National Healthcare Now!

**Gotch** · December 11th, 2007, 08:25 AM

New Zealand and Germany both have Universal Healthcare, and they both have shorter waiting periods to see a doctor than the U.S. does.

Good news is that we ARE going to get some form of Universal Healthcare. It's almost a certainty.

Here is a link to a detailed outline of just how we stack up against the other five nations in the study.

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publ...?doc_id=364436

We are dead last folks. Simple as that........

**1inStripes** · December 11th, 2007, 09:31 AM

This was a patient survey though. This shows no true data on the actual quality of health care in each country. Even at that, the US was rated #1 in the most important category, which was effectiveness.

**sup-rbeast** · December 11th, 2007, 09:45 AM

Australia is the country we need to model any health reform after.

**Gotch** · December 11th, 2007, 10:23 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1inStripes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This was a patient survey though. This shows no true data on the actual quality of health care in each country. Even at that, the US was rated #1 in the most important category, which was effectiveness. </div></div>

It was outstanding preventive care that resulted in the US ranking so high in effectiveness. Germany ranked 1st on hospital care and they spend less than $3,000 per capita on health care while the US spends nearly $6,000 per capita.

**1inStripes** · December 11th, 2007, 10:42 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Effectiveness: The indicators of effectiveness in the 2004 and 2005 surveys were grouped into four categories: prevention, chronic care, primary care, and hospital care and coordination. Compared with the other five countries, U.S. patients fared particularly well on receipt of preventive care and care for the chronically ill, although all countries had considerable room for improvement. Canada scored well on primary care, and Germany ranked first on hospital care and coordination. Across the indicators of effectiveness, the U.S. ranked first and New Zealand ranked last.
</div></div>

It also appears as though chronic care was a big factor in the US ranking. But isn't preventive care a great thing to be the best at, this way a lot of other issues are not warranted for individuals. Like I said though, I don't take huge stock in this because it is a patient survey. It doesn't have true data reflecting the accuracy of medical care. I am saying that for the US #1 ranking and each of the #6 rankings as well.

**sup-rbeast** · December 11th, 2007, 10:52 AM

It's hard to get ample preventive care when you can't afford 1 visit..let alone 3 per year.

**neutral88** · December 11th, 2007, 11:05 AM

So many people on here evidently don't even understand how there own insurance works, or are paying out the A$$ for some real junk..... 20% coinsurance forever???? not hardly, there is an absolute stop loss on every policy, if yours doesn't have one, you have been conned into buying junk, a.k.a. United American, Mega Life...

Bottom line is....Johnson City, and Indian path refuse Cover Tennessee now as it is, and Welmont did also until the Governer granted them some money and came for a visit...Hospitals are private businesses, thy will not have to work for the government, and if you think a modern day surgion will work for government money when they could always practice privately for the upper class (who don't wanta wait in lines), you are kidding yourself....

Even if this happens, it will take so long to put in place, everyone over the age of 50 will never see it

**sup-rbeast** · December 11th, 2007, 11:19 AM

Well, I understand that I pay enough per month to more than offset the cost of premiums..and I still owe bills. I'd gladly donate what I pay in premiums, co-pay, and monthly for the coverage into a fund to guarantee I'd never have anymore medical bills. That would come to about $3000...and since the employer pays half of the monthly payment that would translate to another $2500...so that'd be a grand total of $5500 (for coverage that gets used 1-4 times per year between myself and my daughters)...let every employee and employer do the same and the problem is fixed. And who cares if I'd have to wait 6 months for a surgery...I wait longer than that now cuz I can't afford it.

**neutral88** · December 11th, 2007, 11:29 AM

You do not wait 6 months for mandatory heart surgery...

Like I said in the post before, Good luck getting the docs and hospitals to participate

**1inStripes** · December 11th, 2007, 11:31 AM

Do you not have an out of pocket limit through your insurance? I know mine is $1500. When my daughter was born last year, she was 9 weeks premature, and she spent 1 month in NICU. The bill was quite high, but due to the insurance limits, I only was supposed to pay $1500. We actually double covered her though through my wifes plan and my plan, and her insurance company covered the $1500 difference.