Market Farming

[John Wages <jwages AT earthlink.net>]

Healthcare is rationed in the US in the sense that, if you cannot afford
health insurance and cannot afford the bills, you may NEVER get medical
care.  And, mentioning Canadian healthcare, we mustn't forget that
seniors in Minnesota and Michigan have been travelling into Canada to
buy their prescription drugs at vastly lower prices.  

It is a fundamental mistake to posit "either/or" when, in reality, the
United States can have a single-payer universal healthcare system that
takes the good aspects of Canada's and other nations yet applies
American ingenuity to solve the problems you and others see in those
systems.  In other words, our future healthcare system can be uniquely
American if we as Americans are willing to work for the same.  

Is this discussion off-topic?  I think not because most of us are going
to need medical care at some point or other.  How many of us are able to
farm because our spouses work "regular jobs" that have health
insurance?  I think this is a topic very relevant to market farming.

John Wages
Tupelo, MS

James H. Corey wrote:
> 
> Be careful of what you wish for.  Many of the countries mentioned that have
> universal healthcare, such as Canada, have to ration healthcare.  For 
> example,
> my mother-in-law had hip replacement surgery this week, and she only had to
> wait about 3 weeks to get it.  However, in countries where healthcare is
> rationed, people have to wait not just months, but often years before they 
> are
> allowed treatment.  Why do you think so many people from Canada cross the
> border to receive medical treatment?   I know that in a perfect world it
> sounds great, but there are many pitfalls that you may not have considered.
> 
> Pam Corey
> Rose Hill Plantation
> 
> Jill Taylor Bussiere wrote:
> 
> > Universal Health Care would insure that we are all covered!
> >
> > Over 70% of people polled in the US now want it.
> >
> > It is also frequently mentioned in the politicking.
> >
> > One way that you can help farmers and small growers like ourselves is when
> > you choose a presidential candidate, (or any other federal candidate) vote
> > for one that is advocating Universal Health Care. And if they aren't
> > advocating it, then write to them and demand it.
> >
> >                                     Jill
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jim & Mary Conner" <jmconner AT pwrtc.com>
> > To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> > Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:33 AM
> > Subject: [Market-farming] RE: insurance and full time
> >
> > > My husband works full time in town and I try to sell things from the
> > > farm to help cover the insurance that he pays out of his paycheck to
> > > cover me and the kids. Since he is the employee, his employer covers him
> > > except for $1 a year that he pays.  Meanwhile he pays over $300 dollars
> > > a month to have the family coverage, and then there is the deductible on
> > > top of that. We have tried to get private coverage and there is always
> > > some reason to turn us down.  We even got turned down for private
> > > coverage by the company that covers the place that he works.  We even
> > > looked to the state and we cant get coverage there.  With the insurance
> > > out of his paycheck, we are considered working poor, but they figure out
> > > what he would make if he didn't pay insurance and tell us that we make
> > > just a little to much.  Its really aggravating.  As for me, I would go
> > > back to work but we live in an area that has very little to offer, and
> > > by the time I would pay for a babysitter, well I would be behind anyway.
> > >  So, I try to make up for at least part of what he pays in insurance
> > > from the farm, which has been hard this year with all the rain.  Just
> > > sharing, but if anyone finds good health insurance please pass it on.
> > >
> > > Mary C
> > > Indiana
> > >
> > >
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