(Written by an American expat living in the European Union)
Millions of American expats all over the world having escaped the for-profit American health care nightmare which threatens them with medical bankruptcy death and destruction now face a new threat. Due to pre-existing clauses in the for-profit American health care system, untold numbers of American expats find themselves unable to return to the United States because they cannot buy medical insurance there on the free market ever again. This phenomenon is ignored by the American plutocrat owned media. You will never see it on an American news program. In order to see it you have to turn to Youtube.
While we can all be proud Americans, but we don’t need to be proud of the broken American social safety net that has at its center piece the broken for-profit American medical system.
Americans Abroad in exile (and our friends) for affordable medical coverage
DEDICATED TO THE UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS AND THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE “VOTED WITH OUR FEET” AND LIVE IN OTHER COUNTRIES WITH UNIVERSAL COVERAGE.Let us see how many American FB (Facebook) members will admit to living abroad because of no universal, equitable health care coverage in the US?
American expats living in the European Union speak out in the quote below which is published by Democrats Abroad. As such I invite you to give a close read to the quote below. We can see why 1.2 million Americans live in the European Union. At which point often you hear the old saying welcome to expat America, a land without pre-existing medical conditions to exclude one from care, jobs and medical insurance.
Democrats Abroad: When did being an American become a health risk?By William Purcell
We live in a country in which 233 years ago we were guaranteed “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, with our without health insurance. Today, life, financial liberty, and the pursuit of happiness can only be achieved when one has no pre-existing conditions, has not born children, and has a lifetime government job. For the rest of us, the founding fathers’ words hang like carrots at the end of an interminable stick. In a modern world, we must ask ourselves why only some Americans can enjoy the principles on which this country’s foundation was built while others are excluded? In other words, when did being an American become a health risk?……………………………….
Recently, a group of Americans living and working in Germany gathered to share their experiences with a universal health care system. Azieb, a teacher from Washington, recalled, “I joined my husband’s insurance on the day we got married. Our premium didn’t go up and my pre-existing condition wasn’t an issue. It was such a relief to have full coverage added to the fact that I could visit any doctor at any time.”
For anyone who thinks that American expats in Germany are the only ones who feel this way, have a look at this Youtube video from Michael Moore’s documentary SiCKO, wherein he interviews a group of American expats living in France. They have affordable medical, no pre-existing conditions as a block to purchasing medical insurance, they even get as much paid sick leave as necessary. Imagine that compared to America which has 60 million people without paid sick leave.
I invite you to give a close read to the quote below in a diary recently published by Meteor Blades, which refers to a recent eye popping study done by the Commonwealth fund which deserves your attention.
What do all Scandinavians, Belgians and the Dutch have that 52 million Americans don’t? Health care
by Meteor Blades
That’s the kind of headline that pisses off Republicans and their enablers. Comparing the good ol’ USA with anything…ewwwwwww…European is barely short of treasonous. Of course, if they had an ounce of real pride in their country and compassion for their fellow Americans, they would be irked not by the headline but by its accuracy. What they have instead is an open spigot of cash from corporadoes keen on keeping a health-care system that costs more but delivers less than health-care systems in Europe and Canada.
(Source: Commonwealth Fund)
During 2010, according to the Commonwealth Fund’s Biennial Health Insurance Survey released last Tuesday, 52 million Americans-that’s the total population of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands-had no health insurance in all or part of the year.
We can all be proud Americans but we sure don’t need to be proud of the broken American social safety net which has the broken for-profit American robber baron medical system at its center piece which hoists death through the exclusion of medical treatment and medical bankruptcy on it’s victims and creates untold thousands of American medical refugees who leave the U.S. or can’t come back to live in the U.S. because of pre-existing medical conditions that prevent you from ever buying private medical insurance ever again. The American for-profit medical system is a legalized system of organized theft which functions to recycle assets from the American working class to the plutocracy who own the for-profit American health care system.
PS: Here’s another recent diary that deserves your attention.
Wendell Potter’s urgent warning to the Brits: Don’t become like us
written by nyceve
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If anyone wants to join our Daily kos group Global Expats, please send me an email at: democratsramshield@yahoo.com
(Cross posted by author from the Daily Kos.)