"Don't hold your breath," writes Robert J. Samuelson in his Dec. 9 article, "Americans loath to push past the pain." I haven't held my breath in years, as I'm covered by Japan's health insurance system.
Thanks to the coverage, I've been able to afford two eye operations and hip-replacement surgery without the cost wiping out my life savings. That a country with a $13.2 trillion economy (compared to Japan's $4.4 trillion) hasn't had a national health insurance system is baffling at best. But then I recall that millions of my fellow Americans deem such health protection "socialized medicine," a canard I first heard half a century ago.
Americans have been loath to help themselves, so I hope I may continue to extend my 30-plus years in Japan. If I live to be as old as my father, who is 96, maybe the United States by that time will have seized reality and have a health insurance system contributing to a healthier, more dynamic nation.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.