Campaigning for You?

Citizens forced in to government health care programs or socialized medicine systems do have terrible problems. I have spoken directly to many of them. Bedsides long waits, their basic rights to make decisions about their bodies are hijacked. Many well-meaning people are pushing us toward a cliff in my opinion. A fifty percent tax rate, the egress of the best and the brightest from the fields of medicine, and the handcuffing of research and innovation are not my idea of excellence. As a critical care nurse of 28 years, I interact daily as cog in our current health care wheel. There are problems, but they won't be solved by more government intervention. They will be solved in the same ways that have made our country the place to which millions want to  immigrate. Capitalism is not a dirty word. We need to remove employers from the insurance loop and give all individuals the access to insurance plans at rates currently offered to companies.  I have talked to many people who don't have a basic understanding of economics or our government. They choose to buy manicures and fancy cell phones rather than health insurance or prescriptions. They think "free healthcare" just falls out of the sky. The proponents of taxing all of those who work hard enough to earn a taxable income to pay for the healthcare of those who prioritize life style over health are touting health care as a "right". Well, I have a right to be responsible for myself and my family. And I have a right to decide where my hard-earned money will be spent. And I have a right to an American way of life where an individual who works hard and takes responsibility for themselves can excel. I along with many others in this country consider it my personal responsiblity to assist the truly needy in our society to help themselves. We are a melting pot nation. Each citizen is an individual serving from that pot from which an amazing recipe can be created- or the person can just choose to be served up as a bowl of basic broth. Socialists want to remove that creative self-determination by confiscating all of the available ingredients and throwing it into one gigantic pot from which we all have to be served. The menu then consists of only one bland choice...runny gruel. I want to create my own recipe. Please don't encourage a system that will take away that option.

Nurses owe it to their patients to be knowledgeable about the differences between the candidates.  The powerful lobbies of the healthcare, pharmaceutical and insurance industries are profit oriented and continue to malign single payer programs, and suggest that Canada and the UK and other countries where government provides healthcare have terrible problems. Go to the website for Physicians for a National Health Plan to see more objective data presented in the powerpoints and articles.

The US spends much more on healthcare than any of these countries, yet we rank 19th in preventing amenable deaths!  Healthcare, like police and fire protection should be available and provided to everyone as an issue of social justice and in order to protect all of society.  Prevention needs to become a priority in order to improve health outcomes, contain costs, and reduce suffering and morbidity.  The plan to create a National Nurse for prevention has much merit (www.nationalnurse.org) and would begin a shift in that direction.  I encourage nurses to become activists for the National Nurse and generate constructive change to our current healthcare systems.  

Susan  PHN x 30 years.