I thought this cartoon was funny but a little too political for my primary blog:
I stole it from James McGrath. I am not expert enough to know the full ramifications of Obamacare, a term I don't use pejoratively. But in general I believe it is good philosophy, as well as good Christianity, for there to be a health care network that is national in scope.
I consider it at least more than a 50% possibility that my father would still be alive if we lived in England, Canada, or Germany. My father had a serious episode three weeks before his death that in those countries would almost certainly have resulted in a trip to the hospital. The costs were almost certainly a factor in nothing being done. Similarly, on the day of his death I believe the 9-1-1 call might have come earlier if the cost of an ambulance and a hospital were not in the equation.
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Perhaps you'd enjoy this study on NPR's Planet Money about a natural experiment in Medicaid (Oregon). I'll save you the time with the two main conclusions that mean no slam dunk for "either" side. 1) Medicaid "works" in the sense that yes, it actually improves people's health and 2) Expanding gov't healthcare is not cost-neutral from savings. That is, good health costs something (and thus if we have reason to value it, we must prioritize it financially).
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/06/15/155135781/episode-379-does-medicaid-actually-help-people
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