RockityRoll

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Tue Nov 18

“ Chronically ill Americans suffer far worse care than their counterparts in seven other industrial nations, according to a new study by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based foundation that has pioneered in international comparisons. It is the latest telling evidence that the dysfunctional American health care system badly needs reform. The results of the study, published by the respected journal Health Affairs, belie the notion held by many American politicians that health care in this country is the best in the world. That may be true at a handful of pre-eminent medical centers, but it is hardly true for the care provided to a huge portion of the population.

The Wrong Place to Be Chronically Ill - NYTimes.com

I get so tired of the argument that America has the best health care in the world, because it is private and the government stays out of it. It is probably the stupidest argument for privatized health care I’ve ever heard, largely because it is propagated by the few people who can afford full access to it or by those who can’t afford access to it but still go around ignorantly proclaiming that America is the best country in the world…regardless of whether that is true.

(via robot-heart-politics)

I’m glad chronic illness is getting a bit more attention in all these articles about health care. Too often I see the mindset that health care is only necessary in an emergency, when there are millions of people who need health care every day.

(via notemily)

Not to mention what a drag poor care of the chronically ill must be on the economy - if you’re treated proactively, you’re far less likely to miss work, have to stop working, or become dependent on the overburdened Medicare system.