On Health Care, Education and Public Service
The last from the series, The US Problem.
It should be one of our main goals, as it would protect the lower-income folks and even freelancers who do not have health care supported by a company. One healthcare company is out there to help out freelancers, but not if you are a US citizen. WTF?
It is set up to provide nearly global coverage. While it does take advantage of the local healthcare, it is primarily designed for various accidents and illnesses one might have during travel.
Of course, health care is not perfect anywhere; sure, it may be free or a much lower price but can sometimes be slow if one is not in immediate danger. What is needed is some sort of hybrid system, where you could receive affordable care or pay for non-critical issues, such as regular checkups, cosmetic surgery, and the like.
While on the subject of healthcare, is there a particular reason the eye and dental are not covered under health care? I would argue that they are both critical to overall health. The root cause of the healthcare prices should be examined and fixed. While I would not want to cheat a specialist out of a large fee, they could do some percentage pro-bono work; maybe that would help. For example, in the age of COVID, all vaccinations should be free and relatively easy to get because if we don’t solve it for all, it will not resolve itself.
Health care should be a fundamental right, and that should go with the eye, dental and mental. We need to find the root cause of the pricing and work to solve it. Is it the healthcare companies? Or plain greed or the exorbitant prices paid by doctors and I suspect nurses for liability insurance. Once again, it is going to have to involve open and useful discussions from all sides. As for Medical school, that subject is coming up.
On Education and Public Service
The education in the US is just horrid compared to other first-world and even some second and third-world countries. I think it goes to us teaching to the test and not teaching thought processes. I also think it is a mistake at the elementary and high school levels to separate all subjects.
For example, if a student had to learn about some historical events, why not combine that with English classes. Ditto for Math and science, since they depend on each other. Most importantly, teach critical thinking, not just how to pass a test. Our universities are a little better and were the place to go for many years, something I think is beginning to worsen.
Free State schools? I think not, but at the same time, school debt has gotten out of control. A thought here would be to fund the student for school and pay it back with public service. So not free, but useful in many ways. First, the general education grows; second, as the graduate would be sent to where they are most needed, it helps with diversity and a better understanding of America’s different parts. This could be applied across the board; the graduate just owes the number of years they went to school public service. SO someone wants to be a doctor, no worries, paid for, but they can expect to spend residency and x number of years where they are most needed. It also potentially helps with healthcare costs as doctors and nurses could be more widely dispersed to places in need.
Should this option be federal only? I don’t think so; if a community decided it needed more teachers, doctors, engineers, whatever, there is always the potential of using community funds to send the kid to college and have them serve them upon graduation. Likewise, if there are people that do not want to go to university immediately, no reason they could work to build up college credits, much like the GI Bill. This is not a call for communism but a way to help schools be more affordable for gifted yet poor students.
Lastly, the university does not always fit everyone, so more trade schools should also be under the same policy; just ask Texas residents after their last power/water fiasco. The truth is that people with a variety of skills are always going to be needed; the important thing is to encourage their growth and salaries as their expertise expands. Think of the technicians required to go to microgrids, grow solar and wind technologies, and other carbon-neutral power sources. Everyone is essential and should never be looked down upon.
