I can hear your frustration, Grace, and I understand it. And it frustrates me too, just as does every idiotic state of things in every corner of the world. There is so much suffering that is completely unnecessary and has no reasonable excuse.

Shall I tell you how great the system is here in Sweden? I guess I don't need to push it down anyone's throat. Of course things are frustrating here too, in many ways, because there are always things to improve. But I know enough about the American system, especially when it comes to childcare (I almost used caps...) to know that it is absurd! The richest country in the world has lots of nuclear muscles but doesn't find the money to treat its children...

Not that I don't understand why. God knows I have been blind about many things and surely still are. So when people don't get it, it is simply because they still don't, I'm not blaming anyone. The solution? Keep talking, keep asking our American brothers: WHY? Until they realize there is no good answer...

Aurora,

Your comments always make me feel better, or at least understood.

Oh, childcare - it's just ridiculous. For those who don't know, when a woman in the US has a baby, she usually only gets 6 weeks of "maternity leave" from her job (at maybe 75-80% of her salary) before she has to return to work. How could anyone, in their right mind, think it's okay for a mother to leave her baby at six weeks old?

And then a lot of childcare centers won't take infants that young. How do people deal with it? I don't know.

On the brighter side of things, I read that the governor of the state of New York is working to arrange universal healthcare for his state. So people *are* thinking about it. Everything that was ever created started with a thought, right?

Love,
Grace

Dear Grace,

I have been reading on the Internet about the health care in the U.S. to get an overview of the last about 15 years.

6 Weeks for a mother is indeed not much.

I know in Sweden this is much much longer (but is already in discussion by business companies who do not agree anymore) and in our country it is 6 weeks before and about two months after the deliverance. Not that much either but the childcare centers do take the young at that age and organization is getting better and better here.

Grandparents are helping out when they want to do this and even get paid for it here!

I have read two very informative articles on Wikipedia:

“The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure universal coverage. There is currently an ongoing debate on the need to achieve universal coverage as well as the best methods for improving the U.S. health care system.”

Quote from a Wikipedia article about health care in the U.S.:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_United_States

When one reads the article hereunder one gets a very good impression of this ongoing debate and it gives a good impression of the fact that it is not easy to reach a level of agreement in your country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_health_care_plan

From what i have read here there are a few plans that might change this problem in the near future :)

Mieke

My roommate is a yoga teacher. She has to buy her own health insurance, for which she pays at least $200/month (she is in her early-40's). It's only a "major medical" policy which means that you have a high deductible (maybe $3000). You have to pay "out of pocket" first, and once you reach that deductible amount, the insurance company will start paying. It's only a protection in the event of a major medical disaster, then you won't end up destitute.

She recently came down with a sinus infection, brought on by allergies. To make a long story short, she ended up paying over $150 for anti-biotics (doesn't include the doctor's visit, which was at least as much). That's more than a day's pay, just for drugs. And now, since she is diagnosed with having allergies, if she tries to switch to another insurance company, they will not cover anything allergy-related as they will claim it's a "pre-existing condition."

Just one example of the disfunction here.

I suggest using alternative medicine which is much cheaper. If someone is already into Yoga, one can more easily improve their mind-body "connectedness" of which Dr. Chopra talks about(Ref. Future of the Body Blogs.)

I would also recommend AyurVeda for health and Jyotish Astrolgy for better life in all fields.

www.chopra.com/services

*******

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The Chopra Center is pleased to offer integrated medical consultations by David Simon, M.D. and his qualified colleagues. These consultations address a person’s health concerns from a physical, emotional and spiritual perspective. Integrating the theoretical frameworks of Ayurveda and modern science, these sessions focus as much on the person who is facing a health challenge as the health challenge being faced.

During a typical evaluation, the doctor takes a complete medical and lifestyle history and performs a physical examination that looks at the body both as a physical system as well as a field of intelligence, reflecting the needs and choices of a person’s life. Based upon this assessment, a personalized body/mind/spirit health-enhancing prescription is formulated, including recommendations on diet, stress management, exercise, emotional healing, nutritional and herbal supplements, and sensory modulation. If indicated, appropriate laboratory testing or specialty consultation is suggested.

If you are facing a condition that you believe can be influenced by your perceptions, interpretations or lifestyle choices, an integrated medical consultation can help you become an active, empowered partner in your healing process.

*Please note: The Chopra Center does not have a direct relationship with insurance companies. We provide guests with the documentation needed to provide to their companies for reimbursment.

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http://www.chopra.com/medical

"And now, since she is diagnosed with having allergies, if she tries to switch to another insurance company, they will not cover anything allergy-related as they will claim it's a "pre-existing condition." - Grace

Yes, this used to be here too, when ones income was higher than the minimum.

The minimum health insurance in the Netherlands is around $ 1630 per person a year. Everyone is obliged to pay this minimum health insurance.
Alternative medicine is partly included.

Children up to 18 years have free health care.

This is much different in your country.

When one earns more than the minimum income one pays more.

As from 2008 every citizen in our country has to pay $ 225 for hospital and medicine before the insurance company starts to pay.

The average amount a citizen pays in our country for his insurance health is $ 3000 a year.

When you have your own company or are retired, you pay the whole amount yourself. When you work for a company, it pays part for you, but you have to pay income taxes on that part.

It is better organized here, but we pay quite a lot, especially when you, like me, hardly see a doctor or a hospital. But that is our society, we pay a lot of other taxes too. That is called shared responsibility :)

Mieke

Okay, as you are comparing systems, just to present another possible way, here is how it looks in Sweden (with some small variations in different regions):

- maternity leave is 1 year, most people use it sparingly taking out 25-75% of the sum and so are able to be at home for longer time; both parents can take turns to be at home with the baby
- children up to 19 have free healthcare (including dental care)
- there is something called "free card", meaning that one pays maximum 130$/year for medical consultations (one visit costs about 12$) and maximum 200$/year for medicines
- the cost for staying in a hospital is about 10$/day, but maximum 180$/30 days period.
- everyone is automatically insured for income loss with 80% of the normal income.

Yes, there are many small ifs and buts to these rules, but this is the general picture. Mieke, our new right wing government has done its best from day one to undermine as much as they can of what has been "normal social policy", and the result is that they are more impopular than any other government before, so they are already on their way out. Yes, taxes are high, but being able to take your kids to the doc anytime and knowing everyone else can, too... is worth every krona.

Grace, I'm so glad the governor of New York and others are thinking in such a direction. You'll see... it won't be long. There was a time when everyone smoked, it's becoming a memory :)

Thanks, Aurora & Mieke, for giving me some real perspective. I'm glad to know first hand (not through our media) of other's experiences in this world.

No one system is perfect and there is always room for improvement. There are a lot of great things about this country, but healthcare is not at the top of the list.

And dear Grace, if you want to work toward a really great vision for your country's healthcare, see it - from the very beginning - not only as free for everyone, but also as combining mainstream and alternative medicine in an effective and harmonious wholeness. This is the next step here and it is the vision I hold for all countries in the world. Lots of love, aurora

YES!

Yes it´s true that the right wing government has lost its popularity here in Sweden, and thank God for that. As Aurora writes they are a threat to our welfare and I really don´t understand why people voted as they did in the last election, it seems like there was some kind of collective mass black out.

I think that the right to healthcare irrespective of being rich or not is a matter of how we value life. It´s sad that there are countries where rich people are seen as more important than those without much money. But hopefully people around the world are getting more conscious and then also develop their empathy and willingness to share their wealth.

/Madelene

Madelene,

That was very well said. Thank you.

Madelene, hi, I'm glad to meet you :)

The "collective mass black out" (well put) is really interesting to look at. It seems to me that this government has the same cause and function in Sweden as the Bush government in the U.S. - compelling us to review our values. In fact, I think that the entire human race, whoever we are and however we have lived up to now, has to go through this process.

What exactly do we want? A moment of hesitation translates in an election "mistake" of this magnitude, and every so called mistake is a great clarifyier of what we DO want. We need to help each other understand who we are and what we want, so we don't make the same mistakes again, because otherwise we are digging ourselves deeper into what we do not want.

This process is global, that is why I appreciate it so much when someone is as open and egoless as Grace to inputs from what we have formerly called "the outside". I hope we can be as open here in Sweden too, because the time to go it alone, be the spotless one and know it all is over. Take the issue of climate politics for example... the present Swedish government has adopted the attitude of "we're best in Europe, so we don't need to do as much as the others"... and I won't forget how the reporter's hand and voice were shaking with indignation. It makes it easier to empathize with the American people who are watching Mr. Bush sending their people to a war they don't want, or personally sabotaging climate cooperation or healthcare for their children.

There's no way around it, we're in this together. We're one family and everyone needs to notice their own stuff and work on it, at the same time as we help each other change this frame of beliefs to something that better resonates with our expanded identity.

When you were a young military wife, you did not have "free" health care - the taxpayers picked up the tab in its entirety.

You're welcome.

My biggest problems with this issue are these:

1. The notion that "health care" is somehow a defined human right of some kind. We all desire good health, but it's not a right - "rights" are those things endowed you at birth by your Creator, i.e. life, liberty, security of your person and property, free speech, self defense, et al. Anything that has to be physically provided you by another human being cannot be claimed as a "right", as it makes an indentured servant of the provider.

2. All discussions on this topic deal purely with "sickness care", not "health" care. All our resources are focused on the "pound of cure", often a result of personal neglect, not the "ounce of prevention". As a result, our system is overregulated and out of control in terms of expense and risk management. If we are going to have a real discussion of the future of health in this country, we need to put everything on the table, including preventive and alternative medicines and therapies. We can't just do what's best for Pfizer and the AMA, because their lobbyists tell us so.

3. Every discussion on this topic is burdened with the premise that "single-payer" socialized medicine is the only possible solution. How about deregulation, alternative therapies, and a commitment to true market competition in the provision of health coverage? Under a single-payer system I am taxed to death to pay for it, whether I'm healthy or not, and I shouldn't have to depend on my neighbor's healthy choices to see any reduction in those taxes. Plus, there's no "opt-out" provision. Perhaps I would like to be able to pick and choose from competing private insurance plans that could be far lower cost, depending on what my true needs are. If I'm a healthy person, can pass a physical, and have a track record of low need, I should have much lower premiums than a smoker who doesn't exercise. That's fair. While there are also those who have serious needs due to no fault of their own (genetics or accident), there could be other options available, including state and federal "insurer of last resort" options, which would be far cheaper to the taxpayer than "universal" mandated coverage.

I'm as much in favor of health care for everyone as the next person on this list, but I would like to see a discussion of solutions that include voluntary participation in deregulated markets.