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Let's face it, in America today we don't have a health care system, we have a sick care system. We wait until people become obese, develop chronic diseases, or become disabled - and then we spend untold hundreds of billions annually to try to make them better.
Tom Harkin
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote criticizes the American health care system for focusing on treating illnesses rather than preventing them.

Tom Harkin points out a critical flaw in the American health care system, suggesting that it is reactive rather than proactive. Instead of providing preventative care that keeps people healthy, the system only responds to illnesses after they happen, leading to a cycle of poor health and extensive expenditures on treatment rather than prevention.

Themes

HealthSick CarePreventionSystemDisease

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in discussions about health care reform.

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