How many tragedies must there be?

“I don’t mean to imply that all people who work for health insurance companies are greedier or more evil than other Americans,” he writes. “In fact, many of them feel — and justifiably so — that they are helping millions of people get they care they need.” The real problem, he says, lies in the fact that the United States “has entrusted one of the most important societal functions, providing health care, to private health insurance companies.” Therefore, the top executives of these companies become beholden not to the patients they have pledged to cover, but to the shareholders who hold them responsible for the bottom line.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/he...pagewanted=all

Hmmm ... shareholders need coverage too ...

Thank you! I have adored Wendell Potter for speaking out and talking about this since he began. I am looking forward to reading his book. I have read articles by him, particularly one where he described going to a free health care event held at an outdoor stadium or something like that. It was cold and raining, and people camped in the parking lot to get in, sick and desparate for care. He was shocked and said "This is America? I feel as if I am in some third world country."

This article points to exactly what needs to change about medical care (okay there's other things too, like the high costs) and that is that the bottom line should be Health Care and not Wall Street.

There have always been "tragedies" in the health care system. Both my parents died because they were already old enough, according to their individual doctors, and advanced care wasn't given to them appropriately.

As for this transplant issue...there have always been issues, imo, there as well, it's just no one ever brought them to light. But I thought under the new plan that children received their care, including preexisting conditions (whereas adults do not.)

Bottom line on the transplants though, one societal group tends to need them most, yet donate the least, just like with blood. Until we all give our fair share, if we are able, there will always be tragedies.

I never heard this before. Who is keeping track?