Comments on: Contact Your Members of Congress About Health Care Reform Today! http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com/2009/06/contact-your-members-of-congress-about-health-care-reform-today/ Tue, 08 Sep 2015 08:11:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1 By: Lisa Emrich http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com/2009/06/contact-your-members-of-congress-about-health-care-reform-today/#comment-336 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:13:53 +0000 http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com/?p=2972#comment-336 Hi RA Guy,
I know a lot about the various MS societies but less so about RA organizations. Where would you recommend that I start? Which are the most prominent orgs and what does each focus on?

I’d love to get an email from you about this. I need to become more knowledgeable with RA resources out there.

]]> By: witchlinblue http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com/2009/06/contact-your-members-of-congress-about-health-care-reform-today/#comment-333 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:57:23 +0000 http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com/?p=2972#comment-333 I know I’ve already written a lot but I need to just add that here in Canada another reason for our waits is that Canada loses a large amount of medical staff to the U.S. because the pay is twice as much as in Canada. So we have shortages of specialists and nurses for example. If the U.S. adopted our policy, medical staff wages would be capped and things would equal out between the two countries. Another words we would stop losing medical professionals, thus decreasing wait times and the U.S. would have fair and equal medial and dental coverage for all it’s citizens.
Sorry RA_Guy, I am very passionate about this particular situation and I have, as you can see, a lot to say about it.

]]> By: witchlinblue http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com/2009/06/contact-your-members-of-congress-about-health-care-reform-today/#comment-332 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:51:23 +0000 http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com/?p=2972#comment-332 I have to say that I feel sorry for people with RA and other chronic diseases and conditions in the U.S. because I do not have to worry about the expense of my medical/therapy care or my medications here in Canada. Granted, we are known for our long waits for a hospital bed, surgeries and appointments with specialists, however, I would rather wait (if it wasn’t an emergency) then worry about money. Though the wait is really a wait your turn thing here, another words the rich do not get to pay in order to get medical care before a poor person, thus waiting times, (not always, but often if you have a disease). Once you are a patient of a specialist, then you no longer have wait times really. For example right now I have been referred to a different nerosurgeon who specializes in a specific group of diseases and I’ve been waiting for my initial appointment for 7 months. Once I’m his patient the waiting will be over for future appointments. If I have an emergency though ER will deal with it. ER in Canada needs a lot of help (average waiting time unless it is life and death is about 4 – 5 hours or more). This of course is not acceptable and it has been addressed many a time and will continue to be until it is fixed. Overall though the rich do not get appointments before the poor because they can pay for it. The poor are covered medically and stand an equal chance of medical care as the rich. Many rich Canadians seek medical care in the U.S. due to that very thing. I lived in England and the same situation is there.
Since I’ve left professional life it took a few years to adjust to my financial means but I learned to cope and I live within my means but I do not have the stresses of money at all, certainly no medical or dental bills, ever. I did live in Texas for a year and even though I brought a years worth of meds with me (snuck, don’t tell anyone :), I had many an occasion to seek medical help and wow paying up front was a stress beyond words for me. I did a lot of grin and bare it and I was a medical mess when I arrived back in Canada. I just don’t know how a person who can not work anymore will afford medical help on a low income in the U.S.. I’ve heard so many horror stories of what a person goes through there if they are on a low income and not insured (Hollywood has assisted in that notion).
Here is hoping that Obama manages to pull health care reforms to a postive level in the U.S. and that everyone gets fair and equal medical and drug coverage.

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