[Off topic] Socialized Medicine

[Guest guest]

Greetings All:

The following is the text of a pamphlet that I bought off of EBay. It makes some

very interesting points and describes a system remarkably similar to the

Canadian medical system. Keep in mind that it was written in 1938.

Regards,

Family Doctor or Federal Agent?

It's 3:20 A.M. You've just been awakened. In the next room, your child is

crying. You slip into a robe. In a moment, you're at her bedside.

" What's the matter, dear? " you whisper anxiously.

The poor youngster is doubled up with pain. She can hardly talk.

" My side, " she moans. " It hurts awful. "

You rush to the phone. There's one person you must see. Your family doctor....

Later when your fears are soothed and your child sleeps comfortably after his

treatment, perhaps you exclaim to yourself:

" What would I ever do without Dr. ! "

Imagine, if you can, being deprived of you private family physician. Suppose for

a moment that medicine were socialized. That most physicians were federal agents

on the government payroll.

What kind of treatment could you expect then?

Let's see....

Under socialized medicine, patients flock to the doctor. Their complaints may be

trivial. But they're taxed for the cost of treatment whether they're ill or not.

So they want their money's worth.

You can imagine the result.

" Illness " naturally increases. The number of cases to be treated shoots skyhigh.

The burden on the physician is staggering. He runs from patient to patient. He

is constantly making rounds at the hospital. His office is jammed.

A doctor's time belongs properly to his patients. But under socialized medicine,

a large proportion of it has to go into book-keeping. There are authorizations

to be obtained, government reports to be filled out in duplicate and triplicate,

a multitude of records to be kept, and endless correspondence to be entered

into.

The ill-effects of this overwork on the physician are obvious. Less obvious -

yet far more serious - are the ill-effects on the patient. For example:

The harassed doctor is often unable to answer calls promptly. If the case isn't

serious, this may not make much difference. But suppose it is serious. The

patient may then find himself in a grave predicament.

Even when the doctor does finally arrive, his treatment is bound to be hurried

and impersonal. Demands on his time are such that he must rush off as quickly as

possible on his next call. This means that the patient will receive a quick

once-over at best, followed by some handy stock prescription.

Seldom does the socialized physician get an opportunity to study his patient the

way he should. You, for instance, are not the Mr. or Mrs. Brown he knew since

the day he delivered you. To the government agent you are merely ledger entry

No. 1397.

If you go to the doctor's office you have to wait indefinitely. When your turn

finally comes, he can seldom give you more than three or four minutes of his

time. Naturally, he'll do his best under the circumstances. But lack of time for

proper diagnosis and treatment is a severe handicap. It may outweigh his most

conscientious efforts.

Remember, too, that under socialized medicine the physician is not paid by you.

He is paid by the government, to whom he is responsible . Whether you live or

die, therefore, has little effect on his material success.

But - you suggest, at least the doctor won't send me any more bill!

True. He won't. But the government will. Of course, they won't be the familiar

white slips of paper. They'll take the form of taxes. And they'll hurt!

In this country today, you pay for medical care only when you're sick. Under

socialized medicine, you pay all the time. And you're responsible for the

medical bills of millions of other people besides yourself.

Nor do you pay only for treatment. You pay the fat salaries of useless political

appointees. You pay for the waste and mismanagement always associated with

bureaucratic control.

Of course, you may figure:

Socialized medicine costs more. Therefore, the care I receive should be better.

It should. But is it?

Examine the vital statistics of countries that have had socialized medicine for

years. Look at their death and sickness rates. See how much higher they average

than those of the United States. The record is enough to any American thank God

for our present system of private practice.

Oh, well, you may say, why should I worry? We don't have socialized medicine in

the United States.

Quite right. We don't - yet. But even as you read this, certain Congressmen and

state legislators are planning to foist such a system on the public! Legislation

with socialized medicine as its aim has already been introduced in Washington

and in several state capitols!

But why is such a scheme being promoted? The reason is easily found. Our

politicians are not interested in health. They're interested in creating jobs.

And as a job-creating machine, socialized medicine can scarcely be equalled.

Who will be hurt the most by such a system?

Not the doctor. He is essential to any medical system. The real victim will be

you, the American Patient.

ly, that's the reason for this pamphlet. To give you the facts. To show you

the vital importance of helping yourself.

It's you who stand to lose the most if socialized medicine is admitted to the

United States. It's up to you, therefore, to keep it out!

Copyright 1938, Medical Economics, Inc., Rutherford, N.J.