Two cheers for the American Cancer Society's efforts to focus attention and its advertising dollars on the nation's health access problem -- specifically the uninsured. We're holding the third cheer in reserve because of our concern that policymakers will interpret these commercials as an endorsement of a single-payer, "universal" healthcare system. We're also not 100% convinced that this is the best way for the ACS to spend its money -- but that's their business.
The ACS says that is has "no position" on what kind of health system should be in place in the U.S. Here's a suggestion -- how about one that delivers the highest rate of cancer survival in the world.
According to a recent study in the respected Lancet Oncology -- the most comprehensive ever conducted -- America's cancer-survival rate is the highest in the world among both men and women. By contrast, Britain -- despite its reputation as a utopia of "free" healthcare -- has some of the lowest survival rates in the western world.
Improved access is an worthy goal -- but a single-payer system is not the answer -- especially for cancer patients.
And the American Cancer Society should be brave enough to say so.
The ACS says that is has "no position" on what kind of health system should be in place in the U.S. Here's a suggestion -- how about one that delivers the highest rate of cancer survival in the world.
According to a recent study in the respected Lancet Oncology -- the most comprehensive ever conducted -- America's cancer-survival rate is the highest in the world among both men and women. By contrast, Britain -- despite its reputation as a utopia of "free" healthcare -- has some of the lowest survival rates in the western world.
Improved access is an worthy goal -- but a single-payer system is not the answer -- especially for cancer patients.
And the American Cancer Society should be brave enough to say so.
