Praying For Affordable Care

 

Pete, Jeff and Tom Degan

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Today we may see the destruction of Affordable Care in this nation forever. It depends upon The Supremes.

My expatriate brother, Jeff Degan, wrote this message to his fellow Americans eleven years ago. I found it in my Facebook "Memories" page very early this morning. It seems a bit strange that, all of these years later, we're still having this same, idiotic conversation:

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"As an American who has been living in Europe for most of the last 20 years, one who has visited doctors numerous times in four different countries, whose two children were brought into this world in European hospitals (France and England), who has himself spent a week in a public British hospital, and who underwent an operation in a private British clinic, I think I can say a thing or two about health care in Europe.

"Our out of pocket expenses for the births? Zero. Even though in France my wife spent 5 days in the hospital after the birth of our first daughter, which is standard by the way. "During the three years we lived in England, we never once paid for medicine for our children. Children get drugs for free in the UK. Visits to the GP are free for everybody.

"My expenses for the week in the NHS hospital? Zero.

"The cost of the operation in the private clinic? Zero, it was covered by my work insurance, as was the post-op physical therapy I needed.

"In Western Europe you would never be forced to sell your home in order to pay for your medical bills, as happens all too often in America when catastrophic illness strikes and the insurance company decides that your condition was 'pre-existing'.

"The quality of the care? Mostly good. French hospitals are excellent, even the food is decent. The food at the NHS hospital was beyond awful, but then again most English food is pretty bad (though they do have great Indian food).

At night, they were understaffed, but I am guessing that, apart from that place where Dr. House works, most American hospitals are understaffed at night, too.

"In short, in the US, you pay more, get less, and die younger than we do in Europe. What part of that don't you understand?

"My fellow Americans, you have nothing to fear except those who would use fear to keep you enslaved to the myth of the might of the American health care system."

Jeff Degan, Somewhere in France

What can I tell you? I know what you're thinking and and I wholeheartedly agree: the guy is a hopeless commie: an eternal shame and disgrace to the good name of the Degan Family. I also think that he may very well be on to something.

Tom Degan, Goshen, NY