Socialized Healthcare

I know I shouldn't get political, but I'm having personal experiences with socialized healthcare and hearing stories from people who are trapped in the system. This week Kerry has been sick, sort of a flu combined with something like strep throat. We went to the socialized healthcare clinic down the street.

It was a little disturbing how much like a cattle call it was. No one organized it you just had to look at the list and see who was before you - by asking the waiting room of people. Then you just walked into the doctor's room when the person before you left. No nurses, no blood pressure check. Very perfunctory. I had to ask the doctor to look at Dar's throat a second time because I had seen an infected spot myself. She looked again then said, oh yeah, I guess there’s a small spot.

Then she couldn’t figure out how to give us a prescription since we are not in the computers for social health. We did finally get a prescription and some antibiotics and he is on the mend. I think whenever possible we will go to the private health care clinic. It’s weird here, anyone who can afford to have private insurance does and goes to different clinics.

My Spanish tutor has something wrong with her vocal chords and has to go to physical therapy or occupational therapy. She said if she wasn’t a teacher she would have to wait several years for an opening at therapy. Really crazy.

Another story I heard was our Spanish School Teacher had a son who needed an operation on his little boy bits. Something commonly done before 3 years in the US. The waiting list took him until he was 6 years old to get it done.

So if this is what happens with small stuff I'm scared about the big stuff. But it was good to know we can run down to the clinic for small stuff though. It’s handy since it is so close. Most of our friends here in corporate type jobs have private insurance so they can have control over their health care. The idea that everything is taken care of is very noble and a nice idea. What I'm seeing is that it doesn't actually work. Then you have to pay twice. Once in taxes and once in private insurance.