Ilgihletter 93024--024-0 February/March 1994 V01
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P.O. BOX 24-O Ojai, Calif. ilgihletter 93024--024-0 February/March 1994 V01. I3 NO. 2/3 medical plans and American resistance to a major social advance Change of Subject must seem bizarre, to say the least. For help in researching this issue, I thank Bill Kirchner and Bill “What do you mean, it has nothing to do with music?” bassist Bill Crow among the musicians; among the writers and journalists, Crow said when I told him I planned an issue on the health-care CliffHopkinson, executive editor for news of Condé Nast Traveler, crisis in the United States. Bill, a board member of New York’s my brother, David Lees, reporter and former joumalism teacher at local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, continued: “It the University of Toronto and the Ryerson Institute, his friend Judy is hard for musicians to get proper medical coverage, because they Haiven, Glen Woodcock of the Toronto Sun, and Grover Sales; my don’t work for the single employer. The union is one of the sister, Dr. Victoria Lees, secretary of the senate of McGill groups lobbying for a single-payer system.” University and former assistant director ofthe Montreal Neurologi- Next to musicians, the largest group ofJazzletter subscribers are cal Iristitute and Hospital; and among the physicians, her husband, “actors. A number ofthem told me they would like to know more Dr. Romeo Ethier, chief neuroradiologist at the Montreal Neuro, about the state financed Medicare system of Canada, the only as it’s called, and professor at McGill University; neurosurgeon Dr. country that bears direct comparison to the U.S. William Feindel, chancellor of Acadia University and former head In the past, when some subject has required extensive research of Montreal Neuro; Dr. Bruce Waldie, chief of stafi at Queensway and reporting, I have taking the option of spreading it across Hospital in Toronto; Dr. Robert Litwak, senior cardio-vascular several issues. But that seemed inappropriate to the present surgeon at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City (and a fine jazz complex issue, which can hardly be discussed in some such format diunnner in his spare time), Dr. Barry Little of Toronto, neurolo- as six little pages of the Reader’s Digest (of which more in a gist (and a fine jazz pianist in his spare time), Dr. Richard Fraser, moment). Therefore I decided to do it in one double-sized issue, professor of neurosurgery at Comell University / New York combining February and March. (At eighteen pages, it’s actually Hospital, Dr. Jack Walters, and Dr. Charles Spurgeon of London, more than that.) The larger issues sometimes take weeks of Ontario. ‘ expensive research, and I fall behind schedule, though I always get One final point. Recently I had an insight that startled me. caught up. I thank you for your patience when this occurs. Afier it, everything became simplified. The world is divided into" No doubt this issue ofthe Jazzletter will be widelyphotocopied. two kinds of people: those who believe life is a competitive Thephotocopiers are not sharing the research andproduction costs enterprise and those who believe it is co-operative. The former are with the nest of us. But at a practical level, there is nothing to bent on defeating others, the latter on helping them. You can view stop them. For those who would like to send the original to most human actions through this prism, including the current friends, I have my printer on stand-by to print more copies ofthis medical debate in the United States. issue. It is available for $3 for a single copy $2.50 each in qantities over that. However it is disseminated, I would urge you 0 send it tofriends, for-it contains information essential to seeing Northern Light through the dissimulations, deceptions, and outright lies of the insurance companies, the Congressmen and Senators they control, For several years we have witnessed a curious phenomenon: and the AMA. And urge your friends in turn to send it on to American politicians lying about and insulting one of the most others. It would be helpfizl to all of us ifyou sent copies to your treasured institutions of its close ally and best national fiiend, representatives in the House andSenate. The Clinton medicalplan Canada. Since time out of memory, it has also been its biggest goes to Congress in September; and it seems clear that a diversion- trading partner, buying a tenth of the G.N.P of the U.S. They say ary tactic has been set in motion to sink it. Both Bony Goldwater in Canada that when Washington catches cold, Ottawa sneezes, but and Ross Perot have urged Senator Robert Dole and others to get to an extent the reverse is true: economic recession in Canada ofl the Presidents back and let him get on with his job. causes job losses in the United States. The two economies are For the most part, the kind of person who is drawn to the inseparably intertwined. Along the border, back-and-forth passage Jazzletter has broad interests. The most popular pieces in its is commonplace, and in Detroit, many of the office secretaries are history are those I almost didn’t publish because they so severely Canadians who travel each day to and from homes in Windsor stretched the mandate. If it seems strange to encounter a major Now that the NAFTA treaty has been passed, this economic investigation in the field of medicine in an ostensible music integration can only accelerate. publication, consider something stranger: that you didn’t see it in Americans usually know very little about Canada, while the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Newsweek, Harpers, Canadians know much about the United States. That’s nobody’s or the Atlantic, which should be all over thexstory. fault: it’s a result of population mass. Canada’s population is I must, however, apologize for this issue to readers in countries always a tenth of that of the U.S. With CNN now paying some other than the United States and Canada, for whom it will attention to Canada in its coverage, this unawareness may be doubtless hold little interest. All their countries have national diminishing. Many American politicians have been trashing the Canadian Charlie Drake that saved her life. Neurosurgeons in the United medical system, decrying the evils of “socialized medicine” and States are now adopting it. Drake grew so tired of being flown to saying the people of Canada are not happy with it. This is to New York and Washington to do surgery on prominent Americans dissuade Americans from demanding a single-payer govemment- that he told them in effect, “You come here.” They did. run medical system like Canada’s. The reality is that their medical On January 9 on Meet the Press, Senator Daniel Patrick system is one of the things that Canadians are happy with, and Moynihan said, “l don’t think there is a health crisis.” Senator many of them—and observers of other nationalities as well—think Alfonse D’Amato also denies that there is a health crisis. it is the best in the world, cheaper by far than the American, An example of manipulative deception came in a 1989 letter infinitely more efficient, and dispensing the best medical care to from Alan R. Nelson MD, president of the American Medical people of all walks of life. Association, to 300,00 doctors. It read: American politicians of both major political parties have been active in its derogation, but the most egregious deceivers have been Dear Doctor: former president George Bush, Senate majority leader Robert Dole, If you disagree with certain leaders in our government who former Senator Paul Tsongas, House Republican whip Newt think bureaucrats can run the nations health-cane system, he_. ""~ Gingrich, and Representative Jim Cooper of Tennessee, sponsor of your opportunity to do something about it. ‘ F a bill of his own as an “altemative” to the Clinton plan. Cooper A Canadian-type health-care system would cause rationing of seems too ignorant of the subject even to discuss it, much less medical services. Of course, "jiee" care has an understandable propose a health-care bill. “They suffer from a disease," said Dr. appeal. So you and l have a real challenge to inform the public Robert Litwak. “lt’s called: They don’t know they don’t know.” about the problems lurking in this utopian promise. An exception is Representative Jim McDennott, Democrat, of We must educate people. And we must do it now because Seattle, co-sponsor with Representative John Conyers (Democrat, tomorrow may be too late. Unless you want_to risk rationing, Michigan) and Senator Paul Wellstone (Democrat, Minnesota) of income caps, reduction ofyour autonomy and other burdens ofa the American Health Security Act of I993. McDermott is a Canadian-type experience very soon, please help us. You ’ll also psychiatrist. The bill has the backing of ninety-two other House be helping millions of patients who would likely find the level of Democrats. excellence in our countrys health care diminished. In February of l992, George Bush said that the American Make your contributions of $200 (or more) payable to AMA. medical system was “the best in the world." lt demonstrably isn’t. Business Week reported in its March 21, I994, issue: “This year The campaign continued, with one appeal saying that “the AMA the U.S. will devote l4 percent of gross national product to health has created a program that is telling millions the facts about the care, at least 40 percent more than Canada, Japan, or the European Canadian health-care system.” James Simmons MD, former Community.