The good old days

Whenever I hear a republican rattle on about the sound principals of private enterprize and rail against public involvement in health care reform I am reminded of the good old days when ambulance service was provided by such advocates. I am 88 years old and have a long memory. When I was a teenager I used to ride with a friend who operated a funeral home and provided ambulance service.  It was a competitive business and the five companies who raced to scenes of disaster were first in line to provide funeral services. The ambulance ride was free but embalming paid off.  That was the money tree.  Most ambulance service was only available in large cities and if you lived in a remote area you had to find your own way to the hospital.  This was private enterprize at it's finest in the thirties.

Not much was done to improve service until the government stepped in. In 1946 the National Health Services Act was passed and local authorities were required to provide ambulances where necessary.  Initially ambulances were staffed by volunteers transporting the sick and wounded to hospitals, but in 1964 the Millar Report recommended  that ambulance service include life saving procedures in addition to transport. The additional training required to provide such service led to the state registration of paramedics. These improvements to health care happened because the government (not private enterprize) acted.

One must conclude that the lives of citizens are more important than adhering to the principles of private enterprize.So we find ourselves at the crossroads once again , debating on whether to allow public access to health care or let it remain in the hands of private enterprize (insurance companies).  Will we end this conflict by siding with the greedy or the needy?