Someone e-mailed it to me...... Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis: U.S. 65% England 46% Canada 42% Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months: U.S. 93% England 15% Canada 43% Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months: U.S. 90% England 15% Canada 43% Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month: U.S. 77% England 40% Canada 43% Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people: U.S. 71 England 14 Canada 18 Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health": U.S. 12% England 2% Canada 6%
No doubt USA has the best health care. With what they charge it should be. It's unfortunate that average people with health care 80/20 can go under with a major medical problem. My insurance runs out in August so I am will be shitting a brick if I can't get back to work.
The source this was traced back to from what I could see wasn't exactly reputable, so I am not sure how accurate the numbers are. At face value they seem possible... but considering the number of uninsured in the US... I am a bit doubtful. How would someone uninsured get referred to a specialist? Receiving treatment and being able to pay for it are also two different things. Yes Mr Jones... we saved your life after your car accident... now your life is ruined because you will never have a dime again. =) I believe the MRI one... US leads the way on expensive machines and doctors... they can be most profitable.
My friend accidentally shot half his hand off... no insurance.... Emanuel had to do three major reconstructive surgeries. He lost his pinkie, but they saved the rest. They didn't charge him a dime. I have a hard time believing any government run program would have done that.
Nate... so you don't think the people with insurance paid for that? =) Do think the team of Drs... the labs... all worked for free those days? My wife works at a hospital... and I asked her why health insurance was so expensive... and without hesitation she said because the treat so many people that don't have it.
I would rather have people with insurance pay for it (myself being one of them), than have the government take over health care. Name one thing that the government has done that is efficient or self-sustaining? Everything they touch turns to shit. They throw away money like it's going out of style. I have worked in a government office and I was astonished at how piss-poor the quality was. The only thing we will be getting with universal health care is a piece of shit program that everyone has to pay for.
What makes you think the government is taking over health care? I think we would all agree that the profit incentives businesses have tend to drive improvements and efficiencies the government just can't match. At that same time... when I worked for the government (army) we caught a hospital ripping off the government for services they never performed on my wife when she was in the hospital. Anyway... I don't know what the answer is... but I do feek a storm is coming and I think it is rather silly to stick you head in the ground and pretend it isn't.
Government will possibly run Healthcare like shit, with wasting money....Money you'll be giving them anyway. Companies run healthcare to make a fucking profit off you, the injured, all the while ripping you off for the services you receive. So, do I pay more with the Government running it, or do I pay more when I'm paying out of pocket every month for "full-coverage", then 6 months down the road when the policies increase, paying more out of my pocket for "full coverage". The health care companies are running a fucking scam, my girlfriend works as a Benefits Administrator for the company I work for, it's a ridiculous amount of money thrown down monthly for the employees premiums... and we still have to pay out of pocket. To me and my girlfriend, reform is an easy choice to make. Now how it's done to make it smart and efficient is another story.... I just know the current way is terrible.
The roads, police, fire, military all suck...you know what else sucks is the fact that all those ships that bring goods to this country arrive safely, it's like magic. I also hate it when people who commit crimes get arrested and locked up...
Government does many things well: Military Social Security Schools Police Food health and safety Foreign relations Representative government Laws, legal enforcement, the justice system National parks Interstate commerce Environmental protection This whole right wing "government can't do anything right" stuff is so much hogwash.
You mis-interpreted what he asked for. Not a list of things wrong, but a list of things right. Try again.
Right..... the military is one of the worst offenders. They spend money hand over fist. I said this in another thread, but a friend of mine is over in Iraq right now and he pulls stuff out of the garbage that is practically brand new. Every time a unit ships back to the states they throw stuff away. Stuff that is perfectly good. He got a "like new" GPS unit out of the garbage. He also got a $500 dollar flashlight. They were just throwing this stuff away. You think that's efficient?
I know it's stressful, but don't sweat it. My mom over the course of her career was an administrator at Tuality, Meridian Park and Emanuel. If you are sick, it doesn't matter whether or not you have insurance. The hospitals will work with you to pay, putting you on a payment plan and cutting their rates. They will get you free medication where possible (they have relationship with pharmaceutical companies). There are physicians who donate their time. It's not their desire to drive you into bankruptcy; those are scare tactics. Talk to an insurance agent about getting catastrophic care. It has a large deductible ($5K+), but it offers you serious coverage in case something really bad happens to you. It's better to owe only $5K-15K than $50K-300K. It should run you $40-$100/mo depending on age, numer of people covered, etc.
Only until you meet their lifetime maximum of the insurance company your with. I've seen it happen at my company. Refuse to cover anymore of a patients bills because they have met the 2 million or so lifetime maximum. This was for a fucking infant too. So riddle me this, now what do the parents do after their newborn was just denied health care coverage after reaching their lifetime maximum? This is true shit happening today.
