Last week I received my Brasilean National Health Card. I am delinquent in mentioning this, because Heitor reminded me at the time that this is something I might want to put on the short list of things I like about Brasil. He is, of course, very well aware of the long list of things I don´t like about Brasil. It is interesting, coming as it does at the same time as the national debate about how the health care system in the U.S. is going to be improved.
In reality, I don´t know enough about how the system works in Brasil to make any sweeping generalizations. But I have a few observations. My friend, Frankie, the Brasilean who lived in the U.S. for more than 40 years and taught ESL at L.A. Community College is now 72 or 73 years old. Owing to a car accident on the LA freeways and, at least partially, to some bad decisions he made as a consequence (not having that surgery that was recommended), he gets around only with a walker and very slowly. Once every week a nurse comes to his apartment to see how he is doing and do what little errands he requires. She routinely spends anywhere from 2 to 4 hours with him even though he rarely has anything he seriously requires from her, because he gets out every day and people in the neighborhood take care of him.
It is this nurse, incidentally, to whom I am indebted for receiving my health card. She walked my application through the system even though there is a key national identity card for which I am still waiting. In reality, I didn´t even make an application. I never signed anything. I gave her some key information and she took care of the rest. The lesson might be that it is good to know the right people. But where isn´t that the case?
As I listen to the predictable right wing efforts to demonize all efforts to improve the U.S. system as "socialized medicine," (which is not a description of anything that is being seriously considered as near as I can tell...maybe socialized insurance) I am reminded of how silly labels are when the reality is that people´s lives are hanging in the balance. Tell that person with no insurance that he/she can´t have that procedure because that would be socialized medicine, and therefore a serious mistake.
Someone tell me if I am wrong, but I have the feeling that we have at least progressed to the point where no one is stating seriously anymore that the U.S. has "the best health care system in the world." Except maybe Fox "News," which seems to have thrown in the towel and abandoned all pretense of being a serious news organization.
Ok, how many people have I pissed off today?
Tchau.
PS I learned last week that my membership in the SESC physical conditioning program is not limited to just Tuesdays and Thursdays as I originally thought. I also have access to the facilities on Fridays and Saturdays. So life is good after all (as long as you have health insurance).
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