Brickbat: Blinded

Toa555 / Dreamstime.com

The United Kingdom's Royal College of Ophthalmologists has found that tens of thousands of elderly people struggle to see because of National Health Service rationing of cataract surgery. The group found that 62 percent of eye surgery units will not perform the surgery unless the patient's vision has deteriorated to a certain point.

Comments

[Adans smith]

On the other hand, they can't see their bad teeth in the mirror.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ms Julie Wood, CEO of NHS Clinical Commissioners, which represents local funding bodies, defended the restrictions.

She told the Times: "NICE guidance is not mandatory and clinical commissioners must have the freedom to make clinically led decisions that are in the best interests of both individual patients and their wider local populations. The NHS does not have unlimited resources."

The decision doesn't sound clinically led.

[Ray McKigney]

"The NHS does not have unlimited resources."

*cough* death panels *cough*

[Brian]

"The NHS does not have unlimited resources."

I'm sorry, you don't understand. Universal. It's UNIVERSAL healthcare.

[Deconstructed Potato]

SPEND MORE! THE ONLY ANSWER IS MORE SPENDING! ANYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH THIS LOVES AUSTERITY AND IS A THATCHERITE FASCIST! FREE STUFF FOREVER!

[Ordinary Person]

We should be spending half the money we spend on the military on health care. Disease is a far greater threat to your safety than anything else and by a large measure. We should train more doctors, nurses and other practitioners and attack disease like its invasive deadly threat that it is. What is patriotism if it's not looking out for your fellow countrymen.

[loveconstitution1789]

We should be spending zero government money on medical care for civilians.

Taxes would be far lower with no Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or ObamaCare. Pay cash for minor medical stuff and pay low rates for catastrophic health insurance for major medical stuff.

Socialized medicine is shitty and expensive.

[Ordinary Person]

That's not what Dear Leader says. He says everyone gets covered and no one is denied because of preexisting condition. But he's a liar like you.

[loveconstitution1789]

Obama is NOT President anymore.

Glad that liar is gone.

[Rossami]

That would require a massive increase in spending on the military, Ordinary. Total US defense budget for the last year I can easily find was a bit under $700 billion. Total spending on health care was about $3.3 trillion. To get to "spending half the money we spend on the military on health care", we'd either have to cut 90% of all health care spending or increase military spending to almost $7 T.

In terms of headcount, there are about 1.4 million people in the military compared to over 13 million healthcare professionals (according to the Dept of Labor).

Yes, disease is a threat. Fighting it already consumes almost one fifth of the entire economic output of the country. How much more do you seriously think we need to spend?

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""We should be spending half the money we spend on the military on health care."'

That might be easier to do if we didn't have world wide commitments.

Care to get behind a US withdraw of NATO?

[Deconstructed Potato]

Why are you even responding to me if I'm such a "fucking idiot"?

Also, I was spoofing the limey socialists, not referring to the US of A. Anyway, I'm willing to read your arguments now you're not just defaulting to ad hom.

[AlmightyJB]

Like the Royal Family?

[Mickey Rat]

Ecuador has given up Assange.

[Mickey Rat]

I guess he should cleaned up after his cat.

[some guy]

Wasn't there supposed to be some sort of insurance against this. Isn't some treasure trove of damning leaks supposed to be released when he is taken into custody?

Also, it's going to be funny to see just how trumped up his rape charges are.

[Mickey Rat]

The rape charges were dropped. The Brits are arresting him for jumping bail, according to the article.

[Ordinary Person]

The Trump administration is extraditing Assange for the Manning Iraqi war leaks. It's a terrible crime to expose secrets unless of course those secrets help you win an election then it doesn't matter how the information gets out.

[Don't look at me!]

I thought it was the Russians.

[Ordinary Person]

The Russians hacked. Assange was the middle man. Trump was the beneficiary.

[Brian]

And Hillary was the... victim... sniff...

[Ordinary Person]

And Trump was the victim of a witch hunt. The poor baby. He cried almost everyday but daddy Barr made it all go away.

[loveconstitution1789]

Poor Lefties don't see what is happening.

Mueller ends his "investigation", the AG is releasing the report within the week, Trump publicly mentions that the Deep State coup should be investigated, and Ecuador gives up Assange based on an American extradition warrant after 7 years.

More Deep State house cleaning, like when Trump told Comey, Strozk, and McCabe, "You're Fired"!

MAGA!

[Ordinary Person]

Let me tell you want happens if Barr moves on these people. They immediately get access to everything. All the information gets release for their defense because their defense would be that there was probable cause to investigate Trump and Russia.. I hope you idiots attack these people.

[loveconstitution1789]

Haha. They have all the "everything" and Lefties still failed to stop Trump.

Cleaning house of these Lefty traitors might actually save the USA. Even if they are not convicted, we get rid of Lefty burueacrats, Lefty politicians, and Socialist policies that protect them.

Its a win-win-win for America.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""The Trump administration is extraditing Assange for the Manning Iraqi war leaks.""

Do you have any evidence of this?

[Rich]

The group found that 62 percent of eye surgery units will not perform the surgery unless the patient's vision has deteriorated to a certain point.

Unlike the US, where 100 percent of eye surgery units will not perform the surgery unless the patient's vision has deteriorated to a certain point?

[some guy]

Depends on what the certain point is.

[Rich]

Exactly.

[Griffin3]

Pretty much 20/50 Snellen, which is considered lifestyle altering as it disqualifies you for driving license. If you can no longer drive due to other issues, 20/80 is the certain point. Plus the deterioration has to be correctable by lens replacement. If you have burned up retinas from diabetes, you won't qualify for medicare||insured lens replacement, unless it would then bring your vision above said levels.

[alisoamer]

Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, go to tech tab for work detail.\

>>>>>>>>>> http://www.GeoSalary.com

[some guy]

They should be happy to have this opportunity to sacrifice for the greater good.

[Bubba Jones]

The solution is congestion pricing.

[Longtobefree]

Vote for Bernie!

[Ordinary Person]

Better than Trump. I'd rather run trillion deficts the way Bernie proposes to spend money. With Republicans the money is spent anyway on crap like walls and tanks.

[loveconstitution1789]

Luckily, we have solid examples of Lefties and RINOs spending trillions on walls and tanks.

Nobody believes Lefties anymore. A Lie too Far.

[Ordinary Person]

War and the police state are rightwing projects 99% of the time. Your stupidity is what defines you more than any conviction you happen to hold. You're too stupid to remember Trump accusing Obama of "destroying our military" by not increasing funding. You're to stupid to remember a lifetime of Republicans demanding more for military always more and castigating Democrats for wanting to spend less.

[Griffin3]

Uhm, I seem to remember all the wars we were not involved with under the Obama administration. Do I need to get my memory hole checked?

[loveconstitution1789]

Most American wars have been started under a Democrat administration.

As to Trump stating a fact that the US Military is weaker because of Obama, I agree. Its also weaker because of W Bush. Both are going down as some of the worst Presidents ever.

Waging wars is very expensive and then you still need all the regular defense spending that includes weapon improvements for 20 years down the road. How do you wage 17 years of war and not increase the defense budget to pay for it entirely? You cannibalize normal defense budgets.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""War and the police state are rightwing projects 99% of the time."'

The police state is about as bipartisan as it gets. Joe Biden helped expand it, yet he's the democrat front runner.

Trump has not invaded or started any military action. He is continuing what Bush started, and what Obama started even though Obama takes credit for ending what Bush started. But when Trump talked pulling troops out of Syria, the dems had a hissy fit. Along with some republicans too.

[aleix]

as Elizabeth replied I'm amazed that a mom can earn $7438 in four weeks on the computer. did you see this site............................ http://www.geosalary.com

[Jerryskids]

But don't the Brits know that healthcare is a human right? Has the UN been notified of this human rights violation? Maybe Bernie needs to go over there and explain things to them, he can deliver his lecture from Karl Marx's tomb.

[C. S. P. Schofield]

"he can deliver his lecture from Karl Marx's tomb."

Preferably from the inside....

[Conchfritters]

You know how Rand volunteers to go to shit hole countries with other doctors to do common procedures? I think the UK could use some Doctors Without Borders.

[loveconstitution1789]

+10

[Ordinary Person]

Not having access to the treatment returns the patients to the position they would be if they were on their own. Y'all are criticizing your policy. These people could spend their own money on treatment. Oh, but that's the problem they lack that.

[loveconstitution1789]

Poor Lefties will never admit that Socialist countries, like the UK, take all the People's money via taxes and then wont let the People leave the country to spend what little money they do have to get proper medical care.

[Ordinary Person]

You're probably on welfare. Half you Trump idiots are and the other half crys like babies when the capitalists move the factories to China for maximum profit.

[loveconstitution1789]

Sorry to disappoint you.

I am not on welfare. I don't pay into Social Security either, so I won't be taking that or Medicare.

My driver's license is good for 38 years, so really my only interaction with government is taxes.

[GroundTruth]

How do you get a license that is good for 38 years???? Where do I have to move to never deal with the MA "registry" again???

[loveconstitution1789]

Georgia gave me a license with an expiration date that far out because I am a veteran.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""You're probably on welfare. ""

A shining example of how you love to make things up.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""Y'all are criticizing your policy""

They are criticizing a policy that says health care is a right, but makes excuses when they can't provide health as a right.

[Brian]

Y'all are criticizing your policy. These people could spend their own money on treatment. Oh, but that's the problem they lack that.

I had no idea the NHS was basically American-style healthcare.

I mean, really: if you want to save money on medicine in the US, you can just avoid going to the doctor. The result is the same as the NHS. Except bureaucracy, taxes, etc.

I can't wait until we get some humane healthcare in this country.

[Ordinary Person]

If it was up to you these people would be in their own just like they are now except they'd be on their own for the cataract surgery, the heart surgery, the diabetes medicine, the cancer treatment.. .

[Brian]

wow. these are some sick people.

And I'm sure when the time comes for those procedures, scarcity will vanish.

[Idaho Bob]

I'm on my own for all those things. What's your point?

[TrickyVic (old school)]

And you might get a cataract surgery faster than someone in the UK.

[Azathoth!!]

not 'might'.

will

[GroundTruth]

But, but, the Brits all love the NHS, really! Isn't that what we're told every time someone points out the inevitable endpoint of socialized health care?