Letter to Senator McCaskill of Missouri in support of single payer
healthcare
In 1967, at the age of 46, I came to France to fill
the post of director of a Junior Year Abroad program for third year
university students. I was
supposedly covered for all medical expenses through Blue Cross Blue
Shield in Pennsylvania. At
age 65 when I retired, I had not a single time been reimbursed for
medical expenses! I was
assured by my university that I would continue to be covered by this
policy for the remainder of my life.
Since I was understandably skeptical of this
‘assurance’ I applied for medical coverage through the French Social
Security office. I was able
to buy into their system at a cost of 1100 francs per month (roughly
$220) , and I continued to be covered by it until the age of 75 at which
time I was informed that I need no longer pay that monthly fee.
I was now covered by the new system of CMU
(Couverture Medical Universelle).
I am now 88 years old.
I have chosen to remain in France although my
children and their families are in the USA, and have been able to live
here comfortably in spite of several major operations.
This medical coverage pays for all expenses: surgery,
hospitalizations, medications, physical therapy, ambulances, twice daily
nurse care at home, physical therapy at home, household help two hours
every morning, doctor visits at home, ambulatory equipment, bedside
commode, and oxygen and respiratory equipment and supplies.
All co-pays are reimbursed!!!!
I shudder to think what my financial situation would
have been had I been in the US all this time.
And I have never taken French nationality.
I am an American citizen, pay American income taxes and vote in
the US by absentee ballot.
What’s more, I have never had to wait long periods
for
any medical
appointments. All
this care is provided by the state on a not-for-profit basis!!!
I’ll never understand why Americans are so paranoid about the
world “socialized”. It is
cost effective simply because only the French government is in charge of
payments.
The US of A should study this French system and
“steal” it in my opinion.
ANYTHING would be an improvement over what we have in America today!!!
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
You have my permission to quote me and/or to use any part of it
to promote the changes we need in health care in America.
Respectfully yours,
Matilda C. Lipscomb
