This is not about universal health care

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Gotta admit, this is an EXTREMELY compelling argument for universal health care. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/insurance-24-year-dies-toothache/story?id=14438171

W/thanks to John McDuffie for the lead.

A non-disturbing view of an abscess.

Being one of those without health insurance and having suffered a couple of abscessed teeth, I can identify. Painkillers are a necessity when dealing with such a problem.

Fortunately I had enough wherewithal on hand to have mine removed. The dentist who did the pulling said he preferred to have a surgeon do a  root canal on the last one.

That much money I did not have.

So with some minor reservations, he pulled it.

But as compelling as this incident is, it still does not convince me of the need for universal health care like some other countries have.

Couple 'o reasons why.

Reason 1:

The donkey is named Obama.       oooooooooo....

Consider this quote ending the story: Silverstein operates three free dental clinics in the San Diego area. "We're overwhelmed right now," he said. "We can't take any new patients."

My community had a free dental clinic not long ago. We had dentists from a wide region come in, volunteering their time to work. Still took money to pay the light bill, a full time secretary and a hygienist.

In my career with newspapers, I wrote a story about a dentist who was being investigated for improper practice. She got off that time. A few years later, a child died in her office in one of the chairs. I believe she went to jail for that one.

The investigation stated she had too many Medicaid patients on her rolls.

Reason 2:

Takes money to run a doctor's office.

Dentists, like doctors, are in the business and must make money in order to stay in business. They have expenses which must be paid. Current government reimbursement rates are too low to cover those expenses, or so dentists tell me. This is why so many of 'em refuse to take Medicaid and Medicare.

Universal health care is going to raise the payment rates to the medical care providers. So, they wil not participate in the system.

Reason 3:

If you force medical care providers to participate in the system, the number of people in the field will drop dramatically, which will lead to overcrowding as enumerated in reason 1.

Besides which, do we as a nation really want to force people to work against their will when they have committed no crime or offense against people?

Testify!

Last time I checked that is slavery. Of course we can repeal the 13th Amendment if enough people want to.

If you force someone to work against their will, what is to stop them from forcing you to work against your will?

Reason 4:

Well, this ain't exactly a reason as much as it is an observation. The gent here, who died, and the other one referenced in the story could have been helped by a dentist. The dentist(s) refused to help.

He (and the other one died) because of a lack of humanity. I sincerely hope every dentist in that area(s) gets reminded of this (these) deaths on a daily basis.

Yeah. I want one. You knew that.

But I can't really levy the big guns on dentists alone. It is not fair.

To be fair, I have to line billions of people on the planet in front of the firing squad for similar offenses. We've all turned a blind eye to someone in need. Someone in genuine need, not someone looking for a hand out. Someone looking for a hand up.

Think about all the people you've turned away. Did any of them die because you wouldn't help?

Willing to bet on that?