Daniel Green's recent column in The Hays Daily News was disappointing. Much about medical care and health care delivery eludes him. Does he know there are many kinds of "scanning machines" in a given Canadian province, and as is the case here at home, some types are abundant, some scarce -- for entirely legitimate economic reasons? Does he understand that our finest-in-the-world system has poorer key outcomes than those of most less-expensive systems in other developed countries?

Why do so many people immigrate to the U.S. if socialism and government health care are so wonderful? he asks. Maybe because they're not fleeing socialism or government care, but seeking higher wages and better living conditions.

I can personally assure you that Green's characterization of government-run health care on Indian reservations is both uninformed and misinformed.

For 24 years, I helped provide such care. The Indian Health Service is considered by many experts to be a model system for delivering comprehensive care in third-world settings -- e.g. isolated, poverty-stricken areas.

Medicare, for example, is not a "government-run health care system." It just funds care delivered by the private sector. When Medicare denies funding in certain circumstances, it is not denying care. Seniors or disabled persons with the resources can still get that care if they can buy supplemental insurance or pay out-of-pocket -- just like the rest of us. Medicare covers all qualifying persons, but not all types of care.

The IHS is a government-run system, and its salaried professionals provide a wide range of high-quality, cost-effective medical services: prenatal and well-child care, immunizations (its immunization rate exceeds that of the rest of the nation), preventive, chronic and acute disease care, surgery, emergencies, mental health and substance abuse care, optometry, dental, pharmacy, community nursing, lab, X-ray, water systems -- more services than you'll find in your private-sector clinic here in Hays.

Some care cannot be offered economically on-site in small reservation hospitals and clinics. (Nor is brain surgery performed at the Rooks County hospital.) Such cases are referred to private providers.

All medical emergencies are covered. Some elective cases must be deferred due to inadequate funding by Congress (no doubt the "endless amounts of money" Green claims would drive insurers out of business!), and these are indeed rationed -- rationed rationally, based on fair criteria which don't include extremes of age or other "death panel" factors. The IHS doctor submitting the referral is present to explain the case in detail and serve as patient advocate. Compare that to private insurers' methodology for issuing denials!

In any health care system, you'll find some patients who don't like it. Providers make mistakes and communications can break down, but often discontent arises from unrealistic expectations -- antibiotics for a cold or a permanent cure for arthritis. My family and I obtained nearly all our care from IHS facilities throughout our 24 years there, though we could've gone elsewhere. We consistently had caring providers and quality services.

I'll measure that against profit-driven systems any day.

Jon Hauxwell

1335 Central