Thursday, November 5, 2009

Destroying the best health care system

intro to Health Care Reform Series on Vimeo by...Image by craynol via Flickr

The great myth that some opposed to health care reform propagate is that we have the best health care system in the world and any reform effort will destroy it.  Nicholas Kristof destroys this myth in an Op-Ed piece in the NYTimes. 

The argument goes our health care is the best so reform will only destroy it.  Except that we are 31st in life expectancy, 37th in infant mortality, 34th in maternal mortality.  I could go on but check out Kristof's column yourself. 

The biggest problem I see is the reliance of the masses upon cable news or radio to learn what the truth is.  I do not suggest that anyone take Kristof's take as the reality find out the facts for yourself. 

For example I had a friend send me an email about how the health care reform bill was going to make seniors get end of life counciling.  You know Ms. Palin's idiot rant.  I didn't listen to Palin or any of the so called experts in the email - I went to the Library of Congress' web site and searched though the bill in question for myself. 

Kristof provides the reference to where is data come from:  The Robert Wood Johnson funded study by the Urban Instiitute How Does the Quality of U.S. Health Care Compare Internationally? Thus, one need not read my or Kristof's spin. 

As my dad told me as a kid don't believe what people tell you find out for yourself.

SMP
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