On December 13th, 2007, my partner had to return to his home country The Netherlands, as his mother had a mild stroke. While there he was quite frustrated with the level of care his mother received and the lack of information the doctors had provided him and his family of the projected outcome and lasting effects of his mother’s health following her stroke. When my partner arrived to the hospital many questions loomed in the back of his mind, however, he remained silent for the moment as he was happy that is mother had survived, and assumed that the doctors would soon provide them with the lasting effects the stroke will have on his mother and the path they will undertake towards her recovery. Sadly, a week passed, and yet no one other the than the nurses had provided his mother with any care. At this point, the family was infuriated and demanded to speak with a doctor. The doctor indicated that there would be some brain damage, however, did not yet know the severity, as they had not yet performed an MRI. Finally, a week and a half later, the MRI was performed, and the Physician’s Assistant, not the Doctor, instructed the family that there was brain damage, and they are not sure how this will affect her life and daily activities thereafter. Is that the information that they waited for almost 2 weeks? Was a medical degree necessary for the information that was provided? How could something as grave as a stroke get so little care and attention?

Well, to provide you with a little more information, The Netherlands is a small country in Europe, and most are more familiar with its capital; Amsterdam. The health care in The Netherlands is what you would call “Universal Health Care�, all residents must have it, either offered via their employer’s or self, and if they cannot afford it, it is subsidized by the government. While this may seem ideal, it is hardly the case as it seems it highly fails when it pertains to the actual care of the patients and the overall qualifications of the MD’s.
As the 2008 elections approach, it is only inevitable that health insurance in Colorado and the rest of the US may be nearing this sort of health care system. There is no argument that the health insurance industry in Colorado and the rest of this nation is failing, too many are uninsured, and rather than preventing ailments, we treat any little nuisance with medication. Thus our system needs a change, but is Universal care the answer? In order for a change to be successful, we need to ensure that everyone receives the same kind of health care that we currently receive, in the sense that we may continue to choose our own doctors, creating competition between doctors, and the need for doctor’s and specialists to strive to be the best, and reward those that excel in their fields.
Currently in The Netherlands, all MD’s are ultimately paid the same, thus creating a shortage of specialists, a lack of incentive to shine, and truly caring about providing the best care.
Certainly this is not the path that Colorado’s health insurance system should take. A change is necessary, but one that will benefit rather than be a detriment to us all.

If you or someone you know needs help with their current Colorado group or individual health insurance plan, or needs affordable individual and group coverage, please contact Elite Health and Life Insurance Services for a no obligations free quote, we are here to help.