Health Care Around The World vs. Here

[NJ Stinks]

Interesting stuff in here for those interested.
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5 Myths About Health Care Around the World



By T.R. Reid
Sunday, August 23, 2009


As Americans search for the cure to what ails our health-care system, we've overlooked an invaluable source of ideas and solutions: the rest of the world. All the other industrialized democracies have faced problems like ours, yet they've found ways to cover everybody -- and still spend far less than we do.

I've traveled the world from Oslo to Osaka to see how other developed democracies provide health care. Instead of dismissing these models as "socialist," we could adapt their solutions to fix our problems. To do that, we first have to dispel a few myths about health care abroad:

1. It's all socialized medicine out there.

Not so. Some countries, such as Britain, New Zealand and Cuba, do provide health care in government hospitals, with the government paying the bills. Others -- for instance, Canada and Taiwan -- rely on private-sector providers, paid for by government-run insurance. But many wealthy countries -- including Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Switzerland -- provide universal coverage using private doctors, private hospitals and private insurance plans.

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More at the link below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778.html?nav=hcmodule

[highnote]

Interesting article. It's going to be tough to change because the health care industry keeps a lot of highly paid lobbyists in D.C. that have a direct line to the politicians.

[PaceAdvantage]

Interesting article. It's going to be tough to change because the health care industry keeps a lot of highly paid lobbyists in D.C. that have a direct line to the politicians.How do these other wealthy countries combat paid political influence?

Does it simply not exist overseas?

In some countries, isn't bribery basically a way of life?

[GaryG]

What works in Germany might not work here. Consider the quality of our federal govt employees. I can see the health care "public option" being administered like the post office. Other countries have govt employees that are actually qualified to work in real jobs.

[robert99]

We have the disease in spades but it stays more hidden than in USA.
Money does not change hands so blatantly.
Politicians are supposed to declare interest in registers and refrain from voting/ speaking but otherwise Lobbyist A has to cancel out the interests of Lobbyist B.

There are currently around 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels (consultants, lawyers, associations, corporations, NGOs etc.) seeking to influence the EU’s legislative process. Some 2,600 special interest groups have a permanent office in Brussels. Their distribution is roughly as follows: European trade federations (32%), consultants (20%), companies (13%), NGOs (11%), national associations (10%), regional representations (6%), international organisations (5%) and think tanks (1%).

The professional lobbying industry in UK has been steadily growing in recent years and was estimated by the Hansard Society in 2007 to be worth £1.9 billion and employ 14,000 people. Their report also suggested that some MPs are approached over 100 times a week by lobbyists.

[andymays]

Video… LA Congresswoman Praises Cuban Revolution & Castro's Health Care System

http://www.breitbart.tv/la-congresswoman-praises-cuban-revolution-castros-health-care-system/

Excerpt:

"You can think whatever you want to about Fidel Castro, but he was one of the brightest leaders I have ever met."


Wow! :rolleyes:

[DJofSD]

Video… LA Congresswoman Praises Cuban Revolution & Castro's Health Care System

http://www.breitbart.tv/la-congresswoman-praises-cuban-revolution-castros-health-care-system/

Excerpt:

"You can think whatever you want to about Fidel Castro, but he was one of the brightest leaders I have ever met."


Wow! :rolleyes:
Another brain washed liberal that feels hope will solve all problems. Her holding a office as an elected offical says more about her constituency that it does about her.

[ddog]

How do these other wealthy countries combat paid political influence?

Does it simply not exist overseas?

In some countries, isn't bribery basically a way of life?



Wait, you know of one that it's not a way of life!

[ddog]

there are many bright but nonetheless evil beings.

Castro is close to nbr 1.


I have no doubt he has A better idea than something that is used here but who cares.

[boxcar]

Interesting stuff in here for those interested.
__________________________________________________ ____

5 Myths About Health Care Around the World



By T.R. Reid
Sunday, August 23, 2009


As Americans search for the cure to what ails our health-care system, we've overlooked an invaluable source of ideas and solutions: the rest of the world. All the other industrialized democracies have faced problems like ours, yet they've found ways to cover everybody -- and still spend far less than we do.

I've traveled the world from Oslo to Osaka to see how other developed democracies provide health care. Instead of dismissing these models as "socialist," we could adapt their solutions to fix our problems. To do that, we first have to dispel a few myths about health care abroad:

1. It's all socialized medicine out there.

Not so. Some countries, such as Britain, New Zealand and Cuba, do provide health care in government hospitals, with the government paying the bills. Others -- for instance, Canada and Taiwan -- rely on private-sector providers, paid for by government-run insurance. But many wealthy countries -- including Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Switzerland -- provide universal coverage using private doctors, private hospitals and private insurance plans.

__________________________________________________ _

More at the link below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778.html?nav=hcmodule

Two observations: No government pays any bills because governments aren't self-sufficient entities. They produce nothing. Zip. Nada. Governments are impoverished leeches who require moneyed hosts upon which to feed. The only money any government has is from TAX revenue collected/confiscated from people who are producers, who are self-sufficient, who are productive members of their respective societies. So, since you're so fond of dispelling "myths", you'd do well to start right here with this one and remember what I have just taught you. Therefore, the people actually pay, through their taxes, for this kind of health care, not any government.

Secondly, since some societies in "wealthy" nations rely upon private doctors, private hospitals and even private insurance coverages, why is the state's intrusion needed in these kinds of societies?

Boxcar

[boxcar]

We have the disease in spades but it stays more hidden than in USA.
Money does not change hands so blatantly.
Politicians are supposed to declare interest in registers and refrain from voting/ speaking but otherwise Lobbyist A has to cancel out the interests of Lobbyist B.

There are currently around 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels (consultants, lawyers, associations, corporations, NGOs etc.) seeking to influence the EU’s legislative process. Some 2,600 special interest groups have a permanent office in Brussels. Their distribution is roughly as follows: European trade federations (32%), consultants (20%), companies (13%), NGOs (11%), national associations (10%), regional representations (6%), international organisations (5%) and think tanks (1%).

The professional lobbying industry in UK has been steadily growing in recent years and was estimated by the Hansard Society in 2007 to be worth £1.9 billion and employ 14,000 people. Their report also suggested that some MPs are approached over 100 times a week by lobbyists.

Lobbying works just fine in this country. Ask Howard Dean. He stated recently at a town hall meeting, in answering a question about tort reform as a free market solution to health care reform, that when congress writes huge bills like these health care ones, they tend to piss off a lot of people, and congress had no interest in taking on and antagonizing lawyers. Lawyers protecting lawyers. Isn't this kinda like having the wolf stand guard over the chicken pen?

Boxcar
P.S. In case you don't get it, the chickens are the voters our elected representatives are supposed to represent.