Keepin up and thoughts on National Health Care

SorryI haven't been more regular in posts -
Sewing shows have kept me busy...
Now working diligently on 2 more patterns for my Creative Sweatshirt Jackets:
1. Genesis - a good beginner project - featuring 4 jackets
2. Celebration - the flare-back fancy one that everyone loves

Got this email as copied below regarding National Health Care. With a hubby with heart history, and currently in the hospital with an infection, it 'speaks' to me. Nothing comes free - much less good health care. I can't imagine the scenario painted below...

Sew - read and consider this carefully as you consider your political persuasions ...



Friends,>> This was forwarded to me by a friend who is a physcian. This is very real > and very scary! At one point serveral years ago, The city of Memphis had 9 > MR magnets. The country of Canada had 2. Something to think about!>> --Tyler>>>

I saw on the news up here in Canada where Hillary Clinton introduced her > new health care plan. Something similar to what we have in Canada. I > also heard that Michael Moore was raving about the health care up here in > Canada in his latest movie. As your friend and someone who lives with the > Canada health care plan I thought I would give you some facts about this > great medical plan that we have in Canada.>>

First of all:>>

1) The health care plan in Canada is not free. We pay a premium every > month of $96 for Shirley and I to be covered. Sounds great eh? What they > don't tell you is how much we pay in taxes to keep the health care system > afloat. I am personally in the 55% tax bracket. Yes 55% of my earnings > go to taxes. A large portion of that and I am not sure of the exact > amount goes directly to health care, our #1 expense.>>

2) I would not classify what we have as health care plan, it is more like > a health diagnosis system. You can get into to see a doctor quick enough > so he can tell you "yes indeed you are sick or you need an operation" but > now the challenge becomes getting treated or operated on. We have waiting > lists out the ying yang some as much as 2 years down the road.>>

3) Rather than fix what is wrong with you the usual tactic in Canada is > to prescribe drugs. Have a pain here is a drug to take- not what is > causing the pain and why. No time for checking you out because it is more > important to move as many patients thru as possible each hour for > Government re-imbursement>>

4) Many Canadians do not have a family Doctor.>>

5) Don't require emergency treatment as you may wait for hours in the > emergency room waiting for treatment.>>

6) Shirley's dad cut his hand on a power saw a few weeks back and it > required that his hand be put in a splint - to our surprise we had to pay > $125 for a splint because it is not covered under health care plus we have > to pay $60 for each visit for him to check it out each week.>>

7) Shirley's cousin was diagnosed with a heart blockage. Put on a > waiting list . Died before he could get treatment.>>

8) Government allots so many operations per year. When that is done no > more operations, unless you go to your local newspaper and plead your case > and embarrass the government then money suddenly appears.>>

9)The Government takes great pride in telling us how much more they are > increasing the funding for health care but waiting lists never get > shorter. Government just keeps throwing money at the problem but it never > goes away. But they are good at finding new ways to tax us, but they > don't call it a tax anymore it is now a user fee.>>

10) A friend needs an operation for a blockage in her leg but because she > is a smoker they will not do it. Despite paying into the health care > system all these years. My friend is 65 years old. Now there is talk > that maybe we should not treat people who are overweight either because > they are a drain on the health care system. Let me see now, what we want > in Canada is a health care system for healthy people only. That should > reduce our health care costs.>>

11) Forget getting a second opinion, what you see is what you get.>>

12) I can spend what money I have left after taxes on booze, cigarettes, > junk food and anything else that could kill me but I am not allowed by law > to spend my money on getting an operation I need because that would be > jumping the queue. I must wait my turn except if I am a hockey player or > athlete then I can get looked at right away. Go figger. Where else in > the world can you spend money to kill yourself but not allowed to spend > money to get healthy.>>

13) Oh did I mention that immigrants are covered automatically at tax > payer expense having never contributed a dollar to the system and pay no > premiums.>>

14) Oh yeh we now give free needles to drug users to try and keep them > healthy. Wouldn't want a sickly druggie breaking into your house and > stealing your things. But people with diabetes who pay into the health > care system have to pay for their needles because it is not covered but > the health care system.>>

I send this out not looking for sympathy but as the election looms in the > states you will be hearing more and more about universal health care down > there and the advocates will be pointing to Canada.

I just want to make > sure that you hear the truth about health care up here and have some food > for thought and informed questions to ask when broached with this subject.>> Step wisely and don't make the same mistakes we have.