The Guardian: NHS v U.S. GOP Liars

Is public healthcare in the UK as sick as rightwing America claims?

Via: Gruber’s Daring FIreball.

“The claim

Ted Kennedy, 77, would not be treated for his brain tumour if he was in Britain because he is too old – Charles Grassley, Republican senator from Iowa.

The response

Untrue, says the Department of Health. ‘There is no ban on anyone of any age receiving any treatment,’ said a spokesman. ‘Whether to prescribe drugs or recommend surgery is rightly a clinical decision taken on a case by case basis.’”

Grassley is fueling a fire of stupid and lies (Via: Talking Points Memo. ). Yay for discourse in the U.S.! Yay for the party of do-nothing! Yay for the party of “NO!” Yay for the party of we-want-to-keep-you-scared-entertained-and-enslaved-to-corporate-overlords”.

  • pizzocalabro
  • http://www.jeppemorgenthaler.com morgenthaler
  • http://mademoisellejones.wordpress.com Katherine

    I live in the UK, and my grandmother died in 2002, at the age of 81, after a long battle with cancer.
    She was able to go into hospital for tests, not worrying about the money side of things, and concentrate on getting better. When she was too ill to leave hospital, she didn’t have to worry about rising bills. When she was so ill that she had to move into a hospice (which is part-NHS, part-charity funded) she didn’t have to worry about the bills, and neither did my family. She recieved excellent care right up until the end of her life.
    When my father was diagnosed with the same kind of cancer last year, he was able to go into hospital, have his operation, and have all the after-care and drugs, without worrying about how to pay for it. (Seeing a pattern here?) His cancer is now in remission, due to the efforts of the NHS staff.
    My son was born in December 2008, after a long pre-labour and many, many scares. The midwives were excellent, as was the rest of the medical care. We didn’t have to worry about paying for it afterwards, and it meant we could concentrate on making sure David was safe and healthy, both before and after birth. A friend who lives in the US is still paying off the bill from the birth of his five-year-old, when he and his family didn’t have insurance. I can’t fathom being in that situation.
    Thanks for all the coverage you’ve done of the US situation. It’s been good to read from a calm, rational perspective.

    Katherine