Elmer's Brother

Paratus Ad Vitem Paratus Ad Mortis

2009/5/27

Why nationalize healthcare?

@ 10:07 AM (5 months, 13 days ago)

from NRL News

compared to Canada at least

Inaccurate Grounds for Calling U.S. Health Care Inferior

Critics of the U.S. health care system frequently maintain that other countries have superior health care we should use as models for U.S. reform. They argue that many countries spend far less on health care than the United States yet seem to enjoy better health outcomes.

However, these claims fall apart upon careful examination. Compared to the rest of the world, the U.S. has top-tier survival rates, choice of providers, and very short wait times. It turns out that the statistics critics cite either are incomplete or compare apples to oranges.

WHO Rankings. Critics frequently quote the World Health Report 2000, prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO), in whose performance rankings of 191 nations’ health care systems the U.S. disappointingly ranked 37th. You’d assume these WHO rankings would reflect how likely you were to survive an illness or injury, or to live better and longer with a chronic condition. However, the WHO rankings give great weight to whether the evaluated health care system meets the organization’s ideological preferences.

The U.S. is penalized for things like allowing Health Savings accounts, not having a government-run health care system, and having an insufficiently progressive income tax system (i.e., escalating rates on increasing levels of earnings).The low U.S. grades on these overcome its advantage on the statistics that directly measure health outcomes, where WHO rates our country number one.

Life Expectancy. Another frequently cited statistic is that according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. ranks 18th among 30 world democracies in life expectancy. However, health care is not the only factor in life expectancy. If you correct for two causes of death not directly related to health care—homicides and automobile accidents—the U.S. actually rises to the top of the list for life expectancy.

Infant Mortality. The UN ranks the U.S. 163rd out of 195 countries in comparing infant mortality rates. However, in measuring these rates, the U.S. includes all deaths after “live birth” and defines births as live if newborns show any sign of life, regardless of prematurity. By contrast, Austria and Germany include only deaths of infants who weigh at least one pound at birth. In Belgium and France, the deaths of infants born after less than 26 weeks of pregnancy are not included. Moreover, many other countries do not reliably register babies who die soon after birth.

Specific Diseases. When you compare the outcomes for specific diseases, the U.S. clearly outperforms the rest of the world. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, five-year survival rates for all of the five most common types of cancer are better in the U.S. than in European countries.

Medical Innovation. Moreover, the U.S. drives the bulk of worldwide research and innovation related to health care. A study by Michael Tanner concludes, “Eighteen of the last 25 winners of the Nobel Prize in Medicine are either U.S. citizens or individuals working here. U.S. companies have developed half of all new major medicines introduced worldwide over the past 20 years. In fact, Americans played a key role in 80 percent of the most important medical advances of the past 30 years. ... [A]dvanced medical technology is far more available in the United States than in nearly any other country.”

Even under the WHO rankings, the U.S. is rated first in “responsiveness to patients’ needs in choice of provider, dignity, autonomy, timely care, and confidentiality.” Despite genuine problems of distribution and utilization of preventive care, overall, in comparison with other countries U.S. health care is faster, more effective, and more advanced.

Comment(s) »

  1. The only thing that could improve US health care is regulation of insurance companies. Those jackasses operate in the same cavalier manner as AIG and Wall Street Financial firms. The management salaries are outrageous and their treatment of patients sucks.

    BG

    Comment by Barry G.— 2009/05/27 @ 02:15 PM — (Reply)

  2. I understand Barry but Obama's idea of regulation is a complete takeover.

    Comment by Elmers Brother— 2009/05/29 @ 07:57 AM — (Reply)

  3. It's nada compared to Hillary care. Let it play out. Just some added medicaid.

    BG

    Comment by Barry G.— 2009/05/29 @ 03:43 PM — (Reply)

  4. As I understand it Barry the idea is that private health insurance will be done away with.

    Comment by Elmers Brother— 2009/05/29 @ 03:52 PM — (Reply)

  5. Bad idea Barry. REALLY bad idea.

    Comment by JINGOIST— 2009/05/30 @ 10:07 AM — (Reply)

  6. no, no, no. WE will never have that great feeling of innovation in this country again. TOO high taxes and a misunderstanding of pharmaceutical profits will gag all of that now because of the socialists. They don't understand how much $$ is needed to put America ON TOP. IN ANY FIELD. Sadly, that also applies to the military :-(

    This is a super article, Elbro...I"m going to keep it; it's good for ammo when the dopey ones spout off their emotions....thanks.

    Comment by z— 2009/05/27 @ 02:56 PM — (Reply)

  7. what we need Barry is competition...

    it'll drive costs down the more choices a consumer has and treatment would also get better assuming the providers would be vying for customers

    Comment by Elmers Brother— 2009/05/28 @ 05:38 AM — (Reply)

  8. Lets start by billing Mexico for all the illegals that sneak here for free medical care....riff

    Comment by riffran— 2009/05/28 @ 02:31 PM — (Reply)

  9. Good idea. Tomorrow, I'm going to open Ed's Health Insurance Company for Real Americans. Take that Blue Cross and Aetna.

    Comment by Ed— 2009/05/28 @ 03:37 PM — (Reply)

  10. They wont never pay ! Weve tried that already !

    Comment by jim— 2009/05/28 @ 04:02 PM — (Reply)

  11. Its tough.:twisted:

    Comment by lisa— 2009/05/29 @ 07:42 AM — (Reply)

  12. What we need and what we get is 2 different things. If we had competition then we would hear lies in advertizing, industial espionage would fil the courts,Jails and prisons ! no matter how much goodwill is expressed or implied, Corruption will rear its ugly head and somehow Defeat would be snatched from the jaws of victory by mankinds own greed and lust (2 of the 7 deadly sins) !

    Comment by jim— 2009/05/30 @ 11:04 AM — (Reply)

  13. I understand Jim...perhaps it's the competitive market would be the lesser of two evil?

    Comment by Elmers Brother— 2009/05/30 @ 12:27 PM — (Reply)

  14. Ahh Yes .. Comprimise .. I know , I hate how flemsey life is !

    Comment by jim— 2009/05/30 @ 01:54 PM — (Reply)

  15. I feel for the day when someone .. Says something and stands beside what he said ! It just does it for all the wrong reasons today. Such is the case when Goodwill is a word for evil !

    Comment by jim— 2009/05/30 @ 01:56 PM — (Reply)

  16. Because we want and love you .. We must use the Nuke upon you to recapture "Seoul" SK !

    Comment by jim— 2009/05/30 @ 01:57 PM — (Reply)

  17. Ewww, good find.

    Comment by Burns— 2009/05/30 @ 04:59 PM — (Reply)

  18. The nhs here works for some and not for others, some seem to get it all others nothing.

    Comment by lisa— 2009/06/01 @ 06:10 AM — (Reply)

  19. it's called rationing Lisa and if the US switches to nationalized healthcare that is exactly what's going to happen

    I've already seen some signs as well as planned conferences etc where the medical industry is preparing to ration once the system is switched over

    we also have some politicians who unabashedly and publicly have stated that their intention is to get rid of private health care

    Comment by Elmers Brother— 2009/06/01 @ 06:40 AM — (Reply)

  20. Can they do that EB i thought private health care was a free choice thing.?

    Comment by lisa— 2009/06/01 @ 06:59 AM — (Reply)

  21. well that's exactly why conservatives are fighting this and why I posted this article

    the free market will cease to exist

    Comment by Elmers Brother— 2009/06/01 @ 08:34 AM — (Reply)

  22. This country has been going communists for a long time. Even the proof of its failure is unheeded . Russia couldnt make the damn thing work and neither will we. yet people continue to think the grass is greener on the other side till you get there and find that its all grown on "Chemicals" and is only good to look at it from a distance !

    Comment by jim— 2009/06/01 @ 10:14 AM — (Reply)

  23. you have to reprogrammed Jim, off to the gulag for you

    Comment by Elmers Brother— 2009/06/01 @ 10:19 AM — (Reply)

  24. I dont go anywhere. I fight the pain first within my mind ! Aspirin, ? , and Beer for me ! Even the VA I dont mess with anymore ! I once learned the moto from "Class" the .. "physican Heal thy self" Quoate ! So I do allright. Hey look there its 4:20 ! Welp gotta GO ! Pain Relief is Just a Moment Away .. Nope not gonna "Abort" .. Encounter "Iminate" !

    Comment by jim— 2009/06/01 @ 11:07 AM — (Reply)

  25. Ahhhhh this session of Pain management is complete ! Thank you .. Please return your tray to the uprrite position as we prepare for dinner and again Thank you for choosing Alternative medicine as your choice for beating the "Health care system" currently in place ! Ba Buye hahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and destined to be a classic !

    Comment by jim— 2009/06/01 @ 01:45 PM — (Reply)

  26. Ahhh dinner download complete .. Despite the pain from all the broken teeth in my mouth .. that are broken from the clinching of teeth as I return to combat streess of relife in memories ptsd dreams ! oH .. Before you ask .. Not all wars are "Declared" ! and many still continue in the mind of the "soldier" .. Just another ballad for the soldier !

    Comment by jim— 2009/06/01 @ 03:09 PM — (Reply)

  27. Theres a song there somewhere !

    Comment by jim— 2009/06/01 @ 04:13 PM — (Reply)

  28. Personally I think the insurance and medical lobbies are so strong and well funded that "national health noncare" won't happen. What will happen is that some people will get an option to be on Medicaid for a reduced payment.

    BG

    Comment by Barry G.— 2009/06/01 @ 02:52 PM — (Reply)

  29. but Barry isn't Medicare/Medicaid going broke? It's poorly run. Why would we want a larger share even if it's not the whole enchilada run by the government? The only thing that will change is who gets the bonus.

    Comment by Elmers Brother— 2009/06/01 @ 04:42 PM — (Reply)

  30. Its to be hopes some things sorted for the poorer folk or its grim.:evil:

    Comment by lisa— 2009/06/02 @ 02:30 AM — (Reply)

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