Monday, July 11, 2011

July Month



{And I post the above graph just to show how USians have been consistently lied to about universal health care costs.}

I remember that expression from my childhood. My grandparents would say "July month", rather than "month of July". And this is the Newfoundland useage also.

There's something poetic about it. To my ear anyway.

I had many medical appointments today, from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 with a narrow break for lunch. I was sitting in Starbucks with my netbook (I've been having awful problems with the turbo stick and its so-called "upgrades" here at home - don't get me started) so I availed of the chance to post responses to my blog comments, check my email for client payments and my daily email from my childhood friend, etc. when it hit me. As it does now and again. Everything was free, down to the emergency glucose pills for my purse to exercise equipment to books, to consultations - some lasting more than an hour. As in FREE. And not a death panel in sight.

How lucky I am to live in this country, this True North strong and free, I thought. Even though our prime minister Harper (aka Bush-lite) would have it very different given his druthers. And we are all carefully watching those druthers.

When I see in the wee country south of us druthers are being yanked left right and centre as the debt deadlines come marching home with the trillions in treasure blown into the cavernous pockets of the giant industrial military machine.

And with Harper in charge can we be far behind I ask myself as he ramps up the prisons and the fighter planes and gives away our water and mining rights.

So, I'll enjoy this universal health care while I can. And never, ever take it for granted.

12 comments:

  1. I'm a USian and agree that Canada is far better off than we are when it comes to health care. In fact now our Medicare which is a health care insurance for seniors is on the table for cuts. Can we all move to Canada?

    I think I might be eligible as my paternal family left Canada to live in the US many years ago. What were they thinking?

    -- barbara

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  2. Private medicine is a lot more expensive than public medicine but there are plenty of diehards determined to deny the fact. Indeed, we can never take free health care for granted when so many of today's politicians are turning against the collective good.

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  3. Oh, I had to google druthers, never heard the word before! It sounds like an unpleasant affliction. Which in his case, maybe it is.

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  4. i don't take it for granted either and i'm staying vigilant

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  5. Harper (my cat) says he's doing the best he can but running Canada is tiring him out and he needs a nap.

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  6. Probably the best thing I left behind in the UK is the NHS. Not perfect by any means but worlds better than Medicare and universes better than the private insurance version, only option open to the under 65s of the US.

    Keep a very sharp eye on those druthers, WWW.

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  7. Good to appreciate what you've got so you don't let anyone sneak it away.

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  8. I am watching and shivering too. The only consolation is having the internet bigtime by the time we vote again. We must use it!

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  9. We've never had enough sense to learn from our neighbors from the north.

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  10. I have to say that I have been very fortunate with the NHS so far. Only once in the last 34 years have I had to pay for anything.

    You enjoy the service and may good health travel with you wherever you go.

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  11. Call me strange but I can think of more enjoyable ways to spend a morning than undergoing a battery of health tests!

    Unless of course you had contra-indicators first suggesting there was something amiss.

    Preventative healthcare has very patchy results and can easily result in false-positives leading to unnecessary treatment, since these practitioners are not trained to look for wellness, but illness.

    But I do agree with free healthcare when someone is ill, and preventative healthcare in the form of lifestyle education and support.

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  12. PS: Having said all that, I sincerely hope you got a clean bill of health at the end WWW. Lx

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