There has been a lot of talk — some of it crazy — about health care reform in the United States. Personally, I am for health care reform with universal coverage and a public option. I take pride that my parents’ native country Taiwan — a VERY capitalist and market oriented society, hardly socialist — decided to reform their health care system in the mid-90s, reviewing health care systems around the world and picking the best practices from each country, tailoring it to Taiwan’s needs.
Taiwan went from a completely private insurance system where only 50% of the population had healthcare, to a single payer program covering nearly 100% of the citizens, improving health benefits and outcomes with the lowest administrative costs in the world at 2% (versus 20% in the United States) and costing only 6% of GDP (versus 16% in the United States.) Last year, PBS’s Frontline did an excellent profile on Taiwan’s healthcare system.
But here in the United States, healthcare is a mess. As an American, Asian American and Californian, I was happy to hear the Tell Me More program on National Public Radio the other day with Congressman Mike Honda, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and very recently elected Congresswoman Judy Chu to discuss the significance of the health care debate for Asian Americans. Dr. Chu (who has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology) highlighted some of the specific health issues in the Asian American community:
“Yes, with regard to the API population, the Asian Pacific Islander population, there is greater risk for certain diseases, like for instance for hepatitis B, where one out of 10 Asian Pacific islanders have the disease, putting them at a one-in-four risk from liver failure or liver cancer, and more than half the estimated 1.5 million carriers in the United States are Asian Pacific Islanders. So here you have a population with a high risk for a particular disease that would constitute a preexisting condition… And they would be denied health care insurance in our system, as it is now. In addition, many APIs don’t even know that they’re carriers, but there’s no preventive screening for them. And with health care reform, they would be able to access that.”
And the current legislation in Congress also seeks better coverage for mental health care. 8Asians has discussed hepatitis a few times. We’ve also blogged about recent suicides at Caltech as well depression amongst Asian American teens. The United States has been trying to get health care reform since the days of Harry Truman; given how partisan the politics of healthcare has been recently, today’s Republicans wouldn’t even approve what Nixon’s proposed reforms today.
(Flickr photo credit: progressohio)
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6 Comments to “Asian American California Democrats On Health Care Reform”
MediaMentions wrote:
And in Asia itself, I'd say we have some serious improvements on the go as well. http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/showli...
Sincerely,
MediaMentions
Posted on 04-Sep-09 at 7:30 am | Permalink
kai64 wrote:
no system is perfect, but the basic right of being treaded for health issue is a must for a developed nation is just so basic. Any reform must include some form of 100% specially for Children.
Posted on 04-Sep-09 at 1:27 pm | Permalink
DOUGLASFIELD wrote:
~ WHO ALLOWED $ATAN TO $NEAK INTO THE PEOPLES U.$.CONGRE$$ ~
THIS OLD WORLD ORDER OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OUR POORER AMERICANS NEEDS ENLIGHTENED POLITICAL MINDS AND HEARTS TO VIEW GOD DIFFERENTLY THEN $$$? NO MATTER WHAT THEIR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION ???
WHEN WILL OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS ABATE THEIR ASSAULT ON POORER AMERICANS WITH THEIR MONETARY CONTROL OF OUR IVORY TOWER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER ???
THERE ARE NOT MANY MORE DISTRACTIONS LEFT WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS TO HIDE BEHIND IN NOT TAKING PROPER CARE OF ALL OUR AMERICANS IN A HUMANE FASHION !!!
RALPH NADER ATTEMPTED TO EDUCATE AMERICAN VOTERS ABOUT U.S. CORPORATE POWER IN AMERICA AND HOW THEY CONTROL OUR CONGRESSIONAL PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR POCKET BOOK (POLITICAL DONATIONS). WITHOUT THE DOUGH $$$ THESE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD DO NOT GET RE~ELECTED TO CONGRESS.TO STAY IN POLITICAL OFFICE IN AMERICA,ONE HAS TO BARTER YOUR VOTES IN CONGRESS AND REPRESENT POWER INTERESTS IN RETURN FOR THE BUCK$.
POORER AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HAD THE $$$ LOBBY TO INFLUENCE THIS CORRUPT POLITICAL CONCEPT (of horse trading political votes for political contributions) TO ACHIEVE PROPER HEALTH ~CARE OR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL OUR MIDDLE ~ CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS.
AMERICAN IVORY TOWER U.S.CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD HAVE PASSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION IN WASHINGTON DC TO SPEND 50 BILLION AMERICAN TAX $$$ ON THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHILE THEIR OWN AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE BEING TOLD BY THIS SAME U.S.CONGRESS THAT NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR CITIZENS IS UNAFFORDABLE.
*** WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS (WHO ARE ONLY 1% OF OUR USA POPULATION) SADLY ALSO CONTROL HOW OUR U.S.CONGRESS SPENDS THEIR BUDGET TRILLION$ AND HAVE OBVIOUSLY FOUND MORE WORTHY INTERNATIONAL CITIZENS THEN OUR OWN DESPERATE AND NEEDY POOR TO ASSIST !!!
Middle Class and Working Poor Americans are unable to afford proper legal representation in their Civil, Criminal and Family Courts of law all across America causing tremendous hardships nationwide,but these great minds and callous hearts in our American Congress have found others Worldwide more needy then their own citizens who are being falsely incarcerated,wrongfuly executed,losing their homes or apartments,losing child custody or visitation with their children etc?
Not being afforded proper legal representation by our U.S. Congress has created a total breakdown of the American judicial system for our poorer Americans because the our U.S. Courts punish all of us little people if we are not assisted with proprer legal counsel.
It is a known fact that our average Middle Class and Working Poor Americans without proper legal representation in all of our American Courts of law lose their legal cases to the better financed who are able to afford lawyers.
Troy Davis and Mumia Abu ? Jamal are 2 perfect examples of American citizens who never had proper legal representation or defense investigations afforded them by our U.S. Congressional Leaders Of The Free World in their initial criminal trials in (Georgia and Pennsylvania) who might very well have to pay the ultimate price of possibly being completely innocent and falsely executed in the near future.
These two poor Americans are among tens of thousands of legal cases nationwide that never were afforded proper legal representation or proper defense investigation at their initial trials.**We the public really have no idea if these men are innocent or guilty until they both are given fair legal representation at their new future trials.
Improper murder trials and needless deaths due to lack of healthcare take place in Third World Countries all the time. *** Why should average Middle~Class and Working Poor Americans in the Wealthiest Country Of The World be treated as if they are living a Third World Life Style ??
lawyersforpooreramericans@yahoo.com
(424-247-2013)
Posted on 05-Sep-09 at 9:06 am | Permalink
DOUGLASFIELD wrote:
~ WHO ALLOWED $ATAN TO $NEAK INTO THE PEOPLES U.$.CONGRE$$ ~
THIS OLD WORLD ORDER OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OUR POORER AMERICANS NEEDS ENLIGHTENED POLITICAL MINDS AND HEARTS TO VIEW GOD DIFFERENTLY THEN $$$? NO MATTER WHAT THEIR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION ???
WHEN WILL OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS ABATE THEIR ASSAULT ON POORER AMERICANS WITH THEIR MONETARY CONTROL OF OUR IVORY TOWER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER ???
THERE ARE NOT MANY MORE DISTRACTIONS LEFT WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS TO HIDE BEHIND IN NOT TAKING PROPER CARE OF ALL OUR AMERICANS IN A HUMANE FASHION !!!
RALPH NADER ATTEMPTED TO EDUCATE AMERICAN VOTERS ABOUT U.S. CORPORATE POWER IN AMERICA AND HOW THEY CONTROL OUR CONGRESSIONAL PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR POCKET BOOK (POLITICAL DONATIONS). WITHOUT THE DOUGH $$$ THESE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD DO NOT GET RE~ELECTED TO CONGRESS.TO STAY IN POLITICAL OFFICE IN AMERICA,ONE HAS TO BARTER YOUR VOTES IN CONGRESS AND REPRESENT POWER INTERESTS IN RETURN FOR THE BUCK$.
POORER AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HAD THE $$$ LOBBY TO INFLUENCE THIS CORRUPT POLITICAL CONCEPT (of horse trading political votes for political contributions) TO ACHIEVE PROPER HEALTH ~CARE OR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL OUR MIDDLE ~ CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS.
AMERICAN IVORY TOWER U.S.CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD HAVE PASSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION IN WASHINGTON DC TO SPEND 50 BILLION AMERICAN TAX $$$ ON THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHILE THEIR OWN AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE BEING TOLD BY THIS SAME U.S.CONGRESS THAT NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR CITIZENS IS UNAFFORDABLE.
*** WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS (WHO ARE ONLY 1% OF OUR USA POPULATION) SADLY ALSO CONTROL HOW OUR U.S.CONGRESS SPENDS THEIR BUDGET TRILLION$ AND HAVE OBVIOUSLY FOUND MORE WORTHY INTERNATIONAL CITIZENS THEN OUR OWN DESPERATE AND NEEDY POOR TO ASSIST !!!
Middle Class and Working Poor Americans are unable to afford proper legal representation in their Civil, Criminal and Family Courts of law all across America causing tremendous hardships nationwide,but these great minds and callous hearts in our American Congress have found others Worldwide more needy then their own citizens who are being falsely incarcerated,wrongfuly executed,losing their homes or apartments,losing child custody or visitation with their children etc?
Not being afforded proper legal representation by our U.S. Congress has created a total breakdown of the American judicial system for our poorer Americans because the our U.S. Courts punish all of us little people if we are not assisted with proprer legal counsel.
It is a known fact that our average Middle Class and Working Poor Americans without proper legal representation in all of our American Courts of law lose their legal cases to the better financed who are able to afford lawyers.
Troy Davis and Mumia Abu ? Jamal are 2 perfect examples of American citizens who never had proper legal representation or defense investigations afforded them by our U.S. Congressional Leaders Of The Free World in their initial criminal trials in (Georgia and Pennsylvania) who might very well have to pay the ultimate price of possibly being completely innocent and falsely executed in the near future.
These two poor Americans are among tens of thousands of legal cases nationwide that never were afforded proper legal representation or proper defense investigation at their initial trials.**We the public really have no idea if these men are innocent or guilty until they both are given fair legal representation at their new future trials.
Improper murder trials and needless deaths due to lack of healthcare take place in Third World Countries all the time. *** Why should average Middle~Class and Working Poor Americans in the Wealthiest Country Of The World be treated as if they are living a Third World Life Style ??
lawyersforpooreramericans@yahoo.com
(424-247-2013)
Posted on 05-Sep-09 at 3:25 pm | Permalink
asianindependentconservative wrote:
Taiwan sounds like a good example, but it is anecdotal, a-typical. More than likely, US Single-Payer System will become like England's or Canada's…or even worse. Case in point, US Healthcare is 16% GDP, but with the estimated 9.5 Trillion deficit IF this public option is enacted (according to the CBO and WH), it'll bankrupt the US. Furthermore, if Medicare is any indication of US gov't's efficiency, unlike Taiwan's, it will be a nightmare fiscally and medically, when the gov't stands between doctor and patient.
We NEED health reform. No doubt! Cost is a big factor. But a better solution is dealing with two key areas;
1. Tort reform (come this Tuesday, Obama will NOT speak on this…his silence will be quite loud)
2. Let healthcare companies compete across state lines, and have uniform healthcare options (so we, as the consumer, can compare apples to apples).
There are other options that should be openly debated (http://www.house.gov/ryan/PCA/), but the Democrats uniformly ignore. You want to talk about partisan politics? It cuts both ways.
Oh yes, speaking of walking the talk and talking the walk, when US Rep Paul Ryan (WI) attempted to put in a provision in the healthcare reform bill, that whatever public option they come up with, all federal employees must also participate in it (i.e., congressmen and senators), EVERY DEMOCRAT voted it down. (Where's the media, where's 8Asians, when we need them?)
Key PRINCIPLE: What's not good enough for the goose ain't good enough for the gander. If you have no insurance, something is better than nothing. But if you do have insurance–no matter how expensive–why downgrade? (Ahah!) Our senators and congressmen won't, so why should we be *forced* to switch over to a Public Option (misnomer since it's not an option at all).
Why aren't the UNIONS demonstrating against this? Simple…they're exempt. They have the true option to not switch–which they won't. So are ALL federal employees. And they won't exercise the option to switch.
In conclusion, if you want true reform, you have the deal with the root causes, not the fruit of it. Tort reform is essential. Driving costs down is crucial. And Public Option is no option at all. There is a solution out there, but it does not come by ad hominim attacks. I charge you 8Asians to be non-partisan, impartial. Otherwise you risk alienating those whom you offend (Asian conservatives), and/or risk becoming The White, Left-wing Liberal's lapdog.
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