Good evening, Frank! On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 23:06:02 -0700, Frank Reichert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>So, why would you even suggest that the poor, in a free-market >context, would not have access to medial aid? Doctors Without >Borders is only one organization that comes to mind, that >routinely reaches around the globe to meet medical demands when >various governments, using force, can't meet the challenge. But what of the poor right here in good old U.S.A., Frank? The free-market, and pretty much anyone else, is an abyssmal failure when it comes to meeting the health care needs of poor and lower-middle class families in the United States. True, there are some clinics and health care projects that are designed to meet interim needs of low-to-moderate income families, but generally speaking, based upon a series of reports by the Surgeon General's Office, they are frequently spread too thin, if and when they are available at all. According to last year's report from the Tri-County Health District (Stevens, Ferry and Pend O'Reille Counties) they currently are serving more than 42% of the total populations in the counties where they currently serve. That isn't to suggest that the rural hospitals are getting filthy rich, either. While Sacred Heart here in Spokane has cut their staff nearly by half, and have begun an ambitious multi-million dollar expansion of their facilities, both Colville, Chewelah, Colfax and other rural area hospitals are on the verge of bankruptcy. Even worse, if a low-to-moderate income patient is admitted to either Sacred Heart or Deaconess Hospitals here in Spokane, and do not have health insurance, they are most certainly guaranteed to lose all their few assets, including their homes, to the largest collection agency in Eastern Washington representing the hospitals. No, the health care system in Eastern Washington is a travesty. Our nation is quick to provide emergency medical assistance to nearly every other country in the world in the time of need, while ignoring the plight of our own right here in Eastern Washington. -- Dave Laird Somewhere in the Flatlands of Washington State _______________________________________________ Libnw mailing list Libnw@immosys.com List info and subscriber options: http://immosys.com/mailman/listinfo/libnw Archives: http://immosys.com/mailman//pipermail/libnw
