[lit-ideas] Re: UK cancer survival rates worst in Western Europe
- From: "Lawrence Helm"<lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 19:15:48 +0000
Actually, no, I don't read them on such subjects. To clarify the point I
didn't realize needed clarifying, I could have said, "every time the subject of
medicine and health care comes up IN A DISCUSSION I AM INVOLVED IN, Judy and a
few others . . . "
I am amazed that the situation could have gone to one in which US health care
is lambasted is abysmal to one in which it is lauded and the UK is moved down
to abysmal without my having noticed. Maybe I should read more of their notes.
How about Welfarism? Have Judy and the others given up on that as well? I
suppose I could check the archives . . .
But you seem not to have read my notes on the subject of "cost and availability
of medical care," although this doesn't make me embarrassed for you. One can't
read everything. You may recall that my wife has a serious illness, one that
causes some bleeding that can't be controlled. She isn't quite on the
Liver-Transplant list, but the progress of her disease is being checked several
times a year. With increasing regularity she needs transfusions which
necessitate our going to Emergency Rooms. Even though this is a regular
occurrence there is no way around going to ERs. What we have both noticed is
the large number of poor and what seem to be illegal aliens who seem to be
without medical insurance. Hospital attendants informed Susan (hospital
gossip) that these people cannot be turned away. They can show up with any
sort of ailment whatsoever. "Emergency" apparently doesn't exclude anything
and they do not have to have insurance. According to the attendants, many of
these people use the ER for their regular medical concerns -- and for them it
is free.
Lawrence
------------Original Message------------
From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, May-10-2007 10:21 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: UK cancer survival rates worst in Western Europe
> Not that I've gone looking for such articles, but I do recall that
> every time the subject of medicine and health care comes up, Judy &
> a few others lambaste the U.S. and laud Europe, especially the UK
> for being far far ahead of the US in all areas. The article above
> suggests that some in the UK may hold a different opinion -- at
> least at present.
As Judy says, you recall incorrectly, and I am embarrassed for you
that you believe that pointing out a mote in the eye of the NHS will
remove the beam from that of the US healthcare 'system's.' (Do you not
read Carol or Julie's posts?)
That anyone has ever claimed here that Europe, 'especially the UK,'
has been 'far, far ahead of the US in all areas,' is simply false.
The issue, when it has come up on this list, has been the cost and the
availability of medical care, not its quality.
Britain may be slow to adopt new cancer drugs; here many people cannot
afford them even when they are available.
Robert Paul
Reed College
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