A forthcoming project from Brennan Movies is "Health Care 4 the 99 Percent." I am still in the incubator stages and would love to hear what you think health care for the 99 percent means to
you. Post your comments or write me at: brennan.hubbell@gmail.com
I just worked out that the "4" in Health Care For the 4 Percent is really "for." This throws a different light on the subject. What you are asking is what I think health care for the 99 percent means to me. Now I have to ask myself who or what is the 99 percent. Maybe a citizen of the USA can answer that better because I am a Canadian. If this question is about a national, all-inclusive (100 percent) medical health care system, we have one and you don't. Perhaps the 99 percent is a figure that represents the poor in your country. That cannot be. I have heard, and I visit the US frequently, that 17 percent of US citizens have no medical insurance. So maybe your project should ask what is meant by "Health Care for the 17 percent." Or "Health Care 4 the 17 percent." These percentages are popular these days because of the 1 percent (very rich) and 99 percent (not at all rich) segments of the population.
ReplyDeleteI hope have described my initial response which is largely confusion.
In Canada, health care for citizens in all of ten provinces and two territories, are funded by taxpayers through deductions at places of employment. My personal experience, in British Columbia, is that I have had two major surgeries in my lifetime, a disc fusion at age 50 something and last year, age 78, a hip replacement. Yes, there was a waiting period for the operations, the first I month the second, four months. No charges were incurred, except a donation to Red Cross for mobility aids.
In addition to the surgeries, I have been admitted to hospital for day visits- hernia operations, and for minor emergency treatment - cuts, bruises, stings. All hospital attention is free. I see my family doctor regularly in my home town. When travelling I can go to any walk-in clinic for attention, referrals and prescription renewals. All this is free, although prescriptions usually have a small fee. There is regrettably no free dental care in Canada.
So, overall, I have no complaints. When I visit the United States I am in fear of being hospitalized, or needing ambulance services because of the costs involved. I hear of thousand dollars a day hospital fees. My BC health provider
will partially repay such expenses but that might not be enough.