

  (Source: Fraunhofer ILT)
A new head...well, almost











Comments     Threshold


Socialized medicine bad... mmmkay?
By spread on 6/16/2010 5:34:09 PM , Rating: 5

Interesting how this wasn't developed by a for-profit company.

RE: Socialized medicine bad... mmmkay?
By Captain Orgazmo on 6/17/2010 2:34:48 AM , Rating: 1
The main problems with socialized medicine are cost and efficiency (inherent to any government institution), lack of individualized patient care, and relatively poor doctor pay/incentives. The only advantage is guaranteed universal coverage, which is an ideological issue (in the sense that some people are for it, and some are against).

Grant funded research to develop patent-free drugs and medical technology is good, and has nothing to do with the issue of socialized medicine. You can have one and not the other. Your point is not valid.

RE: Socialized medicine bad... mmmkay?
By FoundationII on 6/17/2010 5:17:07 AM , Rating: 2
While a lot of those things seem logical, they're actually not true in reality.
There are plenty of reports about the subject. They all agree that the US has the most expensive healthcare in the world while attaining only average quality.
It's true the US has the best paid doctors by far though. So for doctors the US does have the best healthcare system.

By weskurtz0081 on 6/17/2010 11:40:25 AM , Rating: 2
The QUALITY of the health care in the US, when it is actually obtained, is among the best. The problem is, it's so damned expensive that people don't seek health care due to the cost, and therefore end up being less healthy than some other countries. The health care itself though is outstanding, it's the cost that create the problem.

I have a crab hat, your point is not valid.

RE: Socialized medicine bad... mmmkay?
By spread on 6/17/2010 11:24:19 AM , Rating: 2
That's nice and all, but why then does the US lag behind the rest of the civilized world in health care? Sure, you MIGHT get personalized health care, but what good is it if its just average?

Not only that but your wondrous for-profit health care, besides being lackluster, is expensive and never guaranteed thanks to the insurance companies.

You talk about costs and efficiency. How efficient is a health-care system when the insurance company takes huge profits off the top, and do their best to stall paying for care (because it costs them money)?

You're in love with the IDEA of a free and efficient system, which is all nice but it doesn't work in real life.

RE: Socialized medicine bad... mmmkay?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/17/2010 11:49:18 AM , Rating: 2
Really? It goes WAAAAAAYY beyond insurance companies man, you are grossly over simplifying the problems with the current state of the US health care system. There have been insurance companies in the US offering health insurance for HOW long now? But, the problems we are seeing today haven't been present the entire time have they? No, they haven't.

The quality of health care in the US, when received, is among the top in the world. There is a reason why people (with enough money) from all over the world come to some of the US hospitals for treatment on certain things, that's because, when you can afford it, the treatment is second to none.

The problem with the US health care system isn't that the health care that is RECEIVED is sub standard, it's that to many people spend money elsewhere and cannot afford it, and therefore they are less healthy than they otherwise would be. And, in large part, it's a problem with the culture.

In summation, if you pick one target, and try to say "that's the reason that the US health care system is (insert comment)", you would be wrong. There are MANY reasons for the problems, not just one. As well, suggesting that the health care received in the US is average is just incorrect, it's the extremely high costs that prevent people from seeking out health care and therefore they are less healthy.

RE: Socialized medicine bad... mmmkay?
By FoundationII on 6/17/2010 1:16:07 PM , Rating: 2
The problem is not that the health care when received is substandard. The problem is that it is actually rather standard for Western countries.
So the US pays about 50% more as a nation, for about the same care. That's the big problem.

Of course the US has some top private hospitals that are really good and to which patients flock from all over the world. But in fact so does Europe, I know several private hospitals in Europe which are filled with wealthy US patients.




