I'm often at odds with the way things are done here in Taiwan, but one thing I do appreciate about living in this country is its excellent national health insurance system. I've come down with a mild case of the flu, and yesterday I took the day off from work to rest my voice, and seek out some medicated relief. In the space of about an hour, my wife, daughter and I visited a pediatrician (Amber had a runny nose); an ear, nose and throat specialist (for my cough, runny nose and husky voice); and a dermatologist (in order to refill a prescription). Total cost of the three visits, including all medication (and in Taiwan you get a lot!): NT420. That's ￥1400 or $13! Compare this to when I had to see a dermatologist back in the States during a visit home a few years ago. As I was uninsured (in the USA), my visit and prescriptions (for a tube of lotion and a small bottle of pills) came to about $200 (NT6400 or ￥21,420)! The United States is the only advanced, industrialized nation without a universal national health insurance system for its people. Why is it that some of my countrymen (and their leaders) are so socially retarded (to use Frank Zappa's phrase) when it comes to something people in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan and even Taiwan take for granted? Am I to assume that fear of "socialism" (as in "socialized medicine") is of greater importance than seeing to it that your population's health care needs are adequately taken care of? Considering our shameful infant mortality rate, for example, I don't think this is something that the ideologues should be feeling proud about.
No comments:
Post a Comment