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The Spectacle Blog
Ah, humane socialist healthcare.
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) is cutting off painkilling drugs for some chronic back pain sufferers in order to reduce costs, the Telegraph (UK) reports.
This frightening story from Jolly Olde England ought to serve as a warning to Americans high on ObamaCare.
From the Telegraph article:
It hardly needs to be said that if a government takeover of America’s healthcare system happens, such headlines are likely to become commonplace here.
The Government’s drug rationing watchdog says “therapeutic” injections of steroids, such as cortisone, which are used to reduce inflammation, should no longer be offered to patients suffering from persistent lower back pain when the cause is not known.
Instead the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is ordering doctors to offer patients remedies like acupuncture and osteopathy.
Specialists fear tens of thousands of people, mainly the elderly and frail, will be left to suffer excruciating levels of pain or pay as much as £500 each for private treatment.
The NHS currently issues more than 60,000 treatments of steroid injections every year. NICE said in its guidance it wants to cut this to just 3,000 treatments a year, a move which would save the NHS £33 million.
But the British Pain Society, which represents specialists in the field, has written to NICE calling for the guidelines to be withdrawn after its members warned that they would lead to many patients having to undergo unnecessary and high-risk spinal surgery. […]
That’s just one universal healthcare horror story from the United Kingdom. There are thousands of others.
And just wait until socialist medicine comes to America.
The practice of medicine will become explicitly political.
Bureaucrats will make decisions that deny care and then the interest group warfare will begin because Americans, unlike submissive, statist Europeans, don’t like being told how to live by government officials.
It will be a bonanza for lobbyists and lawyers as they advocate for their respective patient interest groups. Politically effective groups will carry the day and those patients who lack political pull will be forced to go without care or will be provided substandard care.
Think of the frenzied lobbying and legislative horse trading that took place during the brief debate over President Obama’s stimulus legislation — and multiply that by 300 million.
That could very well be America’s future.
View all comments (36) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Matthew Vadum
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/08/02/britain-balances-its-healthcar
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Liberal Reader| 8.2.09 @ 3:28PM
And what's ACORN's role in all this, Vadum?
Matthew Vadum | 8.2.09 @ 3:32PM
Commenting so soon, Liberal Reader. Did Axelrod up your fees?
ACORN is not involved in the U.K. but it is leading "Health Care for America Now!" which is pushing universal healthcare.
Do your own research for a change, buddy.
Nobama| 8.2.09 @ 4:03PM
LibReader/Jeremiah, hope you don't have a bad back, we already know that you don't have a heart.
giantslor| 8.2.09 @ 4:10PM
This might be a worthwhile comparison if Democrats' health care reform plan had anything to do with socialist medicine. It doesn't. Britain has a government-run health care system. The Democrats' plan is for a government-run insurance that competes with private insurance. Big difference.
As for the idea that "Bureaucrats will make decisions that deny care," which planet have you been living on? Bureaucrats already make these decisions. They're not government bureaucrats, they're insurance company bureaucrats.
"It will be a bonanza for lobbyists and lawyers." When has this not been true?
Smitty| 8.2.09 @ 4:30PM
Unborn babies, the elderly and now those in excruciating agony--who will the fascist liberals go after next?
Welcome to the liberal's make believe world of "Equality and Tolerance."
Nobama| 8.2.09 @ 4:36PM
Nice try, Giantslut--but it's too late, we're already on to your liberal con game. If ObamaCare's socialized medicine plan is so great why do the liberals in government refuse to be part of it?
In fact, this week , Pignose Waxman struck down the republicans' motion to enroll congressmen and women in ObamaCare. They ain't that stupid--just that evil.
ConservativeWanderer | 8.2.09 @ 5:12PM
As for the idea that "Bureaucrats will make decisions that deny care," which planet have you been living on? Bureaucrats already make these decisions. They're not government bureaucrats, they're insurance company bureaucrats.
Granted.
However, one still has the option to change insurance companies if one doesn't like the decisions of the bureaucrats.
When the gubment (misspelled deliberately, so don't harp on my bad spelling) forces all the private insurers out of the marketplace, where will you go when you don't like the decisions of the bureaucrats in charge?
And it is quite apparent to anyone with more than two brain cells who looks at the details that ObamaCare will push private insurers out of business... since it won't depend on premiums to pay the bills--they can always just suck money out of general revenue--the gubment insurance "option" can charge lower premiums, and not let people switch out of the gubment "option" after they're enrolled through a number of various gambits... just look at all the hoops the gubment is making the banks that took the bailout money go through before they can get out of the program for an example.
jann| 8.2.09 @ 5:29PM
Why do these people that are for Obamacare want it?? It's crap, the whole thing is crap! It does nothing he says it's supposed to do, nothing positive and good. It's all a big negative mess that All of us Will pay higher taxes for. So what's the point?? The point is it's a Big take over of our freedom, period. There is no way these trolls have read this bill, no way. READ THE BILL!!!!
Brittanicus| 8.2.09 @ 6:07PM
For months now since Health care reform suddenly become the main issue on the national agenda. We have been bombarded with the incessant accusation that the English/British form of the single-payer system is about unequivocal--RATIONING? YES! This is the truth now, but it wasn't always that way. It wasn't until the Globalist plan to take over the originally named Common Market, that health care in England started to suffer. In Jan. 1, 1973, original known to Brits as the Common Market. The “One Market” that was created in 1993 states that people, money, services, and trade can move freely within the European Union. Currently over 450 million EU citizens are provided with these special options.
The indigenous British people's lives had already been disrupted by the importation of cheap labor from Commonwealth countries to drive the buses and run British Railway. Then family unification started and illegal immigration and the beginning of spiraling crime. RATIONING AND REDUCED HEALTH CARE CAME TO ENGLAND WITH AN OVERLOAD OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, SUDDENLY THE UNITED KINGDOM FOUND THEMSELVES IN A TERRIBLE QUANDARY OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND OF REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS. ALL PAID FOR BY THE BRITISH/ENGLISH TAXPAYER.
In spite of the restrictive immigration policies which have been in place since the 1970s in most Member States Of The European Union, large numbers of legal and illegal migrants have continued to come to the EU together with asylum-seekers and illegal labor. Taking advantage of individuals seeking an improved life, smuggling and skin trafficking networks have taken hold across the EU. The inception of these relative dates in when one of the greatest Universal Health care system, came to a grinding halt of quality.
The system was simple? You paid your insurance stamps and the employer paid his? End of story. The years I worked in the Mother country, I received three minor surgeries, teeth and dentistry, and eye care. WITH NO PREMIUMS, NO-PAYS, NO DEDUCTIONS AND CERTAINLY NO PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS? ONCE I SPENT THREE MONTHS IN EAST GRINSTEAD HOSPITAL WITH A BACK PROBLEM. MY COST--NOTHING! WE CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT SUPPORT THE MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS AND FAMILIES WITH TRILLION DOLLAR HEALTH CARE. IT WILL LEAD TO RATIONING ON A GRAND SCALE! AS ALWAYS THE TAXPAYER WILL FOOT THE BILL FOR BUSINESS WELFARE.
CALL YOUR POLITICIAN IN WASHINGTON 202-224-3121 I Want a health care system--even government run. BUT IT"S SURE TO FAIL, IF TAXES ARE BEING EXTORTED TO PAY FOR FREE HEALTH CARE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS? Support for the bi-partisan E-VERIFY PART OF THE SAVE Act, which will expand E-Verify and protect American Workers! We must focus on the behemoth problem in terminating illegal immigrants-and the jobs that attract illegal aliens. WE WILL ALWAYS BE PAYING FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS, UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING NOW? Many GOP members are against a Path to citizenship for lawbreakers, so we mostly need the phones ringing in the ears of Democrats, who see the millions of illegal aliens as a positive voting block.
WE MUST STOP IT NOW OF SUFFER FROM IRREVERSIBLE POPULATION GROWTH.
DEMAND NO AMNESTY! NO FAMILY UNIFICATION KNOWN AS CHAIN MIGRATION! BUILD THE ORIGINAL FENCE! NO MORE HEALTH CARE OR ANY OTHER KIND OF BENEFITS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. CLOSE THE BORDER AND STATION THE NATIONAL GUARD. $2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS, JUST IN RETIREMENT BENEFITS? Learn uncorrupted facts at NUMBERSUSA.
Copy, Paste and Distribute freely
Brittanicus| 8.2.09 @ 6:13PM
For months now since Health care reform suddenly become the main issue on the national agenda. We have been bombarded with the incessant accusation that the English/British form of the single-payer system is about unequivocal--RATIONING? YES! This is the truth now, but it wasn't always that way. It wasn't until the Globalist plan to take over the originally named Common Market, that health care in England started to suffer. In Jan. 1, 1973, original known to Brits as the Common Market. The “One Market” that was created in 1993 states that people, money, services, and trade can move freely within the European Union. Currently over 450 million EU citizens are provided with these special options.
The indigenous British people's lives had already been disrupted by the importation of cheap labor from Commonwealth countries to drive the buses and run British Railway. Then family unification started and illegal immigration and the beginning of spiraling crime. RATIONING AND REDUCED HEALTH CARE CAME TO ENGLAND WITH AN OVERLOAD OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, SUDDENLY THE UNITED KINGDOM FOUND THEMSELVES IN A TERRIBLE QUANDARY OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND OF REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS. ALL PAID FOR BY THE BRITISH/ENGLISH TAXPAYER.
In spite of the restrictive immigration policies which have been in place since the 1970s in most Member States Of The European Union, large numbers of legal and illegal migrants have continued to come to the EU together with asylum-seekers and illegal labor. Taking advantage of individuals seeking an improved life, smuggling and skin trafficking networks have taken hold across the EU. The inception of these relative dates in when one of the greatest Universal Health care system, came to a grinding halt of quality.
The system was simple? You paid your insurance stamps and the employer paid his? End of story. The years I worked in the Mother country, I received three minor surgeries, teeth and dentistry, and eye care. WITH NO PREMIUMS, NO-PAYS, NO DEDUCTIONS AND CERTAINLY NO PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS? ONCE I SPENT THREE MONTHS IN EAST GRINSTEAD HOSPITAL WITH A BACK PROBLEM. MY COST--NOTHING! WE CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT SUPPORT THE MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS AND FAMILIES WITH TRILLION DOLLAR HEALTH CARE. IT WILL LEAD TO RATIONING ON A GRAND SCALE! AS ALWAYS THE TAXPAYER WILL FOOT THE BILL FOR BUSINESS WELFARE.
CALL YOUR POLITICIAN IN WASHINGTON 202-224-3121 I Want a health care system--even government run. BUT IT"S SURE TO FAIL, IF TAXES ARE BEING EXTORTED TO PAY FOR FREE HEALTH CARE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS? Support for the bi-partisan E-VERIFY PART OF THE SAVE Act, which will expand E-Verify and protect American Workers! We must focus on the behemoth problem in terminating illegal immigrants-and the jobs that attract illegal aliens. WE WILL ALWAYS BE PAYING FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS, UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING NOW? Many GOP members are against a Path to citizenship for lawbreakers, so we mostly need the phones ringing in the ears of Democrats, who see the millions of illegal aliens as a positive voting block.
WE MUST STOP IT NOW OF SUFFER FROM IRREVERSIBLE POPULATION GROWTH.
DEMAND NO AMNESTY! NO FAMILY UNIFICATION KNOWN AS CHAIN MIGRATION! BUILD THE ORIGINAL FENCE! NO MORE HEALTH CARE OR ANY OTHER KIND OF BENEFITS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. CLOSE THE BORDER AND STATION THE NATIONAL GUARD. $2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS, JUST IN RETIREMENT BENEFITS? Learn uncorrupted facts at NUMBERSUSA.
Copy, Paste and Distribute freely
Brenda Freeman| 8.2.09 @ 6:19PM
Obama gets in our faces on his weekly aka daily broadcast and says in repetition ad nauseum, 'if you like your healthcare, you keep your healthcare; if you like your doctor you keep your doctor.' What he DOESNT mention is that if you like and keep what you have, YOU WILL BE taxed--but wait! Its not really a tax...its more of a FINE--but they dont use that term either. They just say 'it wont be considered a tax' and then never mention exactly WHAT it is.
Instead of making comments about personal opinion, join the GROWING amount of Americans who are actually READING HR3200. I did.
Bottom line: Medical elimination of the elderly, the terminally ill, those born with birth defects, and children (unborn). If your healthy, your good to go. If you have a 'pre-existing' condition you are RATIONED.
• Sec. 312, Pg. 145, Lines 15-17 - Employers MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan.
• Sec. 313, Pg. 149, Lines 16-23 - ANY employer with payroll $400,000 and above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.
• Sec. 313, Pg. 150, Lines 9-13 - Businesses with payroll between $251,000 and $400,000 who do not provide public option pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
• Sec. 401.59B, Pg. 167, Lines 18-23 - ANY individual who does not have acceptable care, according to government, will be taxed 2.5% of income.
• Sec. 59B, Pg. 170, Line 1 - Any NONRESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay for their health care.)
• Sec. 431, Pg. 195, Lines 1-3 - Officers and employees of HC Administration (government) will have access to ALL Americans’ financial and personal records.
• Sec. 441, Pg. 203, Lines 14-15 - “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” Yes, it says that.
ConservativeWanderer | 8.2.09 @ 6:21PM
Old Texican:
Please, sir, why keep detailing to oblivion, the obvious?
Because it's not obvious to some people. Educating the non-policy-wonks among the voting population about the huge downside to ObamaCare is the best way to defeat it. In fact, that's the same thing we did with HillaryCare.
ConservativeWanderer | 8.2.09 @ 6:45PM
Thanks, Texican, but it's more of a "welcome back." I was here back when LibReader was known as Jeremiah. True to my name, I wander in and wander out periodically. :)
Angel| 8.2.09 @ 7:04PM
I can vouch for Conservative Wanderer--he's one of the AmSpec originals. Hi, CW!
Old Texican, not fair to tease us with an impending announcement--I want to know now! Dammit! I'm going to have to move to Texas.
ConservativeWanderer | 8.2.09 @ 8:11PM
Awww... thanks for remembering me, Angel!
Texican, it kinda depends on the situation. Sometimes I play cat-and-mouse with the lib trolls, sometimes I stick a rapier in their heart (metaphorically speaking, of course), and sometimes I just call in a metaphorical airstrike.
ConservativeWanderer | 8.2.09 @ 8:25PM
Texican, I don't really see where I have to justify my actions or lack thereof to you.
As Christ said, in some instances it is best not to let the right hand know what the left is doing, so as to avoid doing things just for the praise one gets from the crowd.
A word to the wise is sufficient.
Missy| 8.2.09 @ 8:47PM
Shadow blogging. It's fun to mix it up with the trolls.
Give it back to them double, Old Texican.
Igor Marxomarxovich| 8.3.09 @ 12:01AM
Obama qualifications to reform health care:
No birth certificate
Cannot stop smoking
Difficulty telling the truth.
Narcissistic personality disorder
Therefore, I Igor produce Obama Birth Certificate at www.igormaro.org
Compare Obama Care vs Igor Care at Obama vs Igor Care
Susan | 8.3.09 @ 10:27AM
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Susan
http://ovarianpain.net
Pingback| 8.3.09 @ 11:42AM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Britain Balances Its … | americantoday links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 8.3.09 @ 11:42AM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Britain Balances Its … | americantoday links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Bruce Daley | 8.3.09 @ 8:03PM
Of 225 or so treatments for back pain, only one - physical therapy - has any scientific evidence to back it actually works. Regardless of your political beliefs and regardless of who manages the healthcare system unproven, expensive, and potentially harmful treatments such as cortisone injections are going to have to be discouraged until their benefit can be demonstrated.
C4P| 8.3.09 @ 11:39PM
Thanks for your bit of wisdom, Bruce, but I think the benefit of the cortisone injections has been demonstrated because the patients have stopped screaming in agony! Moron.
Robert Belvedere | 8.5.09 @ 9:19PM
Spot-on prophecy. Quoted from and linked to at:
http://www.thecampofthesaints.com/2009.08.02_arch.html#1249515076425
UK guy | 8.24.09 @ 9:59AM
OK Im in the UK and I know about back pain.
Standard treatment here.
1. Free visit to your doctor for
2.Free painkillers and anti inflamatories
3. If required Free referral to specialist for
4. Free MRI scan to diagnose the problem
5.Free physical therapy / manual therapy
6.Free specialist referral for orthpaedic /neurosurgery.
All this done within the 18 week time limit.
Whats not availible.
Unproven and ineffective treatments.
You guys are being fed a load of BS about the UK system.
We also have a private system that run in parralell with the NHS. For $60 per month I can choose my consultant, hospital, treatment anything. How does this compare with the US.
Big Pharma companies are feeding you BS.
Wake upUSA>
Pingback| 8.31.09 @ 9:48AM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Britain Balances Its … | Improve Seniors Life links to this page. Here’s an excerpt: