Precis: The american health system sucks. It is true that many people don't get insurance and are in very bad positions medically. However, even people with health insurance don't get good coverage. Insurance companies incentive is money not the health of their clients. Insurance companies find ways to deny coverage and leave people with huge co-payments that many time put them in debt. We should have a socialized healthcare system instead.
Evidence:
A. 1)Interviews with Canadians on thier healthcare system
2) US ranking 37 for healthcare in the world
B. The ranking of the US healthcare system shows how poorly the US is ranked despite being the richest country in the world. One would think that with the weatlh the US has it's healthcare system would rank higher. This piece of evidence helps drive home Moore's point that the current system we have is not taking care of the American people. The interviews with Canadians on their healthcare system helps provide a feasible alternative. In interviewing them he shows that the people are generally satisfied and they don't have to pay. Canada a country which is far less wealthy than the US is providing better healthcare for their people.
C.I believe Moore gets to angry when arguing and that weakens his response but he responds correctly by saying he will post all the facts again on his website. He is being questioned by repbulicans who he showed in his film are funded by these insurance companies. It is obvious that they would like to attack his points because they are funded by the people Moore is attacking in his film.
Response: Moore did a good job of pointing out the flaws in the system we have. He showed how although one may have coverage it does not necessarily mean they will be taken care of. He showed alternatives that worked in other countries. The part that stuck out the most too me was the relationship between the insurance companies and politicians. It is obvious that republicans would support the insurance companies and pass bills to help them because they are being funded by these same companies.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
HW 24
Paul Farmer was a very admirable man who dedicated his life to help the poor with medical issues. His biggest belief was that you must treat every patient and through that model he helped build a small village in Haiti where all the poor received medical care. His model then started to spread to other countries. Farmer was showing the medical world a new way to deal with patients and although it is unlikely there will be many people like him, he showed what a small dedicated group of people can do.
It's a parallel universe. There really is no relation between the massive accumulation of wealth in one part of the world and abject misery in another. (Farmer, 218)
He is being sarcastic and showing that money is intertwined with the health care system and that those who have little money get bad healthcare. I think because he understand the relationship between money and medical care and is truly there to help the patient he is such an extraordinary doctor.
"Paul is a model of what should be done. He's not a model for how it has to be done. Let's celebrate him. Let's make sure people are inspired by him. But we can't say anybody should or could be just like him." (Jim Kim, 244)
this is a very important quote because it is unrealistic to hold someone to the standards of Paul Farmer because they are extraordinary but people should follow his goal which is to help all that are sick. People should use him as a model but not copy him.
"It's embarrassing that piddly little projects like ours should serve as exemplars. It's only because other people haven't been doing their jobs."(Farmer, 257)
Farmer understood why medical care for the poor was so terrible. He understand the issues in the system and knows that is the reason that people in Haiti have such terrible health care.
I think this book did a very good job of showing the suffering of the poor but also showed how people are being helped. Farmer focuses on helping the poor particularly because they receive the worst healthcare if any. The book shows an alternative way of dealing with illness and dying from the norm which is very uncommon. However, it also educates us on why things are the way they are medically.
It's a parallel universe. There really is no relation between the massive accumulation of wealth in one part of the world and abject misery in another. (Farmer, 218)
He is being sarcastic and showing that money is intertwined with the health care system and that those who have little money get bad healthcare. I think because he understand the relationship between money and medical care and is truly there to help the patient he is such an extraordinary doctor.
"Paul is a model of what should be done. He's not a model for how it has to be done. Let's celebrate him. Let's make sure people are inspired by him. But we can't say anybody should or could be just like him." (Jim Kim, 244)
this is a very important quote because it is unrealistic to hold someone to the standards of Paul Farmer because they are extraordinary but people should follow his goal which is to help all that are sick. People should use him as a model but not copy him.
"It's embarrassing that piddly little projects like ours should serve as exemplars. It's only because other people haven't been doing their jobs."(Farmer, 257)
Farmer understood why medical care for the poor was so terrible. He understand the issues in the system and knows that is the reason that people in Haiti have such terrible health care.
I think this book did a very good job of showing the suffering of the poor but also showed how people are being helped. Farmer focuses on helping the poor particularly because they receive the worst healthcare if any. The book shows an alternative way of dealing with illness and dying from the norm which is very uncommon. However, it also educates us on why things are the way they are medically.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Hw 22
Mountains beyond mountains, by: Tracy Kidder, Random house, 2004
Precis: Paul Farmer is a young doctor working in Haiti. He is "a doctor for the poor". Meaning that he has devoted his life to working with the poor particularly in Haiti and providing them with medical services they normally would not receive. He lives a very chaotic life and has devoted his entire life and given up a "normal life" to serve the poor.
Quotes: "In Haiti. I knew per capita incomes came to a little more than one American dollar a day, less than that in the central plateau."(Kidder,20)
This shows the immense poverty of the majority of the Haitian population.
"The world is full of miserable places. One way of living comfortably is not to think about them or, when you do, to send money." (Kidder,4)
This is the classic way of not feeling guilty about the horrific issues going on in the world. Of course it is good to give money to charities and such but that does not fix the problem.
I can't sleep. There's always somebody not getting treatment.(quote from Farmer) (Kidder, 24)
I think this is a great example of Farmer's mindset. It shows his devotion to helping those who are in dire need of help and have no other options.
Thoughts
Paul Farmer is a very admirable man. He is doing something extremely uncommon and courageous. Having said that, the book is showing me a lot about Farmer's life and what he does however I have yet to grasp the morale or direction the book is taking. Although Farmer is doing a lot of good what are his solution to the world medical issues. After all he is only working in small areas.
Precis: Paul Farmer is a young doctor working in Haiti. He is "a doctor for the poor". Meaning that he has devoted his life to working with the poor particularly in Haiti and providing them with medical services they normally would not receive. He lives a very chaotic life and has devoted his entire life and given up a "normal life" to serve the poor.
Quotes: "In Haiti. I knew per capita incomes came to a little more than one American dollar a day, less than that in the central plateau."(Kidder,20)
This shows the immense poverty of the majority of the Haitian population.
"The world is full of miserable places. One way of living comfortably is not to think about them or, when you do, to send money." (Kidder,4)
This is the classic way of not feeling guilty about the horrific issues going on in the world. Of course it is good to give money to charities and such but that does not fix the problem.
I can't sleep. There's always somebody not getting treatment.(quote from Farmer) (Kidder, 24)
I think this is a great example of Farmer's mindset. It shows his devotion to helping those who are in dire need of help and have no other options.
Thoughts
Paul Farmer is a very admirable man. He is doing something extremely uncommon and courageous. Having said that, the book is showing me a lot about Farmer's life and what he does however I have yet to grasp the morale or direction the book is taking. Although Farmer is doing a lot of good what are his solution to the world medical issues. After all he is only working in small areas.
hw 21r/w group comments
Abdul, I like that you took the most interesting parts out of Beth's presentation and related them to yourself. That makes the connection and importance of what she is talking about all the more real. You also did a very good job at showing the extraordinary in what Beth did. Finally, I think your last paragraph ties together the rest of your blog post very well by bringing out the most interesting and insightful point you got from her presentation.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
HW 21
1. People often refuse to admit their sickness because they are embarassed/scared of showing vulnerability.
2. Insurance and other medical issue were also a problem, as they are for many people, however the medical attention once the insurance was acquired was sufficient.
3. It's essential to the morale of someone who is ill, to treat them and show them to others as human
4. Treating others like humans rather than tools
Beth's experience was obviously much more intense than any personal experience I have had with illness and dying. She dealt with a very difficult illness in a very extraordinary way. However, her struggle to get health insurance is a very common problem and leaves many people feeling stuck on how to take care of themselves and whether or not to even bother going to see the doctor or going to a hospital. She also spoke about how her husband refused to admit he was sick and go to the hospital when he first starting getting sick. She added that she has found this quite common in men. I can relate to this feeling, whenever I am sick or hurt I try to continue my daily life as normal as possible even though many of the times I should take extra caution to make sure my illness or injury does not get worse. This is probably closely connected with the fact that illness is a natural part of life that feels very unnatural to us because we have a somewhat invincible sense about ourselves.
The 3rd and 4th insight that I pulled from Beth's presentation are very closely connected and I found this too be the most extraordinary thing about how she handled her husband's illness. What she did was not particularly difficult but it was extremely uncommon. The fact that she made sure to treat all the hospital staff as well as her sick husband as people was something that is pretty unseen. The hospital staff are usually treated as a tool to heal the patients or at least viewed in that way. This is the same for the patient, they are treated as work by the doctor. However, by taking the small extra step to make people feel more like people she not only helped the morale of her husband but increased the quality of her care by having many of the hospital staff on her side.
I think the biggest the most significant thing I pulled from Beth's presentation is that there is a different way to deal with illness, especially serious illnesses. What she did was very rare but not that hard, especially taking in to account the difference she mad for her husband as well as many of the hospital staff. She was obviously a very strong woman to deal with everything in the fashion she provided me with a concrete alternative in dealing with illness and dying.
2. Insurance and other medical issue were also a problem, as they are for many people, however the medical attention once the insurance was acquired was sufficient.
3. It's essential to the morale of someone who is ill, to treat them and show them to others as human
4. Treating others like humans rather than tools
Beth's experience was obviously much more intense than any personal experience I have had with illness and dying. She dealt with a very difficult illness in a very extraordinary way. However, her struggle to get health insurance is a very common problem and leaves many people feeling stuck on how to take care of themselves and whether or not to even bother going to see the doctor or going to a hospital. She also spoke about how her husband refused to admit he was sick and go to the hospital when he first starting getting sick. She added that she has found this quite common in men. I can relate to this feeling, whenever I am sick or hurt I try to continue my daily life as normal as possible even though many of the times I should take extra caution to make sure my illness or injury does not get worse. This is probably closely connected with the fact that illness is a natural part of life that feels very unnatural to us because we have a somewhat invincible sense about ourselves.
The 3rd and 4th insight that I pulled from Beth's presentation are very closely connected and I found this too be the most extraordinary thing about how she handled her husband's illness. What she did was not particularly difficult but it was extremely uncommon. The fact that she made sure to treat all the hospital staff as well as her sick husband as people was something that is pretty unseen. The hospital staff are usually treated as a tool to heal the patients or at least viewed in that way. This is the same for the patient, they are treated as work by the doctor. However, by taking the small extra step to make people feel more like people she not only helped the morale of her husband but increased the quality of her care by having many of the hospital staff on her side.
I think the biggest the most significant thing I pulled from Beth's presentation is that there is a different way to deal with illness, especially serious illnesses. What she did was very rare but not that hard, especially taking in to account the difference she mad for her husband as well as many of the hospital staff. She was obviously a very strong woman to deal with everything in the fashion she provided me with a concrete alternative in dealing with illness and dying.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
HW 19
I spoke with my mother on the topic of illness and dying. Her views basically coincided with mine, not surprising. She first shared that she thinks death is seen as something almost "unnatural" in our society and for this reason we are so uncomfortable around it. She then tried to think of more to say on how we deal with illness and dying on a personal level however found that she did not have much to say on the topic, and "did not really know what she thought". She concurred that society does not teach a "right" way to deal with the ill and dying and therefore we always feel so uncomfortable in situation that involve people who are ill/dying.
She then talked about the correlation between the treatment of the ill and dying with their socio-economic level. She made the point that the working class are much more susceptible to catching diseases and illnesses because the living and working conditions of the working class are many times under par and the same precautions to prevent illness that are available to those with money are not very common in the working class. She also made the point that those who are rich have the funds to help them beat diseases and buy medicine to cure them, or at least keep them alive, and even if they do die it is more likely that they will die a more peaceful death then someone who is poor.
It is pretty obvious that her views have affected how I approach this topic a great amount. I completely agree with her. people who have a lot of money can deal with illness and dying easier on a physical level, however on a personal level and in terms of how we deal with ill and dying family or friends I think it is equally uncomfortable for the rich and poor. I am completely confused in trying to answer why we are so uncomfortable around the ill. I can come up with reasons on why I would be uncomfortable, but I can't quite put my finger on that weird feeling you get when you go to visit someone who is sick in the hospital. One thing my mom said made a big impression on me, she said "if you are someone poor, especially an immigrant, you are seen as something expendable." This made such a big impression on me because not only is it terrible but it is true. If someone does not have the money to pay for hospital bills, or a heart transplant, or medication for a fatal illness, then they are pretty much tossed aside and unless they can get the money together they are left to die. No valued human life should be treated in that manner, and therefore it is obvious that the lives of normal working class people are not valued to the extent any human life should be valued. This is not to say that all the doctors and nurses are terrible people but rather the system in which everything operates does not accomodate the needs of everybody and therefore some people have to be excluded, unfortunately this ends up being those who don't have enough money to pay...the majority.
She then talked about the correlation between the treatment of the ill and dying with their socio-economic level. She made the point that the working class are much more susceptible to catching diseases and illnesses because the living and working conditions of the working class are many times under par and the same precautions to prevent illness that are available to those with money are not very common in the working class. She also made the point that those who are rich have the funds to help them beat diseases and buy medicine to cure them, or at least keep them alive, and even if they do die it is more likely that they will die a more peaceful death then someone who is poor.
It is pretty obvious that her views have affected how I approach this topic a great amount. I completely agree with her. people who have a lot of money can deal with illness and dying easier on a physical level, however on a personal level and in terms of how we deal with ill and dying family or friends I think it is equally uncomfortable for the rich and poor. I am completely confused in trying to answer why we are so uncomfortable around the ill. I can come up with reasons on why I would be uncomfortable, but I can't quite put my finger on that weird feeling you get when you go to visit someone who is sick in the hospital. One thing my mom said made a big impression on me, she said "if you are someone poor, especially an immigrant, you are seen as something expendable." This made such a big impression on me because not only is it terrible but it is true. If someone does not have the money to pay for hospital bills, or a heart transplant, or medication for a fatal illness, then they are pretty much tossed aside and unless they can get the money together they are left to die. No valued human life should be treated in that manner, and therefore it is obvious that the lives of normal working class people are not valued to the extent any human life should be valued. This is not to say that all the doctors and nurses are terrible people but rather the system in which everything operates does not accomodate the needs of everybody and therefore some people have to be excluded, unfortunately this ends up being those who don't have enough money to pay...the majority.
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