I suppose I'm thinking about Jerome a Paris this morning because, his personal story seems so central and relevant to the healthcare crisis we Americans are dealing with.
When I first came to Daily Kos, over two years ago, the diarist that kept me coming back was Jerome a Paris. He was prying open his life and writing the most wrenching diaries about his son and the treatment he was undergoing for a brain tumor.
As a matter of fact, often when I write the healthcare diaries, I think about Jerome and I wonder, what must he be saying to himself about the grotesque situation in America.
Jerome often passes through my mind, because those of us who have been at Daily kos for awhile, are very familiar with the deeply serious health crisis he and his family are dealing with. Over the years, Jerome has been very open with us.
For any of you who may have missed the diary by Jerome a Paris yesterday, you owe it to yourself to read it.
Gold in the head and lead in the stomach
http://www.dailykos.com/...
It's also important reading, in my opinion, because in one gut wrenching punch to the stomach, he encapsulates all that is wrong and immoral with the American healthcare system.
And for those of you who have let me know that you don't appreciate "horror" stories. I can only respond by saying that to shield you from the truth (reality) is no different than the Bush regime saying the media focuses too closely on the death in Iraq. I suppose you think, if you don't shine a light on terrible things like Iraq and healthcare in America, then you've solved the problem, and at the same time, swept reality neatly under the rug.
Healthcare in America is no longer the best in the world, it's the most expensive.
Ask yourself, why is France able to provide for all its citizens, but the United states cannot or chooses not to?
Jerome is the father of a sick child, but he lives in France where medical care is considered a basic human right. So Jerome and his family will not face bankruptcy and financial ruin. Or even worse, Jerome and his wife won't have to run a savage juggernaut in order to obtain healthcare for their ill child.
This is the difference, healthcare in France is available for everyone. It's there for you when you need it. No need to plead with insurance companies. And yes, to the naysayers, I recognize it's not perfect, but surely we can all agree, the French system is far superior to what we Americans must endure.
This is what Jerome wrote.
One final point that I'd like to write about is to tell you about the way my son's care is paid for. I've mentioned this previously, but it is worth repeating in veiw of all the horror stories provided by nyceve and others: 100% of the cost of the care for my son comes from our national healthcare system. We've never had to wait for any treatment, we've never had to disburse a cent, my wife got an allowance to compensate for the fact that she had to essentially abandon her job to take care of my son. The quality of care has been as good can be found anywhere, and it's paid for by social contributions and national solidarity (even if some of the care is provided in the private sector). Dealing with our kid's illness was and is stressful enough, and I can't imagine having to juggle in addition with major money headaches - including to the point that it can threaten care provided, and reading stories about such woes here on dKos break my heart each time. You guys have to keep up the good fight for comprehensive healthcare for all, and if my experience can show that 'socialist' systems are not so horrible, I'll be glad to say it loudly again.
The United States has millions of children who have no health insurance. How they receive care is a mystery to me--through a patchwork of charitable organizations most likely. What would happen to a seriously ill child in the United States--I suppose once again, the parents would have to fight like crazed animals. It shouldn't be this way.
This is from the most recent U.S. Census. It relates to the population of uninsured children. you can read the entire report at the link I've provided.
The percentage and the number of children (people under 18 years old) without health insurance
increased between 2004 and 2005, from 10.8 percent to 11.2 percent and from 7.9 million to 8.3 million, respectively (Table 8). With an uninsured rate at 19.0 percent in 2005, children in poverty were more likely to be uninsured than all children (Figure 8).
http://www.census.gov/...
So the next time you look askance at these horror stories, please think of Jerome a Paris. You might also want to think about the eight million American children who may be sick and have the additional indignity and misfortune to live in the United States where healthcare is a privilege not a basic human right.
And, by the way, universal, single-payer healthcare is an urgent and pressing national security matter.