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October 1, 2011 in City
Journalist examines health care issues in upcoming talk
Journalist T.R. Reid traveled the world’s richest democracies several years ago in search of answers.
He wanted to find the best treatment for an old shoulder injury that was causing pain. Yet more importantly, he wanted to investigate how other countries deliver health care to their citizens – often with better results and at lower cost.
His work culminated in “The Healing of America,” a best-seller acclaimed for its fresh and frank discussion about not only what’s wrong with health care in the United States, but what might be done to fix it.
Reid reports for the Washington Post, National Public Radio and PBS and this week will be speaking in Spokane about health care, thank in part to a local book club whose members were moved by his book.
Leading the effort was Kelly Hunt, a real estate agent who, as Reid described it, “has the kind of gumption to just call me and ask: ‘Will you come to Spokane and speak to our book club?’”
One thing led to another and now Reid has himself locked into several days of Spokane activities sponsored by Eastern Washington University and Providence Health Care. He’s speaking to a group of Providence managers; biking a section of the Centennial trail with a group of local physicians; giving a public talk Tuesday about his book; and of course, having dinner and discussing his work with Hunt and the other members of “Power of One” book club.
In an interview last week, Reid his intent Tuesday will be to hit on the theme of his book by asking and answering three questions.
First, he intends to share his insights on how the rest of the world’s richest democracies – Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy and others – offer health care that is most often better, cheaper, more satisfactory and fairer to their citizens than that offered in the United States.
He’ll then share the reasons why these countries have such a health care system, and attempt to answer a more uncomfortable question directed to Americans: “Why don’t we.”
“My view, of course, is that we ought to,” he said, “that our destination for better health care should be universal coverage at a reasonable cost. My argument is that if we decided to do it, we could.”
Dr. Tom Schaaf, assistant district medical director for Group Health’s Spokane region, will lead a bicycle ride with Reid over the weekend and anticipates a lively discussion.
“I think he has done, really, a pretty good job of de-demonizing the way health care is delivered in other countries,” Schaaf said. “He has showed us that there are a number of different approaches to ensuring people have health care, and by and large, they’re darn happy with it.”
Schaaf has been a critic of the current fee-for-service model that he contends rewards “quantity over quality.” It’s a system that leads to excessive cost without necessarily providing the best care.
Reid is no medical or economic expert. He is, however, curious and dogged in pursuit of answers. And he has determined that Americans can build a better health care system borrowing from the ideas of other countries that “doesn’t have to be about big government.” “Universal coverage doesn’t mean ‘socialized medicine,’” he said, tracing the anti-reform rally cry to an effort by the American Medical Association in 1947 to disparage President Harry S. Truman’s proposal for a national health care system.
That potent description has been pressed into duty to fight reforms ever since, Reid said.
Reid bashed his shoulder in 1972 as a seaman, second class, in the U.S. Navy. A surgeon screwed his shoulder back together – a fix that worked fine for years until the screw loosened.
His search for a new treatment led him to advocate for a fix of the system.
He calls universal coverage a moral issue for Americans.
That view can be controversial and some even question his patriotism.
“I’m a person who believes that if you love our country, you’ll face up to its problems and help fix them,” he said.
Parishes giving $1.5 million toward settling sex cases 
Dazzeetrader11 on October 01 at 7:26 p.m.
“better (Define better), cheaper (depends on how cheaper is measured and for whom?), more satisfactory (to whom?) and fairer (fairer?…like Obama’s tax ideas??) …” mealy mouthed stuff.
Who says? This author?
“He calls universal coverage a moral issue for Americans.”…uh huh….. Moral it isn’t. Libs like to define things in “moral” terms. Iso lates the “right vs wrong” concept. Of course the polar ideas suit his purpose and never will result in a sober evaluation.
I thought it might stretch to “ethical” too..that’s too easy to defeat. Morals are subjective…or so the left likes to think.
Brought to you by WaPo, NPR and PBS…….wonderful. Don’t suppose there’s a bias??? Look at his training.what it is and what it isn’t.
Dazzee’s in town for the week. She might wander over and see how he is in person.
This appeals to the left. all the fuzzy logic without borders. One thing the left or right never figures out: Having health insurance has nothing to do with health…only money. Having health insurance doesn’t increase longevity…it’s about money.
Who pays for all this? The same people who fund the rest of the system or the 47% who pay no federal taxes???
meadman on October 01 at 8:51 p.m.
Here is a guy with some true knowledge and (probably) a very good educational background….his analysis will no doubt be very clear, well-done, and articulate. No wonder Dazed is reduced to incoherent rambling……
greenlibertarian on October 01 at 9:00 p.m.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/01/health/psychology/01case.html
greenlibertarian on October 01 at 9:17 p.m.
Let’s see what those Communists at Business Week think about his book:
Health Care: Lessons for America
How—and why—other countries have built more efficient systems than the U.S.’s multi-tiered model
By Catherine Arnst
BW Magazine
The Good: Author T.R. Reid did the necessary legwork, visiting many nations to find out what works and what doesn’t in health care
The Bad: This book should be required reading for everyone involved in the current U.S. health-care battle, but it isn’t
The Bottom Line: The Healing of America could easily have bogged down on policy minutiae. Instead, it’s a crisp read and seriously incisive
…
At the same time, he learned that almost all countries use one of four health-care models: Germany’s Bismarck system, in which hospitals and insurers are private entities and financing comes from payroll deductions; Britain’s Beveridge Model, with the government providing health care financed by taxes; the Canadian plan, where private doctors and hospitals are paid by the government through taxes; and the out-of-pocket care found in most poor nations, where those who can afford care get it, while the rest suffer or die. (continues)
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_34/b4144089895459.htm
Dazzeetrader11 on October 01 at 10:20 p.m.
Likely he’s a very good man. I’m going to learn someting. Should be fun. Why don’t you all join us.
I have nothing against academics…or even people with a good thought out story.
US is the best in the world. I’d like to know why this fella apparently thinks we aren’t. What HE thinks is “ethical” or “moral” might not agree with my view. Fine. Likely he’s in favr of Obamacare or socialized medicine. Fine. So what’s to argue with? It’s just an opinion. Small minded types get so angry and insult poor Daisy. Usually you’re threatened by other views. Just so I or you don’t have to live by other’s ideas.
misjustice on October 02 at 3:12 a.m.
But that is the point, third person detatched one; we ARE living by other’s ideas, the idea is that health care in this nation should be for-profit.