Can you explain the health care thing to a non-american

[Lookingglassman]

I get free socialist government healthcare though the VA. I pay for nothing except the gas I use driving to the VA for my appointments. They even mail me my free socialist medicines so I dont have to wait in line at a socialist VA pharmacy.

I sure do love my free socialist VA healthcare!

 

[browney]

Ouch, hate the US? Certainly not. I hope that was tongue in cheek.I like lots of things about the U.S. They produce most of the television we watch for a start! It seems like an amazing country in many ways and it has been argubably the most improtant and prosperous during my life. I've been there and loved California (not such a fan of NY, because it was too big for me).

American politics just absolutely facinates me. I think it should, becuase it has some much influence on the rest of the world.

Before anyone even asks, I have always voted for the conservative party in Austrlaia in elections, confusingly for some people from other countries called the Liberal party becuase historically they supported economic liberalism. That said, the conservative party in Australia is probably left of the Republican party (for example, they brought in tighter gun control, which I beleive the Repulican party does not support). Maybe you would describe the parties in Australia as Center-Center-Right and Center-Center-Left?

I just started this thread basically because I've been watching news from the US (fox news) a bit recently and I was suprised at the absolute resentment of a system wich we have in Australia (which has also been in the news a lot lately becuase it has some issues because of the strain placed on it by the aging population).

We get such an influx of views from the US through media (like TV and movies) but it is just snapshots, without context.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Ouch, hate the US? Certainly not. I hope that was tongue in cheek.

That wasn't directed at you, that was a sardonic rant in general (Republicans like to use the "Why do you hate America" line to score debate points on the cheap).

One reason why the American health care system costs so much is that there's a ton of waste in the system. I have a sick puddy tat so I've been pricing out vials of a medicine she needs today.

From the vet: $108/vial
From Walgreens: $400/vial
From drugstore.com: $27/vial

What is the logic behind those vast differences in price? Well for starters, Walgreen's sells that medicine to human beings (it's the same medicine for people or pets) who are likely to have insurance and don't care that they're costing the government (and their fellow taxpayers) fifteen times as much as if they got it thru a reputable online service. Hey, it's not their money, right?

The vet doesn't dare charge $400/vial - health insurance for pets is still unusual and at those prices, kitty cat will be headed for permanent sleepy-by time - but they do know that pet owners who care enough to take their cats to the vet will probably pony up a bit more than $27/vial (and who knows whether that's even the rock-bottom price - I should do some more checking!)

Who's pocketing all that money for $400 vials of $27 meds, hmm? Multiply that by hundreds of thousands of medical transactions every day. The taxpayers are getting ripped off right and left. Who in the system is motivated to keep costs down? Looks like the answer is "nobody" right now. UHC isn't going to inject that motivation into the system.

The point is that the only reason I've been checking prices is because puddy tat doesn't have health insurance. I have absolutely no idea what medicines that I might take would cost, and since I do have health insurance, I have no motivation to spend my time on comparison shopping.

I just started this thread basically because I've been watching news from the US (fox news) a bit recently

Fox News is in its own little universe, just so you know. CNN and MSNBC will give you entirely different perspectives on the same things.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

^Where governments have instituted UHC and price controls, people pay less for medicine. That has been demonstrated time and again.

You can buy the same drugs, from the same manufacturers, from Canada or Europe for a fraction of the US cost.

 

[scotpens]

. . . I just started this thread basically because I've been watching news from the US (fox news) a bit recently and I was suprised at the absolute resentment of a system wich we have in Australia (which has also been in the news a lot lately becuase it has some issues because of the strain placed on it by the aging population).

You'd be well advised to take anything you see on Fox News with a grain of salt. No, a whole frigging BARREL of salt. It isn't called “Faux News” for nothing.

On the other hand, just about all the news media here are slanted one way or the other. Ever read the New York Times? If that paper tilted any further left, it would tip over.

 

[JRS]

Here is a brief summary of health care in Finland:

Health services are available to all in Finland, regardless of their financial situation. Public health services are mainly financed from tax revenues.
The child mortality rate in Finland is one of the lowest in the world; the infant mortality rate is below 4‰. The life expectancy for a girl born now is 81 years, for a boy 73 years.
The life expectancy of Finnish men is deteriorated by cardiovascular disease, excessive consumption of alcohol and accidents. Cardiovascular mortality has declined in response to effective health and nutritional education in recent decades but excessive blood cholesterol levels and obesity remain common in Finland. Smoking and drug abuse are significantly less frequent in Finland than in Europe on average.
The aim of Finnish health policy is to lengthen the active and healthy lifetimes of citizens, to improve quality of life, and to diminish differences in health between population groups. Prevention receives particular emphasis in primary health care.



The last chapter should be the future guideline of the American health care
And yes, it should be available to all citizens of the USA, no matter if they have money for insurance or not

 

[Chaos Descending]

I get free socialist government healthcare though the VA. I pay for nothing except the gas I use driving to the VA for my appointments. They even mail me my free socialist medicines so I dont have to wait in line at a socialist VA pharmacy.

I sure do love my free socialist VA healthcare!

VA health care is as "socialist" as a paycheck.

It's negotiated compensation that you were promised when you signed your military contract.

Now if everyone got it, then it would be a form of socialist program (in the broad sense, put your dictionary away).

 

[scotpens]

The life expectancy of Finnish men is deteriorated by cardiovascular disease, excessive consumption of alcohol and accidents.

Note that the second and third items -- in Finland, the United States, and the rest of the world -- have nothing directly to do with health care. And even cardiovascular disease is heavily influenced by lifestyle choices (diet, exercise, smoking, etc.). Average life expectancy is not a reliable measure of the quality or availablilty of medical care.

 

[Leroy]

No matter what side of the debate you're on more people should admit something needs to be done in order to keep US citizens from going bankrupt because of doctor bills.