Canada Premier comes to America for heart surgery

[sandorski]

A free market healthcare system that costs less. That is unpossible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Different Economic situation. It's less expensive for the same reason why Manufacturing is less expensive in China than in the West.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I always laugh when these leaders from countries with socialized medicine get on planes leaving their systems behind in order to have their procedure performed in the worlds worst medical system.

It makes perfect sense. The American system is wonderful if you are one of the nation's top 10% of income earners. For the other 90% it's not so great. The question is, when designing your health care system, do you design it to benefit 90% of the people or the 10% of the people who will be able to obtain the care they need regardless.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Our system is great... if you CAN AFFORD IT, that is, and your insurance doesn't screw you...

You mean like when a private health insurance company's Death Panel doesn't rescind your policy on the day you are scheduled to have cancer surgery?

Free market dogmatists like to talk up the American system while ignoring that sort of thing. Yes, a Canadian Premier came here for surgery--to the same system where life-saving surgery may very well be denied you by an insurance company death panel.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Where do the people who live in the US and don't have the $$ go?

The captialists' and upper classes' health care plan for the poor is:

Don't get sick and if you do, die quickly.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Texas's TORT reform had nearly zero effect on lowering healthcare costs, it had no effect in my state of IL either.

It lowered costs in McAllen, Texas, didn't it? (Just kidding.)

 

[Number1]

William is the biggest blow hard this country has ever produced. He called himself the great defender of the Canadian health care system in the past but when push came to shove, it was not good enough for himself.

What an asshole.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

A free market healthcare system that costs less. That is unpossible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

India is pretty much a third world country. Are you advocating that we adopt the Indian health care system? Are you advocating that we adopt third world medicine? What happens to the poor in India when they need health care?

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Yes - but they still pay providers better than does the government, since insurance companies can't use armed force or coercion and cannot force costs to be moved to others.

Insurance companies also relentlessly pursue efficiency since a more efficient competitor can take their accounts by offering lower premiums. Government has no such drive.

It all sounds idyllic until you consider that insurance companies, insurance brokers, medical billings specialists, and businesses' benefits plan managers are all middlemen who are heavily responsible for driving up the costs of health care.

This notion that a proper, rational government cannot pursue efficiency is a dogma, btw. Perhaps the current corrupt American government might not be able to do it, but that doesn't mean that a rational government could not.

Of course, any way you slice it, the fact remains other nations are spending far less on health care as a percentage of GDP (while often having more doctors per capita) while having 100% coverage than is the U.S.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Of course, any way you slice it, the fact remains other nations are spending far less on health care as a percentage of GDP (while often having more doctors per capita) while having 100% coverage than is the U.S.

... while having much worse care available. There's always a tradeoff.

 

[blackangst1]

Originally Posted by Genx87
A free market healthcare system that costs less. That is unpossible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

India is pretty much a third world country. Are you advocating that we adopt the Indian health care system? Are you advocating that we adopt third world medicine? What happens to the poor in India when they need health care?

I can tell you because Ive been there (at least to Mumbai and Nagpur)...its not pretty. Somewhere along the lines of 45% of India is considered poverty. In fact, the average annual income in India is lower than China. But then, if youre poor in India, you really cant get health care either. At least what you could if you had money. Malnutrition, maleria, and hepititis are major health issues there.