Sep 05 2007
Public Medicine To Be Denied To Those Who Live Unhealthy Lifestyles
Want to know how bad it is in publically funded medicine? As if the months or year long waits for medical treatment aren’t bad enough, and the fact substandard procedures and treatments are used to save money, now some useless bureaucrats hidden away in the bowels of government will be determining who is living a lifestyle worthy of free “public” health care:
Failing to follow a healthy lifestyle could lead to free NHS treatment being denied under the Tory plans.
Patients would be handed “NHS Health Miles Cards” allowing them to earn reward points for losing weight, giving up smoking, receiving immunisations or attending regular health screenings.
Like a supermarket loyalty card, the points could be redeemed as discounts on gym membership and fresh fruit and vegetables, or even give priority for other public services – such as jumping the queue for council housing.But heavy smokers, the obese and binge drinkers who were a drain on the NHS could be denied some routine treatments such as hip replacements until they cleaned up their act.
So paying into the system is mandatory, but means nothing in terms of your access. And for those who did not get a good education and have substandard jobs, or who sit at home and live off the hard work of others, they can get free care as long as they pretend they are living a government approved life style. So if you eat your veggies but live in a gang, your cool?
The problem with this nonsense, as with all liberal dribble, is the money it costs to put this stupid plan in place will use up more funds than any non-perfect life style (read drone). You have to subsidize the gyms and vegetables, put in place the record keeping apparatus, and you have to fund the lifestyle police and lawyers who will be in court taking away the free “public” health care rights for those who do not toe the line.
And what about those who have a milk allergy and don’t get their protein or Vitamin D? What about football players who pick up life long injuries during their brief careers? What about those who surf or ski or do any other kind of risk sport? What about drivers who speed? What about those miscreants that still eat butter on plain white bread for God’s sake! Its 1984 finally.
A already posted on this but it’s worth repeating.
In the UK, with it’s socialized hospital system,
they routinely deny care to people with unhealthy lifestyles,
principally those who smoke or are overweight.
This should be a warning to everybody about how far the
government should not be let into our free lives.
BTW: Their BBC* began a debate today on whether everybody,
including vacationing visitors, should be forced to supply a DNA
sample for their police database. BBC* was for it.
First it’s just a mandatory check-up, then it’s every step you take.
How is this any different than No Child Left Behind which punishes sturggling schools by reducing funding, thereby double penalizing students unfortunate to be in lousy school districts.
Further, if you are a heavy smoker or binge drinker, many ethical surgeons in the US will not perform certain operations, as smoking compromises circulation. One of the procedures talked about was a hip replacement, which involves massive exposure and usually transfused blood. Smoking before such an operation is a big risk. Similary, many plastic surgeons will not perform on smoker’s, as results dependent upon good circulation are negatively impacted.
Anecdotally, I recall the last time I was in an emrgency room: in the room next to me I could hear a cardiac patient being questioned by a cardiac resident: