Rising Healthcare Costs Dont Equal Increased Quality

I think it is France who leads the world in health care. Italy was second and the United States didn't even make the top 10.

The United States comes in at number 37, right after Costa Rica.

Personally, I'm just planning on joining my wife when she repatriates to England eventually. I've seen no indication that America has any interest in improving the situation. The present discussions are just so much flak, nothing more, nothing less.

I often wonder how doctors cope in a health care system that puts them directly in conflict with their hippocratic oath.

Of course rising health care premiums will not equal better care for the patient.  It is economics.  Do higher gas prices equal better gas? There are problems with healthcare, but they should be attributed to administration of individual care centers.  If healthcare is so good in other countries then why are there high waiting lists for surgeries in Canada and Europe causing Canadians to come here for healthcare?

hydro,

Canada is one of the worst examples for socialized medicine. I've met Canadians on various fibromyalgia/CFS websites and the majority of them are happy with their healthcare. There are some of them who are frustrated. One lady mentioned how it takes months to see her specialist. Of course it takes me months to see my Endocrinologist, so I can relate !

The problem is that Americans are paying more for less healthcare. And we are also paying a lot more for prescriptions.

I live in Thailand, and it is a mixed Health Care situation.

There is public/govt care (free). Lines are long, the hospitals look like dog pounds, stinks, smells, the waiting rooms are literally outside...  basically if you did not have a disease before you went there, you would by the time you hit the exit door.

But the doctors at these types of hospitals have a huge amount of experience, they have seen everything. These hospitals are actually very well equipmed with modern equipment.

Then there is another type of health care. It is "private" health care. If one has the money, and wants to avoid long lines, fealth etc, one can go to private hospitals. The doctors are fairly qualified as well. Fees are very very cheap compared to the US.  

(I just recently had a visit with a hepatologist, pulmanologist, had a sono-gram of my liver, recieved meds etc) for about 90 USD.  Cheap compared to the US.

But the reality is, 90 USD is about 50% the average monthly wage here.

I recently saw a program about Japan's healthcare system and I was very impressed :

"The Japanese healthcare system is highly regulated by the government and, as described by the OECD, "combines a mainly private provision of services with mandatory health insurance. Service providers are paid directly by insurers (the third payer system). Payments for outpatient care are predominantly on a fee for service basis, and inpatient care is paid through a mixture of per diem and fee for service. Fees for different medical services are set out in the Fee Schedule announced by the government and revised every two years. Between 20 and 30% of the fees are born by patients as co-payments. But with a ceiling (see below) the effective co-payment rate is about 14%."

Japanese healthcare providers are predominantly private hospitals and physicians. Hospitals must, by law, operate as not-for-profit entities. About 80% of hospitals are private, physician-owned, and 20% are large, public, state-owned teaching hospitals. In 2000, Japan had 1.9 practicing physicians per 1,000 population, while Canada has approximately 2.1 and the US 2.7. (They also have fewer nurses per capita than most OECD countries, at 7.89 per 1,000 population, lower than the OECD average of 8.1.) Public and private hospitals are staffed by salaried physicians. Private physicians practice and treat patients in offices or clinics and do not have hospital medical staff privileges. Both hospitals and clinics treat outpatients, and patients can choose where they want to undergo treatment."

source:

http://www.medhunters.com/articles/healthcareInJapan.html

     Only when we start taking profit out of the healthcare equation can we even begin to fix the system. There is simply too much money to be made in the healthcare supply and drug industries. It's a mercenary business, and we are the ones who pay for it.

droppy56,

I agree with you.  = (

Rising healthcare costs = more money in the pockets of drug companies and politicians. This has GOT to stop!

I see some good points in switching to gov't healthcare but then my own personal exp. with medicare/medicaid make me want to run screaming in the streets for poeple to see what could happen and to wake up and smell the cofffee so to speak.
I have dealt with insurance and medicare medicaid on both sides of the picture. I used to work in healthcare and many times would spend hours on the phone with one of the before mentioned identies argueing with to get a medical test or medication autherized that the Dr. ordered for the patient. Prob. 95% of the time I lost. The Dr would then have to figure out what hoops he needed to jump thru to get the results. It useally meant blindly picking tests or drugs simular to what he origanally wanted and then having me on the phone once again trying to get the test or medication ordered and autherized. Believe it or not not only do the ins companies deny treatments tests and meds but they most often won't tell you what they will cover!!( so when it takes forever for your Dr. to get a test auth. or med auth don't be angry with them call your insurance company)
When I developed a serious and life threatening heart/ lung problem and had to go on disability, I found myself fighting to get medications and tests. Many medications I was already on were denied and it took alot of time to get them approved. Thankfully my Dr. had samples of most of these so I did not run out.( ask your Dr. if they have samples if you need to pay out of pocket for medications most likly with the exception of narcotics they will have some or be able to get some.) When medicaid put me on an HMO plan that non of my dr's were a part of I was left with the choice of changing Dr's or not having health insurance. It took a year to fix and my Dr's office was great and worked with me to keep me in thier practice. I think I am considered job security for them!!! I am now to the point that when a test or drug is denied I call the insurance comp (medicare then medicaid) to find out why do not let them tell you they can't tell you you are the patient it is your life they are messing with. keep calling. I have been asking ins. comp. people that I would like to speak with the medical Dr. who made the descion to deny medications or tests or other treatment. That usuallt stumps them for a minute. I will call daily and if in a wk I do not get the desired results I will email my senetor and/or state rep and or Gov. I then send that email to Medicare / medicaid. I will usually get the tests covered. You just have to be the very loud squeeky wheel!
I do think we need some governing body for health care but mainly to keep costs ( I am talking about phamacutical companies and drug costs.) down. I do think that this body needs to be seperate and apart from the gov't and politicians. I think this group should be all volunteer and only focus on health costs and issues. It should be at a state level but all states should work together so each state is equel in what is charged by pharmacies ect.
I then think we need to let the Dr's do the job they were trained to do. That is why they worked long and hard in medical school and insurance needs to stop dictateing how they can treat patients. When ins. companies actually employ Dr's and that Dr' sees every patient that a test or medication is ordered for then they can have a say in treatment plans until then they need to butt out!!!
Just my thoughts....