Not that most "free market" conservatives are men or anything...
Know how (nominally) "free market" conservatives are always saying America's private healthcare system is better because Canadians have to wait for hip replacements? Vix ofThe Over-Educated Nympho indirectly points out what most serious health-care policy wonks know: 'wingers keep bringing up the hip replacement example because that procedure is one of only a few where wait times here are shorter than wait times there.
I’m going to the gynecologist this morning.
I am pretending that I am so not completely nervous. Sure it’s been a very slow year as far as friendly visitors who’ve cum calling (always with a wrapped twinkie, of course), but there’s always that freak chance that there’s something wrong. I tried to go to the gyno four months ago but they told me my insurance only covered one exam a year. What the fuck? Dude, what if I’d had crotch rot? Would I have to wait until the year’s billing cycle was over to deal with a horrendous Itch situation?
Yeah, tackling general healthcare provision models is a bit outside my bailiwick but OEN expresses concern about barriers to the possible detection and treatment of socially transmittable diseases and that's a concern of mine too. Also the other day I ran into a chain-store *pharmacist* who doesn't receive health insurance benefits and I think that's just so out of control I'm a little over-alert to the issue.
The real problem with socialized medicine is that someone else is paying for your health.
Which is not a problem, if you take care of yourself.
But if you don't, why should I pay?
Government cannot 'give' a dollar to one man without taking it from another man, under force of threat.
That is not freedom.
[Sorry you feel that way Fran. I'm not sure how healthcare has turned out so much better when (and if) 65% of healthcare is provided by employers instead of the government. In fact, compared to government-provided healthcare, even in America (see medicare, the VA, and civil service-provided care) let alone Germany or France. --fl]