U.S. Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn came out of retirement to try and grab some more Olympic glory. Things didn’t go as she’d hoped and in fact she suffered a severe injury, breaking her leg. She was airlifted from the course and went through three surgeries in Italy before returning home. She got first class health care and wasn’t the least bit worried that would be the case. EVERYONE gets the same in Italy, something a prominent doctor there decided to point out. Yep, after wishing her well with the rest of her recovery (she will likely have one more surgery back here) he trolled RFK Jr. And when you think about it the United States.
Alone among the world’s developed countries the United States does NOT have National Health Care. Despite attempts to get everyone covered with a decent health care plan, even with the ACA (Obamacare) not all Americans have health insurance and even then not insurance that covers the range of treatments in most countries including dictatorships. Think about THAT. Yes, sometimes there’s a wait for elective procedures but in return for a little more in taxes people in other countries don’t have to pay for damned near any health care they need. No one loses their livelihood, or home because they go bankrupt from medical bills! Yet, here in the richest country in the world it happens all over the place every single day.
Vonn didn’t have to worry about that. Not because she is rich enough from her skiing and endorsements to be able to afford the best care in the best U.S. hospitals, but because was injured in a country (a U.S. ally) with a great National Health Care system. No one pays for any medical care there. If you’re sick or injured you get treated with the best modern medicine has to offer. Terrific hospitals and terrific, well-trained doctors. Vonn had, ‘just in case’ picked what hospital she’d go to if injured (a very real possibility – I’ll explain why) and will be the first to say she was in great hands the entire time.
Now she’s back home, HuffPost tells us, with Dr. Matteo Bassetti, head of the the head of the Infectious Diseases Clinic at Policlinico San Martino University Hospital in Genoa and a former Yale University School of Medicine scholar did a nice thing. He went on Instagram to send Vonn, a skiing legend in a country with a deep love of winter sports “best wishes for a speedy recovery.” However he couldn’t resist tweaking, or to be frank outright trolling RFJ Jr. Trump and all here in the U.S. that have fought so hard to PREVENT this country from having a National Health Care system.
Lindsey Vonn had a storied career complete with a one time record number of wins and some pretty gruesome injuries. Given the speed of world class downhill and even giant slalom races brutal injuries are simply part of the sport. Vonn accepted all that and when injured endured the grueling process of rehabilitation. Then strapped on her skis and went hurtling down the mountain again. Like every athlete the time came when the “there” needed takes more than an athlete is willing, or even can give so she retired.
Prior to these Olympic Games there was lots of debate about whether Vonn should even race. She’d showed remarkable form in World Cup competition but tore her ACL shortly before the Games. With a special brace she tried to work through it. That knee did affect her – you could see her grimacing when stretching/warming up before her turn at the starting gate. I won’t get into the debate over whether or not Vonn should have competed other than to say this: downhill ski races are notoriously difficult and dangerous even when one is perfectly health and skiing at top form. Races are decided by fractions of seconds sometimes and not being aggressive means watching others stand on the podium when the medals are awarded. In her career Vonn, blessed with enormous talent and drive/will was more aggressive than most. It’s why she won so much and also why she’d crash at high speed and sometimes suffer far worse injuries than bruises.
Well, whether it was age or slightly favoring an injured knee Vonn got her arm caught in a gate she got too close too, crashed and broke her leg. It was the same one that was already suffering a torn ACL (a ligament that stabilizes the back of the knee) and the break in her leg was gruesome. Vonn had to have been in tremendous pain, both physically and emotionally. All that work resulted in dashed hopes of one more Olympic Gold medal, or at least a medal. Probably her competitive skiing career too. Yet one thing she did NOT worry for a second about was whether she’d get the best medical care. Or being able to pay for it because in Italy EVERYONE gets the best care. What they don’t get are hospital and doctor bills.
Anyone in Italy hitting the slopes and suffering a similar injury (or even worse) would get the same care Vonn got. And not have to pay a bill, either for their hospital care or the rehab to come. That friends is why we should all be outraged that in THIS country one of Vonn’s or anyone’s first thoughts on the way to the hospital would be “Oh my gawd. How am I going to pay for my treatment? Will I lose my home? Will I and my loved ones be out in the street?” That is where Dr. Bassetti called out this (and let’s face it, prior ones too) administration on health care:
“Vonn was able to appreciate Italy’s extraordinary public healthcare system, which took care of her with three surgical procedures. In Italy, unlike in her country, we take care of everyone: rich or poor, VIPs or nobodies, Americans or Italians. If she gets the chance, she should explain to Trump and Kennedy Jr. what it means to take care of those who are ill.”
Vonn has been openly critical of Trump in the past and during his first term turned down a WH invite. She hasn’t been all that political during her time in the spotlight but also hasn’t held back when it comes to certain politicians (i.e. Trump) or other matters. However, during competitions she refuses to comment, preferring to focus on the competition. She’s expressed that attitude that in international competitions U.S. athletes represent ALL of us, not some President or other bigwig. So, even if she didn’t have a long road of rehab ahead I’m sure Vonn would turn down another standard (every member of the U.S. delegation/team gets it) invite to visit an asshat who probably wants to steal gold medals from those silly enough to wear them. Hell, because she crashed he’d probably deem her a ‘loser’ and not want her there at all.
But getting back to the good Italian doctor who decided to do some justified trolling he followed up that initial Instagram post. Addressing critics he had this to say and if anything it’s more cutting:
In a later post, responding to criticism, Bassetti clarified that he “didn’t write that in America they only treat those who have money” but instead “wrote (and it’s quite a different thing) that in Italy we treat everyone, unlike in the USA, thanks to our extraordinary national health system.”
“Even if you have nothing and have no insurance policy whatsoever, not only do you get treated in an emergency, but also for elective procedures,” he continued. “I worked in the USA and I know very well, because I saw it with my own eyes, that certain surgical procedures and certain therapies (including those for HIV and cancer) are not performed or provided if you are not insured.
Again, think about the fact that health care in this country is a financial burden for average people instead of a basic right. For conservatives, the old-school Republicans that want to talk about costs and free markets and such I’d like to remind everyone (but especially them) of a couple of things. Right after WWII corporate American knew we were poised to become dominant in the world. They actually went to Truman and others in DC saying we should implement a National Health Care system! They didn’t want the administrative hassle of providing it to workers themselves.
In addition to that, they foresaw a troubling possibility that became a worse reality. Other countries, our allies in particular expanded existing care or created national health care plans. It was paid for by taxes and despite the picture conservatives have tried to paint most have provided an overall quality of care that far outshines health outcomes in the U.S. We are way the hell down the list on quality on too many health care concerns to count! Worse, it has put American business at a disadvantage.
What they feared when a group of business leaders tried to convince political leaders in DC came to pass. American businesses and in particular corporate/big-business got saddled with ‘legacy’ costs competitors in other countries don’t have. Not just the employer share of health care plan premiums, but the costs for retirees! Whether cars/trucks, electronics or appliances manufacturers in other countries start out with a big advantage. Too often our own have closed down or shifted production overseas because they couldn’t compete.
I’m glad Lindsey Vonn got great care after that awful accident. Just like any American that gets sick or injured in Italy or so many other countries would get. Americans deserve no less when we get sick or injured here at home. Perhaps if Vonn retires and stays retired she would use her experience and legendary accomplishments as a platform to advocate for real, comprehensive health care for ALL Americans. Just like she got in Italy. The same great care any Italian would get. Without having to pay a single hospital or doctor bill.
Friends, I know everyone begs you for money. I promise, among all those asking for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a group of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. The rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the chance to keep telling the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
It’s right there in the statistics, how bad US ‘healthcare’ is.
Of the 210 countries in the world, the top fifty in terms of life expectancy have age at death in the 80s – the top five, above 84. The richest country in the world, ever, The USA, comes in at 55th with an expected age of death at 79, (Albania is 53rd) so ineffective is the American healthcare system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy
There are similar figures of relativity in other World Bank health statistics such as child mortality, or pregnancy deaths – with some US States at ‘third world’ levels.
But the most glaring statistic which shows how expensive the US system is, and how glaringly inefficient it really is. Medical bankruptcy is predominantly a U.S. issue, with approximately 66.5% of American bankruptcies linked to medical expenses, driven by high costs and income loss. The rest of the world has the number of bankruptcies caused by medical costs at effectively zero.
Highlighting this is the recent death of noted actor James Van Der Beek who died of cancer. His treatment has impoverished his family, despite him being a wealthy successful actor. Arguably, if he hadn’t delayed seeking treatment due to expense, and had been treated fully, he would still be alive. This is what the American ‘insurance based’ system is about, death and needless suffering so that wealthy companies can make big profits.
The system literally functions by killing people early to make more profit.
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RFK Jr as Secretary of Health makes as much sense as 47 as a king.