Another Horror Story about Government-Run Healthcare that Can’t Possibly Be True

Paul Krugman has told us that awful stories about government-run healthcare in Britain “are false.”

I guess this means that the media must be dominated by conservative liars, since we keep getting reports about substandard care and needless deaths (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here).

And the Boston Globe and Associated Press must be part of this vast right-wing conspiracy, because the Globe just ran an AP report exposing more problems in England. Here is an excerpt.

When David Evans needed a hernia operation, the 69-year-old farmer became so alarmed by the long wait that he used an ultrasound machine for pregnant sheep on himself, to make sure he wasn’t getting worse. It was only after repeated calls from himself, his doctor and his local member of parliament that the hospital performed the surgery, nearly a year after it was first requested. Under government guidelines, he should have started getting treatment within 18 weeks. “I was in quite a lot of pain,’’ Evans said of his ordeal in Cornwall, southwest England. “It really restricted what I could do around the farm since I couldn’t lift anything heavy.’’ Across Britain, an increasing number of patients like Evans are facing more pain and longer waits.

The deep flaws in the British system, by the way, do not imply that the American system is ideal. As I’ve explained, the U.S. system also is heavily dominated by government, causing a massive third-party payer problem.

(h/t: Reason)

Government Insiders Rip Off Taxpayers…Again

I’ve written many times about politicians and bureaucrats screwing taxpayers with lavish compensation packages, but this story from Philadelphia is jaw dropping.

Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco is retiring Friday, but only so she can collect a $478,057 pension check and return to work Monday, when she will be sworn in for her seventh term. Tasco was one of six Council members to enroll in the city’s controversial Deferred Retirement Option Plan, better known as DROP. She did not immediately return a request for comment. …When DROP was introduced during the Rendell administration, it was thought that it would cost little or nothing. But a study by the administration of Mayor Nutter said DROP had cost the city $258 million over 10 years.

Remember stories like this every time ones of these reprehensible politicians claim that spending has been cut to the bone and taxes have to be raised.

Dan Mitchell

‘Paul Krugman has told us that awful stories about government-run healthcare in Britain “are false.”’

No they’re not. As a chronic sufferer of several digestive diseases, I’m on discussion fora a lot. Many foreigners are there for support, too. Some of them go off on tirades about how they are put off forever getting tests, new doctors, etc. Some of them tell us how it is, then say they’re satisfied even though to me it looks like a cruddy deal (kind of like Wal-Mart shoppers being satisfied since they’re used to being treated like criminals whereas they’ve never been to Nordstrom).

It needs to be emphasized that in Britain, if you are willing to pay a private doctor for health care, you can. So those who suffer most are the poor, or those unwilling to spend their own money after paying high taxes for health care. Also, if you use a private doctor, you may lose your access to the NHS.

Though the rot in the NHS is bad, a far worse situation exists in Canada where you must leave the country to get good, private health care, as the government does not permit the private alternative in the country. While Britain is a disaster, Canada will be a worse disaster in the long run. It only looks better right now because so many Canadians cross the border for their medical needs.

” (Philadelphia) Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco is retiring Friday, but only so she can collect a $478,057 pension check and return to work Monday, when she will be sworn in for her seventh term. Tasco was one of six Council members to enroll in the city’s controversial Deferred Retirement Option Plan, better known as DROP. She did not immediately return a request for comment. …When DROP was introduced during the Rendell administration, it was thought that it would cost little or nothing. But a study by the administration of Mayor Nutter said DROP had cost the city $258 million over 10 years.”

Just another crooked Black Politician ripping off her “people.” But she has to get in line behind the Black superintendent of public schools in Pittsburgh who just took nearly a million dollar “buyout” of her contract to get rid of her, and then had the temerity to file for unemployment benefits!

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