I am off to see my doctor this morning and it isn’t going to cost me a penny.
Two weeks ago I was having the latest in my regular consultations with the very very bright woman who is my consultant neurologist who will be booking me in for my fifth, very expensive MRI brain scan.
Yesterday I was with my GP referred personal trainer who is guiding me back to fitness after my brain haemorrhage.
Oh yes, I forgot to tell you about my Ear, Nose and Throat consultant who investigated my damaged vocal chords or my speech therapist who is helping my stammer or the Ophthalmic Surgeon who is trying to sort out my double vision.
I haven’t been toting up the cost of all this on my calculator because it is all on the British National Health Service.
I have been ill now since October 2008 and have been looked after faultlessly in that time so I need to say three things before my latest visit to see a British medic:
1) Thanks everyone in the British NHS for looking after me.
2) Congratulations all you citizens of the United States of America on your new Health Scheme. It won’t turn you into a Soviet state, it won’t bankrupt you and it won’t destroy your freedoms. It will, however, take away that fear of not being able to pay your health bills and I know at first hand just how dependent we all can be when bad times come round without warning.
3) Congratulations President Obama, for sticking with it, risking all for it, and for succeeding when all around you were predicting defeat.
We in Britain have a great Health Service and you in the States have a great President.
Onwards and upwards! I am off to the doc’s.
Unfortunately, all American bills passed these days have so much special interest crap tagged onto them there's no way of knowing if something that SEEMS good is actually going to be good for the American people. People are going to get fined if they are unable to buy insurance. That doesn't really sound like universal healthcare to me.
Obama needs to fix our economy. I don't think the health care bill is a step towards that. It will probably lead to less jobs in the medical industry. Unless the insurers are going to be forced to pay up in a timely manner?
I didn't hear anything about that, so not bloody likely.
Just a few thoughts from a tax paying American.
So interesting hearing your American tax-payer's view June.
It is obviously too easy for a mere Brit to get involved here but I wanted you guys to know that if only your country could have a National Health Service like our's, everyone in the States could have had the treatment that I have been honoured to receive over here in a dark time in my life.
The insurance stuff, I am sure, will be complex and full of problems – hopefully they will be merely "teething" ones.
Thanks a lot though for taking the trouble to write on here….please come back!
Wolf