President Obama has proposed a health care plan that would cover all Americans regardless of income and social status, and as expected, the medical profession is defiantly opposed to any new suggestion or conception that might threaten the grip that doctors and hospitals now hold over the sick and infirm.
Any plan that threatens to change the status quo is looked upon with a jaundiced eye and seen as a threat to their livelihood.
I have been around long enough to remember the inception of Medicare, and as I recall, every doctor in the country was dead set against it because it was believed they would suffer monetarily because of it. As it turned out it made them all wealthy, and it was a boon to many elderly people who had theretofore been unable to afford the necessary medical attention they required.
A universal health care plan is way overdue in this country, and despite the nay-sayers who claim that we as a nation cannot afford it, I say, "Can we afford to be involved in two wars that we can never win? Can we afford to give billions of dollars in stimulus money to firms that cannot manage their businesses?"
Let's for once do something that will benefit the poor and middle class citizens who perform the "nuts and bolts" tasks that keep America running. And if we should somehow ever manage to keep our nose out of the affairs of other nations, we would have sufficient funds to finance this long delayed but essential plan put forth by President
The United States, which touts itself as the wealthiest country in the world, is the only industrialized country in the world without universal health care for its citizens. China, which has a population of 1.3 billion people, has a health care program that covers every member of its citizenry, and most of Europe has a universal health care program of some sort. Even Sri Lanka has a government-owned drug manufacturer that provides prescription drugs for its citizenry.
Universal health care in most countries is funded by general taxation, but in many countries it is funded by employers, supplemented by the contributions of the individuals or optional insurance coverage. Some plans are paid for by the municipality, or the state. Some countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, fund their health care plans directly from taxation.
Any plan formulated by the Obama administration should include dental coverage. Millions of poor children seldom, if ever, get to see a dentist, especially in their early formative years. Poor dental health can lead to a multitude of physical problems that can plague them throughout life. I, personally, never saw a dentist until I was 17 years old, and I have suffered from it with cavities, loss of teeth and finally ending up with a partial plate.
The benefits of a good strong healthy set of teeth and a comely smile are incalculable. Whenever you meet someone, the first thing their eyes fix on is your teeth, and a great set of teeth and an attractive smile is perhaps one of the greatest assets one can have. I made sure my children had adequate dental care, and they need not be shamed by an unattractive smile or suffer from an inability to chew properly.
I know that any new innovation by the president will be met with skepticism, but so was Social Security and Medicare. We need universal health care!
Joe Bushika of Stamford, Vt., writes his column every week for the Transcript. Feedback is
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