CHAPTER –57- Medical Care

The Government maintained a network of free medical care facilities.
There was one at or near every school. They were all staffed by five full time
people and were always open with one or more of the people on duty. Anyone
who felt sick or had sustained a minor injury could go to a local clinic and
receive free medical attention on a first come first served basis. If the person
on duty at the clinic could not solve the problem then the citizen was given a
slip authorizing him to make an appointment at a regional clinic. If the regional
clinic which was staffed by Family Practice MD's could not solve the problem
then the person was referred to one of the local Medical Schools, hospitals or
specialists.
If the person did not choose to go this route he was free to make an
appointment with any medical practitioner or facility that he wanted but when he
did this he knew that he would be charged for the service. Soon there were
private health Insurance companies offering coverage for a fee to any person
that wanted it. They all had different coverages available for a different fee.
Most people used the free public health care system.
There was also a free preventative health care program for people over
fifty where they were entitled to an annual physical examination and follow up
care once a year for routine cases otherwise as often as the primary health care
provider dictated.
Medication was all manufactured directly by the Government and
provided to the people as a free service.