Remote Area Medical in the United States

story on 60 Minutes tonight reports on a charity called Remote Area Medical that sets sets up emergency clinics in places where the need is greatest. Recently RAM has been setting up clinics right here in the United States. This particularly report documents what happens when they set up a clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee. At least 1,000 people show up to be seen by the dentists, optometrists donating their time to the clinic during that single weekend. Think about that for a moment. This is the United States, not an impoverished nation. As the 60 Minutes story points out, “One of the decisive issues in the presidential campaign is likely to be health insurance.” This, however, is the thing I don’t understand. Why is the issue “health insurance” and not “health care”? Why is it necessary that that there be the intermediary of the insurer? The right to health insurance is not the issue, the right to health care is. If insurance is necessary to get the care, then so be it. But it is care that everyone has the right to, by whatever means necessary.

In any case, the 60 Minutes report is interesting. Check it out at this link. ]]>