Margery Miller-MonDragon
Everyone Gets Their Turn!
Updated: Jul 15, 2018
Part One
In addition to writing the second book in the series, THE CHOSEN ONES - They Walk Among Us, I also have another goal … to promote knowledge, information and comradery in the struggle of the American people for better healthcare. When I say better, I mean a system that is all inclusive, that is high quality and that is driven by a patient/doctor relationship not encumbered by corporations. That, my friends, will cost money. When I think about the cost I would definitely opt to pay extra so that my fellow citizens could be cared for without the burden or fear of illness and a medical bankruptcy.
Let's face it! The images above tell it all. Don't say to yourself … "I'm young, I'm well covered, I'm better off than my neighbor so it's all OK." Because the truth is, this is your journey. It's a journey we all face and I believe we should all face it together by insuring the best possible health outcomes for everyone.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 28.1 million Americans without health insurance coverage in 2016 (this was a sharp reduction from the 46.6 million who had been uninsured a decade earlier; the reduction was due to … YES ... the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
In contrast, there are no uninsured Canadian citizens - their government-run system provides universal coverage. Thus, Canada has universal health care coverage, while the United States does not (it's important to note that the 28.1 million uninsured in the U.S. includes an estimated 4.7 million undocumented immigrants. Canada's government-run system does not provide coverage to undocumented immigrants).
According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, other countries have achieved universal coverage, with 100 percent of their population covered. This includes Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In addition, several other countries have achieved near universal coverage with more than 98 percent of their population insured, including Austria, Belgium, Japan, and Spain.
In contrast, only a little over 91 percent of the U.S. population was insured in 2016, and Gallup tracking indicated that the percentage of Americans with health coverage had dropped to under 88 percent by late 2017.
U.S. Health Care Rank
The World Health Organization said the United States has the 37th best health care in the world. It has the 34th highest life expectancy. But U.S. infant mortality is 47th. Medicaid pays for half of all births.
(All stats courtesy of https://www.thebalance.com/kimberly-amadeo-3305455)
I don't know what your opinion is but the way I see it … IT'S JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
I know it's a long read and if you've made it this far, I'm asking for your support and help. Access and subscribe to my site. Contact me, comment and leave your experiences with healthcare.
It may just make a difference for someone, somewhere!