I can assure you my head (and ass) are not influenced by blind patriotism on this issue. And agin, Im not saying we do it "better", just that our system is high quality once you are sick and insured...
I need to get you stuff to read other than the incidental economist
I have legitimately never heard another human being say that, and I work around a lot of healthcare professionals.
This is a good post, except that the Mayo clinic is in network and that travel benefits are becoming more of the norm. But I digress....
Id argue that the majority of americans have access to pretty good health care, better than many people get in many other countries. There are a lot of teachers, union workers, public sector employees, etc. who have access to incredible care at a very low cost to them. Do we use insurance responsibly? No. Is care delivered efficiently, no. Are we the healthiest? No. Do we incent providers efficiently, no. Does our tax system have the right incentives? No. Do we as consumers engage? No.
But, if you have insurance, this is the place to get sick. And its not for the elite. Its for the insured (ex. Medicaid). There are few places in the world that someone like Ted Kennedy gets care at Duke from the same provider as a person making $20,000/year. I
The shame of the system is really multifold...Our disregard for managing the care of the uninsured AND those on public assistance (Medicaid). The horribly inefficient way we pay docs (see Medicare). Insulating consumers from costs in making efficient decisions. Our chosen lifestyles.
Ive said it before and I'll say it again...Single payor would be a disaster in the IS based on the past 60 years of how we've delivered care.
I disagree. We've seen physical therapy copays for those public employees go from ~$30 to ~$70 in the last few years. That's untenable for a lot of people, even though insurance companies should be incentivizing people to come get preventative care like PT.
CH, I respect your knowledge on insurance matters, but I take issue with the assertion that America is a great place to get sick, insured or not. Even among insured Americans, health outcomes are not as good and satisfaction with the system much lower than in peer countries. http://theincidentaleconomist.com/w...lity-of-the-us-health-care-system-conclusion/
Americans need to get their patriotic heads out of their asses and realize that plenty of other countries do healthcare a lot better than the US of A.
I disagree. We've seen physical therapy copays for those public employees go from ~$30 to ~$70 in the last few years. That's untenable for a lot of people, even though insurance companies should be incentivizing people to come get preventative care like PT.
Whether right or wrong, you're using two measuring sticks that aren't black-and-white measuring sticks. How do you measure health outcomes unless you are looking at comparable patients with the exact same contributing factors (a 300lb Amercian with heart disease eating McDs every day with a family history, versus a 300lb Italian eating McDs every day with that same family history). There are too many factors out of the health care providers' control and in the individual's control, that make it difficult to simply say our health outcomes are not as good. Our health care providers are starting at a disadvantage compared to peer countries based on the average American lifestyle choices.
And satisfaction is the same way. Americans today whine about everything (thanks, Millenials). Just because people bitch and moan has minimal to do with the underlying care. What are they comparing it to? The results they see on Private Practice on TV?
I disagree. We've seen physical therapy copays for those public employees go from ~$30 to ~$70 in the last few years. That's untenable for a lot of people, even though insurance companies should be incentivizing people to come get preventative care like PT.
So, you're going to just shrug off all the international studies that uniformly say the same thing about American health care, and have for years, because McDonald's and Millennials? OK. You know these studies adjust for things like population demographics, smoking rates, and so forth, right? Maybe not. If it makes you feel better to just ignore real data in favor of "Merica, hell yeah" go ahead. I prefer to actually know something about the world around me, and prefer to vote for politicians that I think will make decisions on that basis as well.
Uh, no, i'm shrugging off the two measuring points that: (1) you cherrypicked from an article wherein the author admits that he made up the scorecard system himself; and (2) don't even say what you said they say. So yes, I do try to actually know something before making blanket statements, but I would hope that I wouldn't make any choices based off of garbage like that article. But hey, your informed decision got us Obamacare, so you've got plenty to be proud of.
I voted for the Libertarian candidate in 2008, not that it matters.
So now your assertion is that the authors of the study were just "making things up"? OK. Here's the actual study. I'm sure you know more about international health systems than these four authors, and the authors of the studies cited in the footnotes. Since you are so informed, I'm sure you'll be happy to provide links to your sources refuting these claims.
2&2's campaign for dumbest poster is ROLLING
Aaron E. Carroll, MD, MS is a Professor of Pediatrics and Assistant Dean for Research Mentoring at Indiana University School of Medicine. He is also the director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research. He earned a BA in chemistry from Amherst College, an MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and an MS in health services from the University of Washington, where he was also a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar.
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children, and elderly adults.
Not exactly the most objective source, IMO.
Ahh, I should have rephrased my post to make it legible for you. Shall I try again?
Doctors? BUT DAT WENDYS DOE!! DOnks totes eat fries like woah! #Merica