The debate that is surging throughout the country on health care reform frankly has often left me scratching my head, “What’s true?”  Confusion seems too often to be the result when something becomes politicized.  Today, I fortunately came across a resource that helps reduce the confusion, “The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care,” by T.R. Reid a professional journalist, the author of five other books.

If you have read my blogs you have seen me recommend alternative ways to reduce stress and improve your health.  Yes, we can do a lot to improve our health and reduce the chance of illness and accidents.  However, when we do require health care, it is one of the most crucial services that any of us ever need.  Generally, when we are over 50, we are more likely to need it.

The bottom-line is that we are the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not provide health care coverage for every citizen.*  By investigating the health care in Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland and pointing out the strengths of their systems and their costs, he provides some valuable data for us and our law makers.   The book also describes how two countries, Taiwan and Switzerland, recently managed a major overhaul in their own health care systems.

If you are fortunate enough to have good coverage via your employer, social security, or state or national governments, then health care coverage is not an issue for you.  However, if you are one of the 45 million without health coverage like a friend who is over fifty, self-employed and just moved to another state who is being treated for an injury and found her health care insurance has just been canceled, it is a serious concern. 

What I find exciting about this book, is that it shows that solutions are out there so that health care can be available and affordable for all.

If you are in the Puget Sound area, T.K. will be speaking at Town Hall this evening, September 8th. 

* According to the World Health Organization, the United States, the richest country in the world, ranks 37th overall on healthcare costs, quality, and coverage.