A U.K. based liberal writer has recently drawn attention to an event that took place in?June. A Twitter user named @YumiYoko posted a photo of the hospital bill from the birth of her child by a cesarean section. The bill was more than $42,000.
The cost of my c-section. @dcmadness202 pic.twitter.com/cp70HDqRS9
— Yumi (@YumiYoko) March 5, 2014
The tweet went viral when British actor Stephen McGann tweeted it to his fans. McGann plays a doctor in a popular British TV show called “Call the Midwife,” which is set at the dawn of the U.K.’s beloved National Health Service.
Dear UK, this is what childbirth looks like without an NHS: ?@andyheeps: An obstetric bill from the USA? pic.twitter.com/vhcA1SmjCo?
— Stephen McGann (@StephenMcGann) June 18, 2014
People across the globe freaked out.
The writer (U.K. based Kerry Anne) points out that the U.S. is still the only developed nation that lacks universal healthcare. Even with Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act), there are so many gaps of care in this country, primarily because most Republican governors refuse to implement Medicaid expansion in their states.
We shared this image in an article I wrote in June titled “These 2 Maps Prove That Lack Of Adequate Healthcare Causes Low U.S. Life Expectancy.” Our healthcare gap is directly affecting our life expectancy.
From the Addicting Info article:
Britain’s NHS?saves more lives per pound ($1.62) spent on it than any healthcare system on earth except Ireland, and yet the Brits spend half the equivalent GDP the US spends on healthcare.?Yet, as research by respected think tank The Commonwealth Fund revealed this year, the US has been ranked as having?the most expensive and least effective healthcare system of all the industrialized nations?again.
This is insanity. Seriously. We’ve written about this exact same topic before, in another instance where a Reddit user publicized his hospital bill and everyone was shocked. When are we going to stop shocking the world? When are WE going to get shocked and say “enough”? When is this going to embarrass us enough for us to take action?
We continue to play this game here in the U.S. I maintain this: as a nation “by the people, for the people” one of our primary obligations is to ensure access to basic human needs. Being able to give birth without sacrificing a YEAR’S SALARY should be something that women can take for granted, particularly since babies being born is so important to our right wing. But that’s a whole ‘nother topic…
Fact:?as long as we have any Republicans in control of our Congress and?our states, we’re going to be fighting this battle. So sit down for a long ride, folks, but continuing the fight is something we must do.
These tweets and worldwide outrage will perhaps add some fuel to the fire that we continue to try to light under our elected officials.
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h/t Addicting Info
Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
