I received both my vaccine shots and couldn’t be prouder of and thankful for the organizers, providers and hundreds of volunteers. There was an impressive coordination of efforts to get our vaccines in La Plata County. What struck me was the simplicity and ease of the experience: Once I got my appointment, I was directed where to get my shot, received information for my second appointment, waited 15 minutes to make sure I didn’t have an allergic reaction and drove away. Accomplished in 20 minutes.
I didn’t have to get out my insurance card, make a copay, nor did I sit in a waiting room for hours. I didn’t get a bill or have to figure out if the fairgrounds was in network. I just got the care I needed. This is similar to how Medicare For All would work: treatment that’s free at the point of service, no provider networks and publicly funded.
When we are in need of medical care, whether it’s a check-up or an accident, our current health care system is simply too complicated, expensive and broken to get the job done. It’s not surprising that other countries with universal care were far more successful at containing the virus. They relied heavily on their national health systems to coordinate and fund testing, contact tracing, data collection and hospital care. Emergency vaccination clinics are not a fair argument for M4A. But, it is a little glimpse into how an efficient, cost-effective system could potentially work.
Jan Phillips
