A Very Sad Story Thanks To Our Marvelous US Health Care System

[MannyGoldstein]

The single adoptive mother of a girl in my son's first grade class died suddenly last week. Had surgery on Friday, collapsed and died in her home on Monday. Probably a sudden cardiac arrest or blood clot. We went to the memorial service last Friday.

If she had been in any other other industrialized country, she'd probably have been kept in the hospital a few days after the surgery' She'd have been in the hospital when the fatal event occurred, where they might well have saved her. Hard to believe, but people are kept in the hospital far longer in other countries to properly recuperate - and still they spend far less per person than we do. More for less.

I feel awful for her little girl - she's going off to live with relatives of her Mom. So damned sad.

When I think of things like this, and I see so many in the media lying, utterly lying, about the costs and quality of care in countries with universal health insurance, I go nuts.

What's our fucking problem that we can't get our acts together to make world-class health care happen?