Health Care For Everyone.

I have participated in two pulpit exchanges with pastors in England. One of these was in Newcastle upon Tyne. While there I got sick with a sinus infection so one of my church members suggested I call a nearby clinic. I talked with a doctor that offered to come to my house if I was unable to drive to the clinic. House call? I couldn’t believe it!!!. Especially since I had always heard about the inferior medical care people got in Europe. After that I talked to a lot of people in the church there and found no one who said they would exchange their medical system for the one we have in the United States.

Through the years I have done quite a bit of reading about medical care throughout the world. Robin and I fund a small clinic in India. I have found no perfect system. Lines are long in Canada. Patients do sometimes have to wait for non-emergency surgery in England. However, the facts remain that other developed countries throughout the world operate at a lower cost, benefit from better health statistics, and pretty much cover everybody.

I heard Rush Limbaugh say today that there is nothing wrong with our nation’s healthcare system. I couldn’t disagree more. I am neither knowledgeable enough nor wise enough to know how to fix it, but I do know it needs to be and could be improved. As Christians we should care that so many are without adequate healthcare benefits. It is a moral issue. It is also an economic issue.

We spend more on health care than anyone else but still leave many uninsured. The working poor’s health care of last resort is called the emergency room, the most costly way in the world to deliver health services.

It is also clear that improving our system can be done without “socialized medicine.” Many countries provide universal health coverage with private doctors, private hospitals, and even private insurance. It really is a matter of political will. It’s a bit dated but I believe true. If we can put a man on the moon we should be able to find a way to provide basic health care for everyone.

T. R. Reid has just published a book based on his study of health systems around the world. It’s entitled The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care. I’m afraid this issue is like so many issues that contain political ramifications. We argue from our emotions and anecdotal evidence without a lot of facts. If Reid’s book can simply give us a few more facts it should be worth the read. Health care for all Americans that don’t break the bank is certainly an issue worth the effort. Let’s use our heads and our hearts as we debate this important issue. And, most importantly, lets make sure we remain civil—dare I say even Christlike—as we do.