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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Donovan, that might be true, if it were only
band-aids they had to buy. However, I do agree with you that there is a
better way--and most of the industrialized nations have found it. As
a people we need to muster the will to force our policy makers on state and
federal levels to get serious about this problem. I, for one, believe we
must create a system of universal health care, one that is not tied to
employment. And while I appreciate the assistance, I think it's ironic
that we provide coverage for the retired, and sometimes the very poor, and do
nothing for those who are currently working to provide us with our Social
Security, Medicare and Medicade, many of whom do not have available funds
to provide coverage for themselves and their families. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sue H. </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com
href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com">Donovan Arnold</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=nielsen@uidaho.edu
href="mailto:nielsen@uidaho.edu">Ralph Nielsen</A> ; <A
title=Vision2020@moscow.com href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision
2020</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=sslund@adelphia.net
href="mailto:sslund@adelphia.net">Saundra Lund</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:08
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Health
care</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Ralph,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Universal Health Care, and Universal Health Coverage are two totally
different things. Forcing people to buy health insurance doesn't cure anybody,
it just makes doctors and insurance companies even wealthier than they
are.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am 100% against forced health insurance purchasing, because it will not
help the poor and will just be another tax benefiting the rich
while hurting the poor.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The problem is not how can we pay for a $60 band-aid, but rather, why we
cannot reduce the cost of the band-aid to 60 cents, or even $6.00. If you
bring down the cost of the band-aid, the middle class can afford health
insurance and charity can afford to cover the poor. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Best Regards,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Donovan<BR><BR><B><I>Ralph Nielsen <nielsen@uidaho.edu></I></B>
wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">I
thought it was a very informative program in that it covered a <BR>variety
of systems for universal coverage. Unfortunately, most <BR>Americans seem to
have been indoctrinated with the idea the universal <BR>health insurance is
"socialized medicine," and therefore to be <BR>avoided like poison A couple
of months ago a repairman at my house <BR>used that term with an air of
dislike. So I asked hem what he meant <BR>by that term. He replied that it
means that all doctors will be <BR>working for the government.<BR><BR>So I
told him about my Canadian brother, who is a self-made <BR>millionaire, and
lives in the Okanagan Valley, just north of the <BR>Washington border. About
a year ago he had a hip replacement. He had <BR>to wait less than a month
because he was willing to go to a younger <BR>doctor instead of an older,
more popular one. Most Canadian doctors <BR>do not work for the government,
they work for themselves. Only the <BR>insurance is paid by the government,
like our Medicare, and ALL <BR>residents are covered, not just the rich, as
down here. This is paid <BR>for by income taxes, which, of course, are based
on ability to pay, <BR>and everybody is covered, regardless of
income.<BR><BR>Last month there was a provincial election in Alberta, where
the <BR>Conservative Party has been in power for 37 years. In February they
<BR>called for a provincial election on March 3. I listened on my
<BR>internet radio to a 2-hour debate between the party leaders:
<BR>Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic (like the British Labour
<BR>Party), and a small new party called the Alberta Wild Rose Party,
<BR>which sounded like dogmatic libertarians. There were frequent
<BR>questions about problems with health care but no one, not even the
<BR>libertarian, proposed that their "socialized" medicine be scrapped
<BR>and Alberta return to the old American-style system they had before.
<BR>In fact, it was the Conservatives who had set it up in the first
place!<BR><BR>Later, on March 3, the Conservatives were not only returned to
power; <BR>they gained 11 new seats! Wouldn't it be nice if our
conservatives <BR>learned something from the Province of
Alberta?<BR><BR>Ralph Nielsen<BR><BR><BR>Saundra Lund sslund_2007 at
verizon.net<BR>Thu Apr 17 13:41:57 PDT 2008<BR><BR>I'm wondering if anyone
cares to share any comments about Frontline's <BR>"Sick<BR>Around the
World"? For those interested but who perhaps missed the <BR>show,<BR>you can
watch it online
at:<BR><BR>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/<BR><BR>I'll
start out by stirring the pot a bit J<BR><BR>After watching the show and
looking into things further, I'm personally<BR>convinced that neither
Clinton's nor Obama's health care proposals are<BR>adequate, but I'm far
more supportive of Clinton's plan than Obama's.<BR>Affordable universal
health care coverage (considered a basic human <BR>right<BR>even in
Switzerland) mandates that all actually have coverage, something<BR>Obama's
plan neglects.<BR><BR>Health care is likely to be a litmus test of sorts for
me between two <BR>very<BR>similar (IMHO) candidates in the upcoming
election because we're long<BR>overdue to address the unconscionable and
deplorable state of health <BR>care<BR>access and affordability in this
country.<BR><BR>Saundra Lund<BR><BR>Moscow,
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