Stephen Hawking on Health Care: NHS Saved My Life

Stephen Hawking, 62, the world-famous physicist who has been a victim of ALS since his early 20s, was born in Oxford, England and still lives in the U.K. He teaches at the University of Cambridge. That makes this paragraph from an Investor's Business Daily editorial, that has since been edited, an out-and-out lie.

As pointed out by the Washington Post's Ezra Klein, the paragraph, since removed, read:

People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.

This editorial, of course, builds on the so-called "death panel" rumors that continue to fly, despite the fact that the GOP admits that they don't exist in the bill.

Oh, additionally, there is no taxpayer money allocated to abortions, either, and any public plan will have an option to allow, or disallow, abortions from coverage.

Here's what Hawking said about the U.K.'s version of Universal Health Care.

"I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS. I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived."

Sorry, guys, he's here because of NHS.

As many forget, statistics which can easily be found at UNICEF's site show that, as of 2007, the U.K. has a longer lifespan than the U.S., as does Canada. They both have lower infant mortality rates than the U.S., as does Cuba! Cuba has an equivalent lifespan to the U.S. Someone's doing something wrong, and it's not these countries, who all have some form of Universal Health Care.

Originally on SNAFU-ed