Friday, February 06, 2009

This will be your mouth under nationalized health care

Meet East Yorkshire, England resident and 2003 Iraq War veteran Ian Boynton:

(Picture is from the article)

Mr. Boynton, desperate to relieve his mouth pain after failing to find a dentist who would accept NHS (National Health Service) patients, was reduced to pulling 13 of his own teeth out with pliers.

"He said: 'I've tried to get in at 30 dentists over the last eight years but have never been able to find one to take on NHS patients.'"

It's unfortunately similar in this country with Medicare and Medicaid patients. The government pays a comparative pittance for services rendered, in some cases not even coming close to covering the actual costs involved, so doctors and dentists simply refuse to accept such individuals as patients, leaving them with nowhere to go, unless they can pay out of pocket for treatment anyway.

If health care is nationalized in America, be prepared for a mass exodus of health care professionals who will quit rather than be forced to accept a government-imposed wage, no matter how much education they bring to the table or how long and hard they work. It'll be cash or nothing, assuming they're still allowed to see patients on a cash basis.

Are you prepared to see mouths like this on our streets every day?

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