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US Health Care Reform - Need Single Payer System Advice

Hello folks,

As some of you know, I'm in the U.S. We're currently embroiled in a nasty debate over the future of healthcare in our country. President Obama proposes a single payer system - which would be similar to the Great Britain system.

My son (11 y/o with cml) and I are heading to our congressman's office on Wednesday to talk about this issue. The US conservative side is against a single payer system - they want the market place to decide insurance costs. And they want ins. co's to be privately owned and profit driven.

The problem for me is that I presently have a "Lifetime maximum benefit" under my policy. My ins. company is calculating every procedure & cost for meds to bring us to Ben's maximum. Then, we'll no longer have insurance and will beg for meds in the streets (or from Novartis)!

So, I'd like to hear my friends over the pond's views on single payer healthcare. I've read some problems getting qualified for certain meds, but is it really that bad? How are your services, generally.

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated. I'll share them with my congressman (not that he cares that much.) At least I'll make him look my 11 y/o son in the eye and attempt to explain what will happen when the insurance company cuts off his medication & procedure coverage.

It's getting rough over here! Much thanks.

Tracey

Have you seen Michael Moores film Sicko? the Uk footage rings true for me.

Thanks Michael. Actually, I haven't seen it (though I'm a Michael Moore fan.) I'll rent it. Thanks again.

Tracey

There was a report on the news in UK this am about President O talking at meeting yesterday while outside demonstrations taking place from some Republicans about likely costs of this reform to US health care. President seemed determined to push on with reform and referred to number of times that this type of Health proposal had stalled in US. If reform proposed offers you a way to continue to receive meds. for your son then it sounds worth supporting. Your problems with your insurer sound very very difficult to say the least. I know some UK private health schemes such as BUPA say on the one hand they won't support chronic conditions ( which could equate to long term maintenance therapy on Glivec) but on the other will support new cancer treatments that are sometimes not yet approved by National Health Service so again picture tends to be confused. The NHS in UK faces cost increases running far ahead of general inflation because of major advances in treatment and drug development. This in turn leads to some form of rationing system in terms of new drug availablity. Sometimes cancer drugs which are known to be effective in extending life but perhaps not curative are not available on NHS. On the plus side recent moves have seen some patients being able to link private treatment for some aspect of a condition with some NHS services for other elements of their condition. If you have got a meeting with your congressman I guess the key issue to try to impress is that any move to universal health care for all is expensive and politicians need to be brave enough to stand up and vote extra money for health care to keep pace with medical advances. I do hope all goes well in your fight for the costs for Ben's continuing treatment
Andy

Hi Tracey,
It might help if you take a look at the following site:

healthcarereformmyths.org

as this one seems to be a little less partisan than some of the others I have read. But maybe that is because I view the arguments from my position as a European cancer patient who has benefited from excellence of care within the UK system.

You might also like to sign up to the ACOR 'politics and cancer' listserve:
go to
www.acor.org and
join the
POLITICS-CANCER@listserv.acor.org

Personally, I am fairly amazed at some of the views being expressed on this and other US blogs attacking the plans to reform health care in the US.
Some of the bloggers seem to be mistaken about how single payer healthcare systems and universal systems like those used in Europe actually work in practice.

However, I do not want to get into this on this forum so I suggest that those of you that are interested in subject join the ACOR politics-cancer list, either as viewers or maybe more active members. It is a real education ;o)

Sandy