| The Doctor Will See You—In Three Months |
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The health-care reform debate is in full roar with the arrival of Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko, which compares the U.S. system unfavorably with single-payer systems around the world. Critics of the film are quick to trot out a common defense of the American way: For all its problems, they say, U.S. patients at least don’t have to endure the endless waits for medical care endemic to government-run systems. The lobbying group America’s Health Insurance Plans spells it out in a rebuttal to Sicko: “The American people do not support a government takeover of the entire health-care system because they know that means long waits for rationed care.”In reality, both data and anecdotes show that the American people are already waiting as long or longer than patients living with universal health-care systems. Take Susan M., a 54-year-old human resources executive in New York City. She faithfully makes an appointment for a mammogram every April, knowing the wait will be at least six weeks. She went in for her routine screening at the end of May, then had another because the first wasn’t clear. That second X-ray showed an abnormality, and the doctor wanted to perform a needle biopsy, an outpatient procedure. His first available date: mid-August. “I completely freaked out,” Susan says. “I couldn’t imagine spending the summer with this hanging over my head.” After many calls to five different facilities, she found a clinic that agreed to read her existing mammograms on June 25 and promised to schedule a follow-up MRI and biopsy if needed within 10 days. A full month had passed since the first suspicious X-rays. Ultimately, she was told the abnormality was nothing to worry about, but she should have another mammogram in six months. Taking no chances, she made an appointment on the spot. “The system is clearly broken,” she laments.It’s not just broken for breast exams. If you find a suspicious-looking mole and want to see a dermatologist, you can expect an average wait of 38 days in the U.S., and up to 73 days if you live in Boston, according to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco who studied the matter. Got a knee injury? A 2004 survey by medical recruitment firm Merritt, Hawkins & Associates found the average time needed to see an orthopedic surgeon ranges from 8 days in Atlanta to 43 days in Los Angeles. Nationwide, the average is 17 days. “Waiting is definitely a problem in the U.S., especially for basic care,” says Karen Davis, president of the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, which studies health-care policy.
All this time spent “queuing,” as other nations call it, stems from too much demand and too little supply. Only one-third of U.S. doctors are general practitioners, compared with half in most European countries. On top of that, only 40% of U.S. doctors have arrangements for after-hours care, vs. 75% in the rest of the industrialized world. Consequently, some 26% of U.S. adults in one survey went to an emergency room in the past two years because they couldn’t get in to see their regular doctor, a significantly higher rate than in other countries.
There is no systemized collection of data on wait times in the U.S. That makes it difficult to draw comparisons with countries that have national health systems, where wait times are not only tracked but made public. However, a 2005 survey by the Commonwealth Fund of sick adults in six nations found that only 47% of U.S. patients could get a same- or next-day appointment for a medical problem, worse than every other country except Canada.
The Commonwealth survey did find that U.S. patients had the second-shortest wait times if they wished to see a specialist or have nonemergency surgery, such as a hip replacement or cataract operation (Germany, which has national health care, came in first on both measures). But Gerard F. Anderson, a health policy expert at Johns Hopkins University, says doctors in countries where there are lengthy queues for elective surgeries put at-risk patients on the list long before their need is critical. “Their wait might be uncomfortable, but it makes very little clinical difference,” he says.
The Commonwealth study did find one area where the U.S. was first by a wide margin: 51% of sick Americans surveyed did not visit a doctor, get a needed test, or fill a prescription within the past two years because of cost. No other country came close.
Few solutions have been proposed for lengthy waits in the U.S., in part, say policy experts, because the problem is rarely acknowledged. But the market is beginning to address the issue with the rise of walk-in medical clinics. Hundreds have sprung up in CVS, Wal-Mart (WMT ), Pathmark, (PTMK ) and other stores—so many that the American Medical Assn. just adopted a resolution urging state and federal agencies to investigate such clinics as a conflict of interest if housed in stores with pharmacies. These retail clinics promise rapid care for minor medical problems, usually getting patients in and out in 30 minutes. The slogan for CVS’s Minute Clinics says it all: “You’re sick. We’re quick.”
Posted by content as General at 7:53 PM UTC
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Good public turnout at the 2008 Commission hearings on health care is important. At these meetings citizens can speak directly with the 2008 commissioners. The commissioner’s recommendations will have an impact our our health care decisions for years to come.
The meetings are set up around the Congressional districts but the CD 4 meetings (Longmont is in this district) are being held in Lamar and Silverthorne. Citizens are free to attend meetings at other CD districts. Here is a list of meetings with the commissioners that Longmont citizens might find it easier to attend:
October 4, 2007 5:00pm-8:00pm Congressional District Hearing – Boulder Millennium Harvest House, Ballroom 1345 28th Street, Boulder 80302
October 4th 5:00pm-8:00pm Congressional District Hearing- Lamar Lamar Community Building Multipurpose Room 610 S. 6th Street, Lamar 81052
October 11th 5:30pm-8:00pm Congressional District Hearing- Greeley UNC Campus, Lindau Auditorium
October 12th 5:00pm-8:00pm Congressional District Hearing- Silverthorne Silverthorne Library, Blue River Room 651 Center Circle, Silverthorne
October 12th 5:00pm-8:00pm Congressional District Hearing- Fort Collins Lincoln Center, Mini Theatre 417 W. Magnolia, Fort Collins 80521
October 13th 1:00pm-4:00pm Congressional District Hearing- Brighton TBD
Posted by admin as Announcements, Legislature at 10:47 PM UTC
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A friend of mine, who was sure he was registered to vote, got an unpleasant surprise after sorting out a minor traffic ticket. Apparently voter registrations are ‘taking longer to processs’ these days.
Check your registration status RIGHT NOW online:
Boulder County Clerk Voter Registration Page
Do it right now.
Remember, we live in a RED STATE.
Do it right now. Click Here.
If you’re SURE you’re registered, check anyway. If you’re suddenly NOT registered, please let me know. Especially if you have hard proof.
Posted by admin as Announcements, Forum, General at 12:53 AM UTC
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From: “rmpjc”
Date: October 25, 2007 2:07:29 PM MDT
To: “BORDC Board of Directors Mailing List”
Subject: ***House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill
http://www.roguegovernment.com/news.php?id=4682
House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill
10-25-2007
Lee Rogers
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed HR 1955 titled the
Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of
2007. This bill is one of the most blatant attacks against the
Constitution yet and actually defines thought crimes as homegrown
terrorism. If passed into law, it will also establish a commission
and a Center of Excellence to study and defeat so called thought
criminals. Unlike previous anti-terror legislation, this bill
specifically targets the civilian population of the United States and
uses vague language to define homegrown terrorism. Amazingly, 404 of
our elected representatives from both the Democrat and Republican
parties voted in favor of this bill. There is little doubt that this
bill is specifically targeting the growing patriot community that is
demanding the restoration of the Constitution.
First let’s take a look at the definitions of violent radicalization
and homegrown terrorism as defined in Section 899A of the bill.
The definition of violent radicalization uses vague language to
define this term of promoting any belief system that the government
considers to be an extremist agenda. Since the bill doesn’t
specifically define what an extremist belief system is, it is
entirely up to the interpretation of the government. Considering how
much the government has done to destroy the Constitution they could
even define Ron Paul supporters as promoting an extremist belief
system. Literally, the government according to this definition can
define whatever they want as an extremist belief system. Essentially
they have defined violent radicalization as thought crime. The
definition as defined in the bill is shown below.
`(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization’ means
the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for
the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance
political, religious, or social change.
The definition of homegrown terrorism uses equally vague language to
further define thought crime. The bill includes the planned use of
force or violence as homegrown terrorism which could be interpreted
as thinking about using force or violence. Not only that but the
definition is so vaguely defined, that petty crimes could even fall
into the category of homegrown terrorism. The definition as defined
in the bill is shown below.
`(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism’ means the
use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group
or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within
the United States or any possession of the United States to
intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian
population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in
furtherance of political or social objectives.
Section 899B of the bill goes over the findings of Congress as it
pertains to homegrown terrorism. Particularly alarming is that the
bill mentions the Internet as a main source for terrorist propaganda.
The bill even mentions streams in obvious reference to many of the
patriot and pro-constitution Internet radio networks that have been
formed. It also mentions that homegrown terrorists span all ages and
races indicating that the Congress is stating that everyone is a
potential terrorist. Even worse is that Congress states in their
findings that they should look at draconian police states like
Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom as models to defeat
homegrown terrorists. Literally, these findings of Congress fall
right in line with the growing patriot community.
Posted by content as General at 12:10 PM UTC
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