Can one imagine how much better US healthcare would be minus 12 million illegal migrants? Like education, criminal justice and housing, the added burden to the system makes wait times, cost and outcomes less optimal. My Daughter, spent a couple years in Barcelona on a student visa. Before she was granted the visa, she had to have proof of medical clearance along with health insurance. Countries in the EU do not have the capacity or the will to provide care for millions of undocumented migrants. The simple fact remains, undocumented immigration has a negative impact on us all, especially on healthcare. Hospitals along the Mexico-US border are struggling to even keep their doors open due to the influx of migrants.
Lastly, tort reform is needed and expanded, whereby pain and suffering is limited in jury awards. In California we do have MICRA (Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act) which currently caps awards for medical malpractice to $390K for injury from medical errors and $550k for wrongful death. Not perfect by any measure, but needs to be further expanded to include loser pays court costs!
Calla, thank you for writing about your very entertaining experience you had with the French healthcare system. I believe around the country there is excellent healthcare available, no waiting lines for an operation, etc. My wife has experienced a few shoulder and foot operations, and what I have learned is to obtain the pain killing pills before the operation and not after <g>. An 82-year-old friend was told by a doctor he was too old to have a pancreatic cancer operation. But a discussion with the doctor led to the fact he had little prior history of surgeries and the doctor agreed to go ahead with the surgery. With additional biopsies', he learned the cancer was more serious than initially determined. He had the operation and has now been five years cancer-free as he approaches 90-years-old this April. Summation: Don't accept the Obama remedy of "Just take a pill for the pain."
We live in Canada. Last May my wife fell and broke her right femur. An ambulance quickly came, took her to a hospital (Victoria General) where she spent the night in a bed in emergency before being operated on the next morning and moved to a ward. Five days in the hospital receiving excellent care, followed by rehab sessions until the therapist told her she was well on the way to recovery. Excellent care. Total cost: $80.00 (Canadian) for the ambulance ride.
We were bicycling touring in Italy. Friend fell and broke on the the bones in his lower arm. Similar story. I needed some metal and/or screws or such. I forget the cost but it was almost trivial. And this was for a tourist.
You obviously have no real understanding of Canadian health care, and although you may have moral issues with medically assisted suicide that is irrelevant to the point. As for regular health care, my wife and I have been quite happy with our care. We do pay, of course, for the two of us about 1,400 per year (or, about 950US), plus co-pays on prescription drugs. Health care costs in the US are driven by insurance companies and for-profit health systems.
I'm not well informed on US health care, but suspect that over-treatment is a result of being able to bill insurance companies who, in turn, can adjust their rates accordingly. On the other hand, my brother lives in New Mexico and three years ago had a major heart attack that required an emergency airlift to Santa Fe, several days of extreme intensive care, another airlift to Albuquerque, ten more days in the hospital and then two months of rehab before he could return home. Immense cost, fortunately for him covered by VA, medicare, and medicaid.
As an elderly retired American citizen living in Lompoc, I am amazed to still be alive after receiving immediate health care at our local hospital by an excellent surgical procedure removing 1/3 of my cancerous intestines 5 years ago. So far, no unpleasant after effects either.
Also, another fast save happened when I broke my wrist - the emergency office helped me in town, and then treatment by a great physician in SoLvang preserved all functions. All under medicare.
One thing I'm hoping the new administration pulls off is some sort of make America healthier again. I'd like to see more and better-paid primary care doctors and their teams. Right now they seem overworked forced to see too many people a day and mostly staring at computer screens checking boxes to appease what ever insurance god their company got in bed with.
As an allied health professional I have worked often within the "system."
Today I have been informed by 2 of my physicians, a PT, and a chiropractor they will be retiring within 6 months or a year because of the General state of medicine and the crushing idiotic Calif. insurance.
Bye bye excellent health care. Hello socialist health care.
New Study Shows 25% of Hospital Deaths Caused by Doctor Errors
Analysis by Johns Hopkins University shows 10% of deaths in the United States are caused by preventable medical mistakes. This statistic puts medical negligence as the third leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease and cancer.
I currently split my medical care between a GP at the UCLA Goleta clinic (who I think is amazing and where I never have to wait for an appointment); and specialists at Sansum/Sutter, where typically the wait is 6 months for an appointment and I was once quoted a wait of 18 months to get in to "meet and greet" a potential new GP.
I am following the care given at S/S to an elderly friend for the Crohn's disease that she developed immediately after receiving both the flu and covid shots at Costco at the same time. Three days later she was in a diaper and has been for 3 years since. S/S told her there was no treatment available, UNTIL I convinced her to sign up for Medicare part D. Then immediately they "discovered" a treatment that bills Medicare $6,000 for each infusion every 6 weeks. Which after a year has had no effect.
Everyone has the stories, and the memories of loved ones now dead who were not saved by The System of health care. My own experience of several surgeries as a result of accidents have been glimpses into a seriously broken world of overworked well-meaning people and a billing morass that requires every patient to have a very savvy advocate on their side.
May MAHA bring about change, let the DOGE hardball begin.
Thank you for a well-written piece. For me, it's too bad we focus on Band-Aid fixes for what is quickly being discovered as a food supply problem. Until the FDA stops food producers from poisoning our bodies with pesticide-laden food, toxic dies, and biome-destroying preservatives, Americans are going to continue to get sicker and sicker. There is a reason Americans are among the most obese, chronically ill people in the world; our Government has turned a blind eye to safe food production.
I thought you were a fan of Kennedy. Gut biome research is on the forefront of medical research in 2025 and there is an undeniable connection with our mediocre/toxic food supply and chronic illness. Check out what’s coming out of UCLA, Stanford, Harvard, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany and the UK.
You've recounted an ancedote . I lived in Europe for 17 years in several countries. The healthcare is fine -- and a LOT less expensive than the USAs, Here we pay, by far, the most on healthcare per capita and are not 'best' by any metric including infant mortality, life span, or even patient satisfaction. The doctors are controlled by the insurance companies and the entire system has lost the ability (or desire) to determine what anything costs. Cataract surgery .. billed for $13,000, but paid $900 by insurance ... if you happen to be in the right HMO. Defending the American healthcare system is like ordering Beef Tandori at an Indian Restaurant
With regards to hospitals performing treatments to humans, I don't like the industry concept of attempting to make the most money by delivering "things" ASAP. A doctor performing a surgery shouldn't be pressed to think about how many surgeries he has to perform today. Let the person that's on the operating table be the only concern to a doctor at the moment.
That makes him a "genius"? Anyone with a moral compass would see someone stealing peoples' homes and land and kicking them out for a new golf course as wicked.
There you are again using the "moral compass" phrase. There's a thing called a "war," new word for you L. Angel <g>. With regards to a war, it is common knowledge and common sense the term, "to the victor belong the spoils." Translated: the winner of the war gets everything. In my world of thinking, Israel won the war by a landslide. And if Israel likes the thought of having an American based entity controlling Gaza, it's Israel's choice. This means, unfortunately the Palestinians get screwed. But that's what happens when the Palestinians voted for Hamas to control Gaza. Yes, Trump is a genius. Take note of what a genius looks like L. Angel and perhaps you can become one yourself.
You've seen me use the "moral compass" phrase with you before because you apparently don't have one. I don't strive to be a genius. I strive to be a person with integrity who lives in truth. You strive for the opposite. Look at what you just wrote.
I tried and could not find any support for his claim that Trump was "allowed" to “lose” the 2020 election so that he wouldn’t have to mandate the Operation Warp Speed COVID injections.
I've never heard this argument before and could not find support for it. Having source info would be helpful.
Can one imagine how much better US healthcare would be minus 12 million illegal migrants? Like education, criminal justice and housing, the added burden to the system makes wait times, cost and outcomes less optimal. My Daughter, spent a couple years in Barcelona on a student visa. Before she was granted the visa, she had to have proof of medical clearance along with health insurance. Countries in the EU do not have the capacity or the will to provide care for millions of undocumented migrants. The simple fact remains, undocumented immigration has a negative impact on us all, especially on healthcare. Hospitals along the Mexico-US border are struggling to even keep their doors open due to the influx of migrants.
Lastly, tort reform is needed and expanded, whereby pain and suffering is limited in jury awards. In California we do have MICRA (Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act) which currently caps awards for medical malpractice to $390K for injury from medical errors and $550k for wrongful death. Not perfect by any measure, but needs to be further expanded to include loser pays court costs!
Ya, the concept of "quality of living" never enters the mind of a Democrat.
Calla, thank you for writing about your very entertaining experience you had with the French healthcare system. I believe around the country there is excellent healthcare available, no waiting lines for an operation, etc. My wife has experienced a few shoulder and foot operations, and what I have learned is to obtain the pain killing pills before the operation and not after <g>. An 82-year-old friend was told by a doctor he was too old to have a pancreatic cancer operation. But a discussion with the doctor led to the fact he had little prior history of surgeries and the doctor agreed to go ahead with the surgery. With additional biopsies', he learned the cancer was more serious than initially determined. He had the operation and has now been five years cancer-free as he approaches 90-years-old this April. Summation: Don't accept the Obama remedy of "Just take a pill for the pain."
We live in Canada. Last May my wife fell and broke her right femur. An ambulance quickly came, took her to a hospital (Victoria General) where she spent the night in a bed in emergency before being operated on the next morning and moved to a ward. Five days in the hospital receiving excellent care, followed by rehab sessions until the therapist told her she was well on the way to recovery. Excellent care. Total cost: $80.00 (Canadian) for the ambulance ride.
We were bicycling touring in Italy. Friend fell and broke on the the bones in his lower arm. Similar story. I needed some metal and/or screws or such. I forget the cost but it was almost trivial. And this was for a tourist.
Same story from a friend telling of a friend of his who had a bike accident in Spain.
You obviously have no real understanding of Canadian health care, and although you may have moral issues with medically assisted suicide that is irrelevant to the point. As for regular health care, my wife and I have been quite happy with our care. We do pay, of course, for the two of us about 1,400 per year (or, about 950US), plus co-pays on prescription drugs. Health care costs in the US are driven by insurance companies and for-profit health systems.
I'm not well informed on US health care, but suspect that over-treatment is a result of being able to bill insurance companies who, in turn, can adjust their rates accordingly. On the other hand, my brother lives in New Mexico and three years ago had a major heart attack that required an emergency airlift to Santa Fe, several days of extreme intensive care, another airlift to Albuquerque, ten more days in the hospital and then two months of rehab before he could return home. Immense cost, fortunately for him covered by VA, medicare, and medicaid.
Nice term "worried-well"
It's fitting.
As an elderly retired American citizen living in Lompoc, I am amazed to still be alive after receiving immediate health care at our local hospital by an excellent surgical procedure removing 1/3 of my cancerous intestines 5 years ago. So far, no unpleasant after effects either.
Also, another fast save happened when I broke my wrist - the emergency office helped me in town, and then treatment by a great physician in SoLvang preserved all functions. All under medicare.
One thing I'm hoping the new administration pulls off is some sort of make America healthier again. I'd like to see more and better-paid primary care doctors and their teams. Right now they seem overworked forced to see too many people a day and mostly staring at computer screens checking boxes to appease what ever insurance god their company got in bed with.
As an allied health professional I have worked often within the "system."
Today I have been informed by 2 of my physicians, a PT, and a chiropractor they will be retiring within 6 months or a year because of the General state of medicine and the crushing idiotic Calif. insurance.
Bye bye excellent health care. Hello socialist health care.
New Study Shows 25% of Hospital Deaths Caused by Doctor Errors
Analysis by Johns Hopkins University shows 10% of deaths in the United States are caused by preventable medical mistakes. This statistic puts medical negligence as the third leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease and cancer.
I currently split my medical care between a GP at the UCLA Goleta clinic (who I think is amazing and where I never have to wait for an appointment); and specialists at Sansum/Sutter, where typically the wait is 6 months for an appointment and I was once quoted a wait of 18 months to get in to "meet and greet" a potential new GP.
I am following the care given at S/S to an elderly friend for the Crohn's disease that she developed immediately after receiving both the flu and covid shots at Costco at the same time. Three days later she was in a diaper and has been for 3 years since. S/S told her there was no treatment available, UNTIL I convinced her to sign up for Medicare part D. Then immediately they "discovered" a treatment that bills Medicare $6,000 for each infusion every 6 weeks. Which after a year has had no effect.
Everyone has the stories, and the memories of loved ones now dead who were not saved by The System of health care. My own experience of several surgeries as a result of accidents have been glimpses into a seriously broken world of overworked well-meaning people and a billing morass that requires every patient to have a very savvy advocate on their side.
May MAHA bring about change, let the DOGE hardball begin.
Awesome opportunity to have a citation for your first sentence.
Otherwise, it reads to me 99% less wrinkles.
Thank you for a well-written piece. For me, it's too bad we focus on Band-Aid fixes for what is quickly being discovered as a food supply problem. Until the FDA stops food producers from poisoning our bodies with pesticide-laden food, toxic dies, and biome-destroying preservatives, Americans are going to continue to get sicker and sicker. There is a reason Americans are among the most obese, chronically ill people in the world; our Government has turned a blind eye to safe food production.
I thought you were a fan of Kennedy. Gut biome research is on the forefront of medical research in 2025 and there is an undeniable connection with our mediocre/toxic food supply and chronic illness. Check out what’s coming out of UCLA, Stanford, Harvard, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany and the UK.
You've recounted an ancedote . I lived in Europe for 17 years in several countries. The healthcare is fine -- and a LOT less expensive than the USAs, Here we pay, by far, the most on healthcare per capita and are not 'best' by any metric including infant mortality, life span, or even patient satisfaction. The doctors are controlled by the insurance companies and the entire system has lost the ability (or desire) to determine what anything costs. Cataract surgery .. billed for $13,000, but paid $900 by insurance ... if you happen to be in the right HMO. Defending the American healthcare system is like ordering Beef Tandori at an Indian Restaurant
Unfortunately, our doctors, since Covid, are overwhelmed and it’s very difficult to get in to see one.
I believe that our American healthcare system will never be the same as doctors are retiring and nurses are overwhelmed with work and quitting.
We need medical schools that will train doctors for minimum dollars so that when they graduate they can afford to buy a house and have a family.
With regards to hospitals performing treatments to humans, I don't like the industry concept of attempting to make the most money by delivering "things" ASAP. A doctor performing a surgery shouldn't be pressed to think about how many surgeries he has to perform today. Let the person that's on the operating table be the only concern to a doctor at the moment.
Does that tin hat help keep off the rain?
The tin foil hat S2 wears was designed by Trump and his Nazis to malfunction during rainstorms.
S2 so why aren't you cheering the dismantling of USAID which funded biolabs?
Please name the other nefarious things that are going to replace USAID?
Please explain how Operation Warp Speed is responsible for Covid as opposed to USAID money going into biolabs which may have created the virus?
So in addition to apartheid and genocide, this page also supports the covid shots? And calls 'tin hat' to those who recognize their problems?
It actually makes sense now. Most of them sound like they've had one booster too many.
Trump's a genius, only he would look at Gaza strip as a great golf course.
That makes him a "genius"? Anyone with a moral compass would see someone stealing peoples' homes and land and kicking them out for a new golf course as wicked.
There you are again using the "moral compass" phrase. There's a thing called a "war," new word for you L. Angel <g>. With regards to a war, it is common knowledge and common sense the term, "to the victor belong the spoils." Translated: the winner of the war gets everything. In my world of thinking, Israel won the war by a landslide. And if Israel likes the thought of having an American based entity controlling Gaza, it's Israel's choice. This means, unfortunately the Palestinians get screwed. But that's what happens when the Palestinians voted for Hamas to control Gaza. Yes, Trump is a genius. Take note of what a genius looks like L. Angel and perhaps you can become one yourself.
You've seen me use the "moral compass" phrase with you before because you apparently don't have one. I don't strive to be a genius. I strive to be a person with integrity who lives in truth. You strive for the opposite. Look at what you just wrote.
I think he’s planning on making a fortune on real-estate there, deporting all the Palestinians and renaming it “Trump Town.”
You are being wicked ;-)
Why don't people include footnotes showing their sources for such claims? I'd love to see that so we know what's conjecture and what's fact.
Google is a verb !
I tried and could not find any support for his claim that Trump was "allowed" to “lose” the 2020 election so that he wouldn’t have to mandate the Operation Warp Speed COVID injections.
I've never heard this argument before and could not find support for it. Having source info would be helpful.