Health care bothers me. To be precise, the coverage of health care by the media bothers me, consequently I spend a lot of time online stumbling health care posts. Most of the posts are opinion pieces, but unfortunately that is all I have because there is little real health care reporting, and I think it’ s something people need to think about.
The media’s excuse is that people don’t watch stories on health care, and there is little in the way of compensation for such reporting. By that FOX was right to eschew Obama’s health care press conference, they won the ratings in that time frame, but from the standpoint of being a news organization with some responsibility to put significant content in front of the public, they lost.
I loathe that Congress works in such a way that if some kind of plan on health care isn’t rushed through this year it’s bound to be unaddressed for some time. There is something wrong with a system that works that way, especially when the issue is so complicated that I doubt most of Congress understand anything but the political ramifications of it. I don’t have confidence in this process, or the people in charge of it, and I’d like to see some real investigative reporting on the health care issue.
Much of what I read/watch from major news services is nothing more than reports on the political implications of passing, or not passing, a health care bill. I want to see real life reporting on how systems in other countries work, not vague statistical comparatives. What I see is “reporters” making their point with any of the various points you can make with statistics, depending on which ones you choose for your particular agenda. As I’ve said here before, facts of omission are a greater part of our news these days, and with health care it is even more so because it is a complicated issue, probably takes time to investigate, might even take time and concentration to understand, and brings little in monetary rewards. But the public needs to hear some good reporting on this issue.
In a note to Trudy Lieberman (director of the health and medicine reporting program at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism who covers health reform for the Columbia Journalism Review’s cjr.org, and regular contributor to The Nation), Sarah Varney, one of the few really decent health care/health reporters out of LA (I lump her with Kelley Weiss, Joe Barr and Paul Conley at Capital Public Radio), who was inside Canada working on a report about their system, said.…
“I would say as an American health reporter there is a lot of pressure inside news rooms to give the Canadian horror stories equal footing with what my reporting actually found — -which was that the Canadian system is by-and-large a functioning system that covers everyone for half the cost with enviable health outcomes”
According to cjr.org’s Health Reform Too Boring for Broadcast?
“Varney told a compelling and interesting story that directly contradicts the ads now running on U.S. television. She also conducted a round table conversation with some of the best Canadian health experts, including leading health economists Robert Evans and Morris Barer. They explained that their system is not socialized medicine — doctors don’t work for the state; they are independent and run their own practices. What is socialized is the insurance pool— every Canadian is in it— which powers the country’s lower cost, not-for-profit health insurance system.”
Trudy Lieberman’s Health Care pieces at at cjr.org
We need real health care reporting, whether we want it or not, and it is all but non-existent.
If you have a favorite reporter who is currently covering health care, I mean really covering it, let me know.
Peace
Being temporarily in California has it’s advantages. I’m first.
I don’t obsess about the health care issue. I know it’s because I’ve always been healthy and currently have insurance I don’t pay much for, but I agree that the reporting around it is terrible. We should all be more concerned about that, and the lack of (or mindless), public dialogue because of it.
johnm´s last blog ..Ghana’s ‘Millennium City
obsess????
Eh, maybe it’s just me.
What I know about health care couldn’t fill very much. In fact, I was discussing with my friend from Canada about how I know so very much about their system of health care or so very little about ours.
It’s kind of sad really how information was so easily available about another country’s health care system, but not ours.
mojo shivers´s last blog ..Your Love Is Better Than Ice Cream, Better Than Anything Else I’ve Tried
Btw, Miss Cooper…
What I won:
http://www.thecaptainsvintage.com/Ebay/06 – 19-09 – 1871.JPG
But what I really want:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-80s-T-C-Surf-Designs-T-shirt-Mens-Large_W0QQitemZ110417069622QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_CSA_MC_Shirts?hash=item19b55ec636&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_500wt_956
mojo shivers´s last blog ..Your Love Is Better Than Ice Cream, Better Than Anything Else I’ve Tried
There’s enough information around so that we should not be getting the amount of false information passed as fact. That’s not bad, not my color but I know a few people who would be into that piece for sure.
The dialogue about health reform’s been a doozy, hasn’t it? Bear in mind that as dumb as the politics are, so will be the reform. I agree that more actual information might help.
Doug´s last blog ..Elected
Can you worry about this for me please? I’m younger than you, and need to be chillin on a beach, with a glass of Sangria, somewhere.
“There is something wrong with a system that works that way, especially when the issue is so complicated that I doubt most of Congress understand anything but the political ramifications of it. I don’t have confidence in this process, or the people in charge of it, and I’d like to see some real investigative reporting on the health care issue.”
Yep. It’s very hard for them to understand it. They already have public health care that is paid for by me and you. It’s like listening to Ted Kennedy talk about the plight of the poor. How would he know? I’m not saying he can’t sympathize but he surely has no clue what it’s like to be poor.
Members of Congress enjoy the finest health care coverage system in the world. Why in the world we have to string about a national debate as to whether or not other people can enjoy that very system just as they do is politics at its worst.
Chris´s last blog ..Health Care Update
I just wish they would work for the people instead of constantly worrying about the political fall-out of their decisions. It makes for very poor decision making.
If you want to see “real life reporting on how systems in other countries work, not vague statistical comparatives. “, you may want to watch Sick Around the World (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/). It does contain some statistical stuff, but I really enjoyed watching it. It reports on the healthcare systems of the UK, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland.
I love frontline.
We should have a more ambitious core group of journalist in this country but given the intellectual curiosity of the people is at times very low it’s no surprise we don’t have it.
Be thankful the internet allows us to find information we otherwise might not be able to find. The whole “have to pass it now or never thing is ridiculous”.
I think there are ambitious journalist but the need backers.
Hey Coop.. thanks for adding my blog to your RSS and Technorati favs. I appreciate it. You may want to check into HR 2749 and this link below. Could be a cause worth considering since it affects the health, freedoms and well being of all of us. Spread the word. See ya.
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/568/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27275
TC´s last blog ..Clean Green Cheap Solar Power. They Found A Way To Make It.
I will do that, thank you much.
I hope that if it doesn’t pass this year or this Congressional term and I’m cynical enough to think it won’t, Congress continues to try
Unfortunately I think you’re right about Obama’s press conference though I wouldn’t say that most places. The part I liked the most and still had qualms with was when he said the cop did something stupid
I don’t have a favorite news person except Paul Krugman and he’s.…but I have some favorite sites
/usgovinfo.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=usgovinfo&cdn=newsissues&tm=15&f=10&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.sharedprosperity.org/bp180.html
I think it’s important to know what the white house, senate, and house are all proposing because it is and because of people like Betsy McCall and a group that’s big down here that claims all baby boomers and Medicare recipients will be drastically short changed when the opposite is true
They’re playing to the people who need it the most and if I only read or listened to their information would believe this country was turning fascist or horrors, socialist
Things have to change We are in crisis mode but as I said I’m cynical
pia´s last blog ..3WW: Darkness; patronize; weaken – Monkey on my back; yes I love cliches especially drug ones
My comment didn’t seem to take
/usgovinfo.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=usgovinfo&cdn=newsissues&tm=15&f=10&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.sharedprosperity.org/bp180.html
I try to read the actual bills also because if I listened to the ads down here and to Betsy Ross McCall (I think that’s her last name, the former Lt Gov of NY) I would think America is against all people over 45 – all the people who would benefit most from changes.
It’s not easy and I don’t think it will pass this year. I hope Congress continues – my well being depends on it – as does the “health” in every sense of every person in this country
pia´s last blog ..3WW: Darkness; patronize; weaken – Monkey on my back; yes I love cliches especially drug ones
If there is a link it goes to moderation until I get to it. That is to prevent link spam.
I become more the cynic daily, and only part of that is due to Doug.
This is one of those out of my league posts. I admit, I don’t think much about it, but the post you did about the “with insurance and without insurance” cost of stitches got me thinking that the problem goes much deeper.
They can investigate, ad nauseam, Michael Jackson they can investigatE health care systems, costs and outcomes.
jake´s last blog ..Electronic Waste
That cost of stitches post is still bugging me.
You’ll like this cooper.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-onthemedia29-2009jul29,0,566995.column
Thanks joe.
I’ve actually been quite angry with the lack of detailed coverage on the health care reform.
I had to go to a UK News site to get this story last week.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/26/us-healthcare-obama-barack-change
The republicans aren’t interested in whether it’s needed so the only thing they can do is simple turn this into fight against Obama which is pretty sad considering how many people, and our entire country could benefit from this. UK, France, Canada, Switzerland all have this, and no one is accusing them of being socialists. Their conservative group has long supported it for the best interest for the people.
The amount of ignorance being pumped out, and maintained to so many people I know, and state wide here in Louisiana makes me sick.
Bennet´s last blog ..Sounds, Memories
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/26/us-healthcare-obama-barack-change
Bennet´s last blog ..Sounds, Memories
The largest problem is the cost and the fact that those who have state of the art health care are afriad they are going to lose it. Well, there are more problems than that ..but still.
The movie ‘Sicko’ by Micheal Moore is very much related to this topic. I suspect that it is a bit biased, but still it is definitely worth a watch.
The problem is that with so many people in the world, an individual’s health is not given due importance.
Keep posting.
Cheers!
–Sandy (The Village Idiot.)
Sandy´s last blog ..Immortality: The Ultimate Medicine.
Yes it was a good movie, depressing too.
You know where I weigh in on this. The bill as it is is a mess, the public option is not clear enough or good enough and the false claims about the option claims everyone believes are now almost reality because no one has really explained anything to anyone. People are too lazy to read anything for themselves, and their poor reading skills aren’t helping.
g´s last blog ..SPAM
Unfortunately this is what reporting has turned into in this country. If you can’t sensationalize something at a given point in time why mention it?
[…] In Sickness And In Health (wonderlandornot.net) […]
I agree completely. Our major news outlets are really just getting worse with every day, it seems.I don’t know if prior to 2000 I just wasn’t paying attention and it was this bad before, but IMO it seems like a constant downward slope for them since ’00 in the areas of responsible, informative, intelligent reporting.