The Healthcare and Criminal Justice Systems

Part 1—Healthcare

Yesterday Maggie Mahar discussed and gave a glimpse into the current Healthcare debate in the U.S. She began by explaining that the U.S. healthcare enterprise spends more than 2.4 times the money that European countries do.

She simply stated that “the U.S. healthcare system over-treats patients, creates lots of waste, and is not well regulated.” Several times Mahar warned us that, “more care is not better care.”

I was disturbed, but not surprised to hear from Mahar that the FDA is not accountable and approves drugs that simply would not pass in other countries. She said a big problem with the FDA is “that it requires a product to be tested against a placebo, but not against other similar existing products on the market.” She said, as most of us have heard, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers pay millions of dollars in campaign contributions. Additionally, she lamented that those who sit on the FDA panel are paid consultant fees by companies, thus furthering the lack of accountability and neutrality.

One theme that seems to have arisen several times during the first week and a half of HIA is that several systems could become better and do more good by simply reducing excess money spent. The criminal justice system may be more effective and helpful if it weren’t for the prison industrial complex that appears to be more concerned with making money than actually rehabilitating criminals or reducing crime rates. People could save more money if they adopted ecological lifestyles where they turned down heating, put on extra sweaters, used compact fluorescent lights, and used mass transit or drove small cars. Similarly if the healthcare system was leaner, it could alleviate several problems and injustices. Patients may get the treatment they actually need, rather than taking excess pills that have severe consequences, or receiving tests that weren’t required.

Another lessen I took away from the talk was that the U.S. needs to invest and reform healthcare to emphasize preventative care. She referenced a study that compared British and American health and found that people living in Britain who had the same diet and lifestyle as their American counterparts were considerably healthier—the conclusion of the study was that Britain’s emphasis on preventative care was the difference. Similarly, today we learned that the Red Hook Community Justice Center is seeking to engage the community and youth before rather than after they have been arrested and sent to the community court. Obviously it seems the best-case scenario is if you can reach out to the community early on, rather than be reactive. Once you have been convicted of a crime or a felony your options for obtaining jobs become automatically slimmer and more difficult.

Mahar said that 2 common phrases she hears in the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare system are first, “a pill that cures is good, a pill that you take everyday is better, ” and second “Build more beds and wings, they will come.” These quotes sadly and soberly sum up, I feel, the current state of healthcare in the U.S. We can only hope that the next President will be in a position to reform the system, Medicare, and pave the way for Universal Healthcare. She did say that Obama was on the right track in his thinking for healthcare, but stated that his priority in office would be Iraq and Afghanistan and those of us wanting healthcare reform would have to wait until the end of the term. But she contrasted Obama’s stance with McCain who wants to give individual choice, and create an even more unregulated system.

In 11 years Medicare will be out of money and she believes this system should be reformed properly and sustainably. If done properly, Medicare will be the first step in reforming and providing mandated universal healthcare.

And lastly from a refugee from Myanmar who settled in my hometown of Charlottesville, VA:

The process here is difficult.

Last month my son died, 15 years old. He went to UVA hospital for eye surgery. But then he got sick and stayed in UVA and died from meningitis. First Burmese refugee to die in Charlottesville. The hospital did an investigation.

We don’t know the process. When my son died, they wanted to use his organs.

We don’t know the American process.

And we are not angry, but we don’t know what is happening and we are very sad.


Michael,

P.S. Part 2—by Tina, who had computer issues, will report on the Criminal Justice System tomorrow.