Roy Thayers has experienced death up close, as he was caregiver for his first wife as she battled cancer -- he knows what it is like to watch someone fight for their life -- and he was there when she lost her life to cancer.

Thayers, who at the age of 77 lives alone, was recently told by his doctors that he was at risk for a fatal heart attack and might lose his life if he didn't undergo heart surgery to unblock the heart valves immediately.

The problem of avoiding death and living longer became a matter of time and money. When the NHS put Thayers on a nine-month waiting list for heart surgery, he worried he might not have that long to wait -- considering the urgency with which the doctors had impressed upon him concerning the imminent threat of a fatal heart attack without surgery. He was told he could have the surgery immediately if he paid for it himself.

So Thayers told the hospital to schedule the surgery and he wrote them a £6,500 check. A check he knew would bounce -- but he reasoned by the time the bank returned the check to the hospital for non-sufficient funds, his surgery would be done. According to Thayers, "I love my budgies, I love my dogs, I love my fishing and I'm not going to die for money. I've worked all my life and put my money into the system, why should I die for the sake of money? Life is a great thing and when you've got it you fight for it."

Now he is dealing with the stress of bill collectors but his heart is healthy. In that moment, he fought for his life in the only way he could think to do. In the US, our health insurance is privatized. We do not face long waiting lists, but over 45 million working Americans go without health insurance, and in many cases this means a delay in treatment. In other countries, like the one Thayer's lives in, health insurance is provided in a government-funded program. But the waiting list stories are nightmarish for those who need care and cannot receive it in a timely and sometimes life-saving manner.

As the politicians get prepared for another presidential election, you can see the posturing and promises of a solution to the health coverage problems many Americans face. In the months ahead of us, there will be discussions and debates about what is the best health care system. Personally, I don't think either systems, the private or public, work for all people all the time -- and I spend time wondering what the best system would be that provides high-quality care in a timely fashion. Which system do you think is the best system in providing health care for all people? Or do you have a better idea? Let's talk about it.

via AdamsBriscoe at Netscape