What do Aussies & Brits think of the US health care system?

officerripley said:
I disagree; it appears to be even worse, especially for CEOs.
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Trump has nothing to do with a likelihood if CEOs are going to be shot or not.
Considering how many attempts there have been on Trump's life in the last 12 months, it may not be HIS Administration's problem?
Was inferring that Trump is more a law and order, LESS liberal/progressive, whoa is me to the masses type.
 

jimintoronto said:
Canada has some very wealthy Provinces like Ontario , Quebec, and Alberta, but we also have some Provinces that have small populations, with a lot fewer natural resources. Prince Edward Island is our smallest Province, both in physical size, but also in population, with only 135,000 people in the whole Province. The far northern Territory of Nunavut only has 35,000 population, as does the Yukon Territory. The Federal Government takes money from the wealthy Provinces, and gives it to the poorer ones, termed as "equalization payments ". JIMB.
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Exactly what ACA does, but in a different fashion.
The haves pay for the have nots.
 
jimintoronto said:
Canada( as a country ) doesn't have a "health care system" because the Provinces and Territories EACH manage their own programs. The Federal Government sets guidelines that the Provinces have to meet. The system is funded through income taxes, and sales taxes on some consumer bought items.

Each Provincial Medical Association has a contract with the Provincial Ministry of Health, that sets out the payment schedule for each type of medical treatment or procedure. Doctors bill the Provincial Ministry of Health monthly by electronic means, for all of the services performed in the month. The Ministry checks the billing, and if found to be correct, the Doctor receives payment by electronic means, in 60 days. Most Canadian Doctors have one secretary who manages their office business because they do not have to deal with any private medical insurance companies.

Yesterday, I went to the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto to have some blood drawn. I showed the receptionist my Ontario Health Card, she scanned it through her computer, then she gave me a number and said " Have a seat over there " In 12 minutes, my number was called, and I walked into the blood room, where there were 14 technician stations. All 14 were manned and operating. I was in and out in 15 minutes. Simple and straight forward. Princess Margaret is ranked as one of the top five cancer treatment hospitals in the world. JIM.
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I have said this many times before, in different ways. The US needs to cut out the middle man: insurance and or get the fox out of the henhouse.

The Canadian system is nearly identical to the govt run VA Health Care System for US military veterans. You get cleared to be authorized to use the system via credentials, you are issued an ID card and you walk in, show your card, they scan you into the computer, get blood drawn, and out in 15 minutes IF you show up at the right time and day that isn't packed because the Federal govt gave yet another holiday....lol.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Where would the dollars come from to power the non-profit healthcare system?
Higher taxes is the only place it could come from.
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That's right, higher taxes replace the money spent on health insurance premiums.

However, this also means that all the funding for the Public Health Service would be centralised. With a centralised system, the organisation responsible for purchasing drugs and equipment for hospitals would have enormous bargaining power to negotiate prices. As a result, prices could be controlled and reduced, rather than being dictated by pharmaceutical companies and healthcare equipment manufacturers, who often seem to set extortionate rates where there is no bargaining.

But I can’t see that happening in the US. It seems to me that the health insurance industry is too large and entrenched to be dismantled. Such a shift would likely be a political nightmare. The US might be stuck with high insurance premiums to pay for health care -- for the rest of eternity.


Below are graphed statistics (around 2022) from the World Health Organisation. Other statistics I've seen from other sources are very similar. As an average per capita, $12,555 dollars is spent on health care per person in the US. Compare that to the UK at $5,493. (the average for all nations listed below is $4,986).

Switzerland, the second nation listed from the left, is one of the most expensive nations to live in and visit. They managed to get away with $8,049. Switzerland doesn't have a health system funded through taxes as such. Instead, they have Mandatory Insurance, where every resident in Switzerland is required by law to have health insurance. The basic plan being regulated by the government. Some however are covered and paid for through taxes -- subsidies for those who cannot afford premiums. And yet the total average expenditure for Switzerland is significantly lower than the US.

I don't think the average American is so unhealthy as to warrant an average of $12,555. Its said that the Swiss system is often praised for its high quality care and universal coverage but criticized for its high costs, with residents paying some of the highest health insurance premiums in the world. Yet their average expenditure per person is still significantly less than the US.

Where might the rest of the money in the US system be going to? Who's pockets is it lining? Who is campaigning or lobbying to maintain the status quo?


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Please don't leave the doctors and hospitals out of this. Many engage in an organized form of insurance fraud. And hospitals are notorious for overcharging, for opaque billing practices, and for "fishing," i.e. sending out ridiculous bills in the hope somebody is dumb enough to pay them in full.
 
Today, in the small hours of the morning as I was driving home, I was listening to Business Matters (global business news) on the BBC World Service. There was a guest on from the USA. One of the topics discussed and mentioned by this guest was how some American conglomerates own multiple parts within the healthcare 'system': pharmaceutical companies, hospital equipment manufacturers, the hospitals themselves, and even health insurance companies.

It seems to me that this kind of complete integration creates incentives to keep costs artificially high at every stage. Pharmaceutical prices, hospital charges, and equipment costs all then remain inflated, driving up profits for each part of the conglomerate. It's then the patients who foot the bill, paying ever rising health insurance premiums to the very companies profiting from the inflated prices.

It's as though the system is designed to print money -- by extracting as much as possible from those paying the premiums. To use a British phrase, that’s Daylight Robbery!
 
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Magna-Carta said:
Today, in the small hours of the morning as I was driving home, I was listening to Business Matters (global business news) on the BBC World Service. There was a guest on from the USA. One of the topics discussed and mentioned by this guest was how some American conglomerates own multiple parts within the healthcare 'system': pharmaceutical companies, hospital equipment manufacturers, the hospitals themselves, and even health insurance companies.

It seems to me that this kind of complete integration creates incentives to keep costs artificially high at every stage. Pharmaceutical prices, hospital charges, and equipment costs all then remain inflated, driving up profits for each part of the conglomerate. It's then the patients who foot the bill, paying ever rising health insurance premiums to the very companies profiting from the inflated prices.

It's as though the system is designed to print money -- by extracting as much as possible from those paying the premiums. To use a British phrase, that’s Daylight Robbery!
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Yes, this happens. Any of these are being investigated as we write.
 
Trade said:
Only in America:mad:

"66.5% of bankruptcies are caused directly by medical expenses, making it the leading cause for bankruptcy."

49+ U.S. Medical Bankruptcy Statistics for 2023 - RetireGuide
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The information you posted is from an long, long advertisement selling: health insurance as well as long term insurance, @Trade. Advertisers to sell things are not biased, are they? LOL.

Only 1% of adults owe more than $10,000. in medical debt; 17% of those 1% of adults, "may" file for bankruptcy.
 
OregonGuy said:
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"Doctors charge whatever they want."

Doctors know in advance what your insurance will pay for everything from a routine exam to major surgery. When you sign up for an insurance policy, you know what percentage of that you're going to be billed. It's usually 20%.

If you were taxed for a national healthcare plan, it's likely you would pay more than that 20% over your lifetime. American workers pay less taxes than most people in the world, but that can change if you really want it to.
 
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