cost whatsoever to my family above our 1.5% payroll contribution. I understand you in the US pay 1.45% just to cover seniors.
I now have a perfectly healthy daughter and 18 year old grand-daughter. Thanks to "socialised" medicine.
Now I live in Australia and as I am retired I do not pay for my visits to a doctor, most specialists, X-rays or other tests etc. I do not pay for any hospitalization or treatment. My medicines are $5.30 per item. One I take is normally $96. If you are not retired then the doctors visits cost about $40 and your medicines are not subsidised. Children under 16 are also exempt from charges. These are Australian dollars.
I may add that I also have private health insurance, which is voluntary, so that if I choose I can have private care in hospital and I also get help with spectacles and dentistry etc. My insurance costs me under $100 per month. This insurance does have a deductible, and I have a plan with the highest deductible - $500 per year.
I know that in America when you are over 65 you get Medicare but what about all those families who do not qualify? We overseas find it hard to believe that so many Americans do not have cover at all, and the prices for coverage that’s not even guaranteed are so high. I hear from my son who lives in the US, and my American friends of people being kicked off their insurance when they actually need to use it, or if people use over a million dollars for their care they are kicked off, or the insurance company arbitrarily decides what physicians and hospitals you can use, or will even deny care prescribed by a licensed physician. That if you lose your job, you lose your coverage if you cannot afford astronomical amounts to keep it going.
I cannot believe that a country that claims to be so wonderful can neglect the general population so badly. Although there were many complaints and fears expressed in all the countries I have lived in when ‘socialised medicine’ was first introduced, just as here, now no one there would trade their system for yours. I know which system my family and I would prefer to live under.
And although most of my life I had considered myself a conservative, I truly cannot understand what the objection is to this type of care is in the United States. Do you not realize how your system is seen as arbitrary, cruel and uncivilized, and that people in other industrialized countries actually look on you with pity?
Many seem to confuse socialism with communism - the big boogie-man of American politics. But they are both very different. I have lived under Labour, Conservative and also Liberal Governments, ALL are strongly against communism. England, New Zealand and Australia are all democratic countries with governments elected by the people. Their health services, though not perfect of course, all work and work well. Although many in your country seem to think any form of socialism is anti-democratic, the two systems are actually very complementary.
My family would have been financially devastated if we had been under the American system. As it is, my daughter owns her own successful business, and my granddaughter can go through life without ever worrying about the meaning of ‘pre-existing condition’, let alone ever have to worry about going bankrupt over medical bills. We pay less for our health care and we live longer. I cannot believe that anyone in the US would not want the same security for their own family. Especially surprising are those who are on your Medicare, but would want to deny the same benefits to their very own children and grandchildren.
I understand some people in the US are worried about a government takeover of health care, although from what I can see the proposals you are debating are only about the government providing an optional health insurance plan – not providing health care themselves. I cannot see why many Americans, normally so patriotic, have such a greater distrust of their fellow Americans and politicians than we do here. Is the American government really that much more corrupt? And if so, why?
Why do some Americans object to the so-called ‘public option’, but appear to have no problem with more radical ideas that have been implemented in your country, such as Medicare, unemployment insurance and veterans health care?
So this is my point of view, but I feel you are never too old to learn something. So I would love to get answers that would explain some Americans’ problem with the public option. Why some are so against ‘socialised medicine’ when it obviously brings so many benefits?
And remember, I really am a retiree in Australia so you will have to explain any catch-phrases you might use.
_
I warned her that the comments would likely be inflammatory, but never believed that after offering a rational diary followed by several follow-up comments, she would be banned. While one commenter tried to engage in a logical discussion and address many of the points my mother outlined, the rest were simply happy to smear Australia for its laziness, its welfare state, its progressive taxation system and spout that if it were not for America helping out subjugated countries like Australia in times of war the rest of the world would be under the thumb of Communism. They didn’t seem interested in the fact Australia outranks America in almost every benchmark from Health to Education.
It seems that many of these people are still buried deep within the Cold War somewhere and of the belief that the rest of the world can go to hell because America can go it alone.
My mother just thinks they’re childish, and it’s good to know she has had wonderful adventures visiting me here in the United States.