Massive grassroots effort underway to put a human face on the victims of government healthcare
By CPR Staff on May 8, 2009 12:52 AM
Outreach efforts feature new national TV ads showcasing tragic stories of British and Canadian patients
Beginning today, Conservatives for Patients' Rights will launch a massive grassroots campaign to distribute new videos to CPR supporters and over 150 free market think tanks, advocacy groups and grassroots organizations involved in the health care debate. The effort will feature two new national television ads, running on CNN and Fox News, featuring three Canadian and three British patients who have faced extreme adversity due to the shortcomings of government health care.
I am a practicing Clinical Physician, who also travels and gives Medical Seminars throughout North America. I distinctly remember a close friend in Medical school whose Father, an Anaesthesiologist, moved to the United States from Great Britain. The primary reason was the dichotomy in health care delivery between the Government system and the private system. As I remember his comments, the Government run healthcare system involved significant rationing of services, delays in care independent of medical needs, and delivery of care based on economic rationing algorithms separate and distinct from any rational or compassionate medical care decision making. The "Private" system was available primarily to the government employees and the wealthy, although not advertised widely as such.
I have heard of stories like those on this web page for years!! This is not "new" news!! I hope the average American citizen really researches universal health care, & realizes that it is not the miracle that the liberal democrats make it out to be. My parents have worked all their lives, paid their bills, lived within their means, & lived a very ordinary life without any handouts. Now that they are both retired & soon they will both be on Medicare - the government wants rationed health care!!!! My parents are in big trouble!! They both have had serious health concerns, and would not fare well on a rationed program. And, unlike the wealthy liberals of the U.S. that are big proponents of universal health care; my family does not have the money or means to pay for these services out-of-pocket. Moreover, they would be unable to grease the "bureaucrats" or the "medical czar" in charge of making the decisions on the rationed health care services. Believe me, there will be "line-jumpers" and the low to middle socioeconomic class will be at the back of the line. I do remember the current President saying how heartbreaking it was to watch his dying mother fight with the insurance companies over life-saving coverage; coverage that was denied due to a technicality. I do remember the President speaking to the fact that a bureaucrat (i.e. insurance company employee) should not be making medical decisions on care, and that those type of personal medical decisions should be between the patient and their doctor. I agree with the President on that point; however his universal health care plan will do the same damage(with a government appointed bureaucrat) as our current health care system, plus it will add the devastating rationing effect. I DO NOT want any bureaucrat dictating my access or timeliness of medical care!!! The Presidents' bureaucrat will be just as insensitive as the current ones! I guess the difference in the two approaches are that the President and his "medical czar" can determine who will get the best and most expedient medical attention. How convenient!!! So, the only options for the American people are to continue to allow the insurance companies dictate medical care, or to hand that privilege over to an unbiased government-appointed bureaucrat. Personally, I wouldn't vote for either plan!!! However, the lesser of the two evils would be leaving it into the hands of the greedy insurance companies, at least it wouldn't be politicized or rationed health care!!! Also, we still are a free market, capitalistic society (I hope), and the American people will vote with their wallet. Insurance companies that provide unfair and poor medical coverage will lose business. I believe that those individuals who have paid dearly for years into the system should get the benefit of at least timely medical attention. Many more Americans will be harmed by the universal heath care plan, not to mention other people coming from foreign countries who travel to the United States for the best medical care in the world. (I imagine that some foreigners will get more expedient care due to their wallet size or political connections. Not exactly fair to the tax-paying American footing the bill!!) Believe me, we all have had to fight with insurance companies over coverage, maybe not to the extent of what the President has endured, but we have been a victim of the game, non-the-less. Everyone surely is aware that those with insurance are paying for their own health care services, plus anyone else that doesn't have coverage: this is why health care costs are so high! I empathize with anyone suffering, anyone worried about a loved ones health, and anyone desperate for medical attention. However, universal health care does not work, period. The government needs to come up with a better solution to our problems for the access to health care. A substandard or imperfect plan is not acceptable!!! If the end result of universal health care is rationed health care, it is completely unacceptable. The government needs to stop encroaching on our rights and ability to make our own decisions. Develop some free-market insurance guidelines; an unbiased, fair, medical program that would help all legal American citizens receive timely medical care. Or develop a system that gives citizens access to legal advice if their rights or coverage has be erroneously or unfairly denied. I also think the government could open some immediate care facilities that could provide basic care and immunizations to those who are uninsured or under insured. (This may cut down on individuals going to the ER for these services, racking up costs. And, this would create jobs in the medical field.) Think of some options to our current system, a complete overhaul is way above the governments' pay grade!
In my opinion, the government needs to stay out of health care system and leave all the decisions to the patients and medical experts. The government should stick to their area of expertise: self-promotion and self-service!!!!
We all need to keep in mind that the nutty left believes no opther changes will occur except government control of healthcare. They don't seem to understand that businesses seek a profit when inventing new drugs. If a pharmauceutical research firm is told no matter how much you spend solving the cure for cancer, we won't pay more than $0.10 a pill. No incentive = stagnet research.
We are talking about socialized medicine and i can tell you it scares me to death. never let the government get involved with something as important as our health. the government always feel they know best-WRONG!
Focus in on a cigarette smoking, meth using, obese guy sitting on a couch drinking beer.
Explain that all hospitals MUST treat this guy, for emergency care, NOW.
Explain that bankruptcy is the right course, and often an honorable course, for anyone who finds that they can not pay their medical bills.
Then ask if ALL of us should pay thousands of dollars more, every year, in taxes, so obese drug addicts and alcoholics can have the SAME health insurance as those who WORK FOR A LIVING and LIVE A RESPONSIBLE LIFE!
We cannot let the government do this. They should remember they were elected by the people and they work for us. What have they ever ran that has gone smoothly??? They are getting too much control of our lives. I have a Canadian friend who is here in the states. She had to have gall bladded surgery and waited months on a list to have it done. Thank God no complications.
I am a practicing Clinical Physician, who also travels and gives Medical Seminars throughout North America. I distinctly remember a close friend in Medical school whose Father, an Anaesthesiologist, moved to the United States from Great Britain. The primary reason was the dichotomy in health care delivery between the Government system and the private system. As I remember his comments, the Government run healthcare system involved significant rationing of services, delays in care independent of medical needs, and delivery of care based on economic rationing algorithms separate and distinct from any rational or compassionate medical care decision making. The "Private" system was available primarily to the government employees and the wealthy, although not advertised widely as such.
I have heard of stories like those on this web page for years!! This is not "new" news!! I hope the average American citizen really researches universal health care, & realizes that it is not the miracle that the liberal democrats make it out to be. My parents have worked all their lives, paid their bills, lived within their means, & lived a very ordinary life without any handouts. Now that they are both retired & soon they will both be on Medicare - the government wants rationed health care!!!! My parents are in big trouble!! They both have had serious health concerns, and would not fare well on a rationed program. And, unlike the wealthy liberals of the U.S. that are big proponents of universal health care; my family does not have the money or means to pay for these services out-of-pocket. Moreover, they would be unable to grease the "bureaucrats" or the "medical czar" in charge of making the decisions on the rationed health care services. Believe me, there will be "line-jumpers" and the low to middle socioeconomic class will be at the back of the line. I do remember the current President saying how heartbreaking it was to watch his dying mother fight with the insurance companies over life-saving coverage; coverage that was denied due to a technicality. I do remember the President speaking to the fact that a bureaucrat (i.e. insurance company employee) should not be making medical decisions on care, and that those type of personal medical decisions should be between the patient and their doctor. I agree with the President on that point; however his universal health care plan will do the same damage(with a government appointed bureaucrat) as our current health care system, plus it will add the devastating rationing effect. I DO NOT want any bureaucrat dictating my access or timeliness of medical care!!! The Presidents' bureaucrat will be just as insensitive as the current ones! I guess the difference in the two approaches are that the President and his "medical czar" can determine who will get the best and most expedient medical attention. How convenient!!! So, the only options for the American people are to continue to allow the insurance companies dictate medical care, or to hand that privilege over to an unbiased government-appointed bureaucrat. Personally, I wouldn't vote for either plan!!! However, the lesser of the two evils would be leaving it into the hands of the greedy insurance companies, at least it wouldn't be politicized or rationed health care!!! Also, we still are a free market, capitalistic society (I hope), and the American people will vote with their wallet. Insurance companies that provide unfair and poor medical coverage will lose business. I believe that those individuals who have paid dearly for years into the system should get the benefit of at least timely medical attention. Many more Americans will be harmed by the universal heath care plan, not to mention other people coming from foreign countries who travel to the United States for the best medical care in the world. (I imagine that some foreigners will get more expedient care due to their wallet size or political connections. Not exactly fair to the tax-paying American footing the bill!!) Believe me, we all have had to fight with insurance companies over coverage, maybe not to the extent of what the President has endured, but we have been a victim of the game, non-the-less. Everyone surely is aware that those with insurance are paying for their own health care services, plus anyone else that doesn't have coverage: this is why health care costs are so high! I empathize with anyone suffering, anyone worried about a loved ones health, and anyone desperate for medical attention. However, universal health care does not work, period. The government needs to come up with a better solution to our problems for the access to health care. A substandard or imperfect plan is not acceptable!!! If the end result of universal health care is rationed health care, it is completely unacceptable. The government needs to stop encroaching on our rights and ability to make our own decisions. Develop some free-market insurance guidelines; an unbiased, fair, medical program that would help all legal American citizens receive timely medical care. Or develop a system that gives citizens access to legal advice if their rights or coverage has be erroneously or unfairly denied. I also think the government could open some immediate care facilities that could provide basic care and immunizations to those who are uninsured or under insured. (This may cut down on individuals going to the ER for these services, racking up costs. And, this would create jobs in the medical field.) Think of some options to our current system, a complete overhaul is way above the governments' pay grade!
In my opinion, the government needs to stay out of health care system and leave all the decisions to the patients and medical experts. The government should stick to their area of expertise: self-promotion and self-service!!!!
What about the health insurance our congress and senate receive? Can you also show how it doesn't work?
or does it?
We all need to keep in mind that the nutty left believes no opther changes will occur except government control of healthcare. They don't seem to understand that businesses seek a profit when inventing new drugs. If a pharmauceutical research firm is told no matter how much you spend solving the cure for cancer, we won't pay more than $0.10 a pill. No incentive = stagnet research.
We are talking about socialized medicine and i can tell you it scares me to death. never let the government get involved with something as important as our health. the government always feel they know best-WRONG!
I do have an idea for a commercial:
Focus in on a cigarette smoking, meth using, obese guy sitting on a couch drinking beer.
Explain that all hospitals MUST treat this guy, for emergency care, NOW.
Explain that bankruptcy is the right course, and often an honorable course, for anyone who finds that they can not pay their medical bills.
Then ask if ALL of us should pay thousands of dollars more, every year, in taxes, so obese drug addicts and alcoholics can have the SAME health insurance as those who WORK FOR A LIVING and LIVE A RESPONSIBLE LIFE!
We cannot let the government do this. They should remember they were elected by the people and they work for us. What have they ever ran that has gone smoothly??? They are getting too much control of our lives. I have a Canadian friend who is here in the states. She had to have gall bladded surgery and waited months on a list to have it done. Thank God no complications.
NO NO NO to gov't heath care. Congress can not even run the post office. Why would we put our heath at stake with them? What can we do to stop this ??