If you went to school in the 1980s like me, chances are your teachers taught you to dislike Russia and Africa. Maybe it was the stories of extreme poverty, primitive (by middle class American standards) living conditions, and government oppression that fueled your aversion for these countries. Or, maybe our teachers and politicians relied on stereotypes about these countries to make the U.S. look superior to them. Well, I’ve never been one to go along with the herd—I’ve always wanted to visit Russia and South Africa (Africa is a continent, not a single country).
 
In 2016, I visited Russia, and in 2019 I visited South Africa and a few other African countries. St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia were as cosmopolitan as any American big city, and the rural areas of Russia resembled some rural areas in America. Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa also resembled large American cities. There was nothing strange or exotic about Russia or South Africa. They are poor countries compared to the U.S., but unlike the U.S., they, at least in philosophy and on paper, look to provide health care to all of their citizens as a human right.
 
At Least “They"Support Universal Health Care
 
No vacation of mine to a foreign land would be complete without studying its health care system.
 
Russia and South Africa have major issues with health care access and quality. In the early 20th century, Russia provided free health care to all of its citizens, but later national reforms entitled “all Russians to free healthcare with Obligatory Medical Insurance (OMI). Employers contribute around 2-3% of employees wages into a social tax, of which a small proportion is put into a healthcare fund.” (So, not free.) In practice, however, many take out their own private medical insurance, known as Voluntary Health Insurance (VHI).”
 
The South African government, this month, “published a bill outlining a national health insurance program it intends to roll out over the next seven years. Private insurers will be able to continue operating until the system is fully implemented, after which they will only be able to offer coverage for services that complement those available from the state.
 
The current South African health care system includes a public and private system of hospitals and doctors. Funding comes from fees charged for services and government contributions.
 
The Russian health care system consistently ranks at the bottom among developed nations. It’s common to hear tales of drunken doctors, unsanitary conditions, and bureaucratic chaos. Russia’s private (market) health care system also struggles with quality issues. 
 
South Africa’s public health care system suffers from a doctor brain drain (doctors train in South Africa, but leave to work in other countries), and sub par public health facilities.
 
If Only Americans Could Understand Health Care Continue Reading...

Tags: American Health Care, health care

Republican Congressman Mo Brooks of Alabama wants us to "take into account our financial limitations" in providing health care to every American. Some people interpreted his remarks as meaning that we can't afford to provide health care to every American. I want to give Congressman Brooks the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant that not everyone could have unlimited medical care at any price paid for by the government. But I can understand how others would translate his words negatively. Brooks is the same guy who talked about "people who lead good lives" as part of the health care reform debate.

This healthy people lead good lives, sick people lead bad lives is just updated phraseology for the same old moralizing nonsense conservatives use to demonize the poor and revere the rich. This type of thinking is so stupid and inapplicable in the real world. There are millions of healthy people who lead good lives that get sick. My best friend in the world was one of those people. She was active, did yoga regularly, ate organic, had an active social life and had a sharp mind. But one day she was diagnosed with cancer, and I lost her. This is a story repeated many times every day yet we still have jerks like Brooks that would rather use hateful language against the poor than address the unnecessarily high prices charged by hospitals and medical care providers.

You see politicians and doctors want us to believe the problem of unaffordable health care is our fault. If we only lead good, healthy lives, no one would need expensive, government-paid health care, says the politician. If we engaged in healthy behaviors and avoided unhealthy behaviors, we wouldn't suffer from expensive chronic diseases, says the doctor. And these politicians and doctors may have valid points—health care would be less expensive if we all lead healthy lives. But what world do these politicians and doctors live in? Who are these perfect, healthy people who do everything right in life? So instead of promoting this myth of the good, healthy, righteous, never need health care super-human being that does not exist, I wish Congressman Brooks and others like him would join us in the real world. A world where real good people, rich and poor alike get sick, sometimes really sick, and need expensive medical care.

The Alabama Congressman could address the financial limitations of high-cost medical innovations. About how much is too much medical innovation for the nation's pocketbook to cover? He could bring up for conversation why we require American doctors to obtain a Bachelor's degree before starting their medical degree education when many other industrialized nations do not. The cost of a medical education in America is the main justification doctors use for their high salaries. Mr. Brooks could learn more about the impact of socioeconomic factors on a person's health and support public policies to address these issues. He could also say that Americans should not pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for heart attack treatment. But he doesn't focus on any of these issues. Continue Reading...

Tags: health care costs, American Health Care