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I found the March 31 letter from Misty Walst-Kennedy regarding the current state of health care in the Netherlands both intriguing and abrasive. It appears that through her tenure outside of the United States, she has forgotten what freedom means. Most would absolve that this term is the intrinsic difference between America and the majority of the free world; the right to choose for oneself. In the purest sense, liberty.
Let's bypass statements paralleling wait times for Dutch medical services to that of America, or personal choices of recovery room neighbors. One appears to miss the most basic truth behind the change in the United States' health care system: the freedom to choose the path of care and the coverage which best subsidizes that care. Many would doubt this statement simply due to the fact that they lack the means to make the choice that most pleases them. Certainly in the current state of this country, most would argue this fact true. On the other side, America has become a land of open hands looking to gain equality due to location rather than through sacrifice and hard work.
The truth is, the thought of a four-week wait for an outpatient procedure is mind numbing; that sharing a recovery room with other patients as acceptable is a personal choice not one to be made by a government official. Doctors should not be limited or directed to perform to a standard set by the government. This fact is absurd, bordering on frightening.
It becomes a slippery slope when a person allows one's elected officials to dictate how medical care is provided. America is born from the right to choose. When one allows others to choose for them, one gives up the choice and accepts what is given. Enjoy the labored waits and partnered rooms of your country, I will choose my private insurance ensuring four-day waits and private recovery quarters. With my choice comes doctors creating the cutting edge procedures your Dutch practitioners follow.
Brooks Clay
Gainesville