http://www.bloggernews.net/14679 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:16:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://www.bloggernews.net/14679#comment-1558 Nancy Reyes Sun, 18 Feb 2007 05:53:02 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/14679#comment-1558 Ah, but before you try to get a single payer system, try getting your medical care from the VA or the IHS. I worked for the Indian Health Service for ten years. If you had a major problem (e.g. needed open heart surgery) it was great. If you needed your knee fixed by arthroscopy, you might wait forever. And as a doc, if you didn't have the paperwork filled out exactly right, you didn't get paid. Summary: Worse than HMO's in a fight. Aside from that, I support socialized medicine as an option, but if I can afford it I won't take that option. So the end result is a two tier system (one for rich and one for poor) or else you need something like HIllary's original plan, which forbad anyone to treat any patient outside the government system. Ah, but before you try to get a single payer system, try getting your medical care from the VA or the IHS.
I worked for the Indian Health Service for ten years.
If you had a major problem (e.g. needed open heart surgery) it was great.
If you needed your knee fixed by arthroscopy, you might wait forever.
And as a doc, if you didn’t have the paperwork filled out exactly right, you didn’t get paid.
Summary: Worse than HMO’s in a fight.
Aside from that, I support socialized medicine as an option, but if I can afford it I won’t take that option.
So the end result is a two tier system (one for rich and one for poor) or else you need something like HIllary’s original plan, which forbad anyone to treat any patient outside the government system.

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