Politics debate continued from multiculturalism thread

[Dauphin]

You can't go to a hospital in the UK and pay for it.

You can come for free though.....

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Ned


There is a reason some white bread Brit might want to avoid our "multi-cultural" US cities.

The guy is Sri Lankan.

[Drogue]

Only if you're an EU citizen.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Dauphin


The guy is Sri Lankan.

They have the same view. I have some friends from that region myself.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Drogue
Only if you're an EU citizen.

In theory they aren't entitled, there are easy loopholes to exploit in order to get around the problem however.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Ned


They have the same view. I have some friends from that region myself.

How sweet. All Sri Lankans and Brits tarred in the same anti-US brush.

[Barnabas]

edit:ill repost this in multiculti thread

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Arrian
Assuming, of course, that one accepts/agrees with the basis for what the report considered to be good/better healthcare.

I honestly don't know what their definition of ideal healthcare was, but I could certainly imagine someone having a different opinion as to what constituted ideal health care, and thus disagreeing with the report.

Being a good report, it explored a lot of them. Generally it looks at the quality of the healthcare and the ultimate aim, the health of the population. The latter is measured in things like child mortality though, as opposed to lifestyle-affected measures such as disease rates.

Originally posted by Ned
US Heathcare ranked lower? On what measure? Quality? Quantity? Or some other, less obvious, socialist criteria such equality of service or access or whatever.

All of them, generally. I've sen studies that have shown it on each of those grounds.

Originally posted by Ned
People choose doctors here. If they don't like the doctor or the service they get, they have choices.

They do? How much choice do you have for emergency medicine? Do you direct the ambulance elsewhere? Even for routine treatment, how many people travel the extra miles to go to a different hospital other than their nearest? There is no real competition or choice in healthcare anywhere in the world, including the US.

Originally posted by Ned
The poor have access to medicine, better access in many cases than the middle class.

But the US is one of only 2 developed countries where not *everyone* has access to medicine.

Originally posted by Ned
You cannot deny that in many, if not most of the socialized medicine countries, healthcare is rationed one way or another.

How so? By procedure, yes, but then, so is the US. Things have to be FDA approved, much like elsewhere.

Originally posted by Ned
You cannot deny that without the US providing a source of profit, the pace of development of medicine and drugs would slow to a trickle or stop entirely.

Not at all. Much more medicinal research is done outside the US. Our government funds an obscene amount of healthcare research. This wouldn't stop without the US.

Originally posted by Ned
You provide free markets, you get amazing progress, amazing service, and a satisfied client.

Except by all measurements, you don't.

What you're saying makes logical sense. However as with many things, when you think about it quite a lot, you realise thigns work in a somewhat perverse way. There is good, comparitive studies donw between the US and other countries healthcare systems, and I've never seen a single measure where the US outperforms Western Europe. This coupled with the fact you spend twice what we do per capita on it, suggests you're really not getting value for money.

[Ned]

You have to understand that even European drug companies make their profits in the US. Location of reseach is not relevant. Location of the patents is.

[Ned]

Drogue, I think you way underestimate the amount of choice most Americans enjoy in the area of healthcare.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Ned
Drogue, I think you way underestimate the amount of choice most Americans enjoy in the area of healthcare.

Quite, how many 'mericans pop over to Canada for cheap drugs these days?

[Ned]

Also, can you simply call up and get a doctor's appointment any time you want it? I doubt it.

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Ned
Also, can you simply call up and get a doctor's appointment any time you want it? I doubt it.

You might have to wait a couple of days, if that s the price of universal healthcare I'll take it.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Ned
Drogue, I think you way underestimate the amount of choice most Americans enjoy in the area of healthcare.

Bull****.

[Starchild]

Originally posted by TheStinger


You might have to wait a couple of days, if that s the price of universal healthcare I'll take it.

I doubt even the Americans could call up and get an appointment the same day if the doctor is simply just busy with prior appointments.

Considering over the last three months, I've used the NHS relatively a lot (by my healthy standards) its worth it.

GP consultation = Free
prescpription = £6.50 flat fee
specialist consultation = Free
thorough checkup = Free
blood test + various other tests = Free
course of vaccinations = Free
Band 2 Dentist (checkup, consultation, fillings and cleaning) = £42 flat fee

Keeping me healthy and with peace of mind has cost me less than £50 (and I could reclaim that if I got my arse in gear).

Universal Healthcare rocks compared to what it was like when my family lived in the USA.

especially that year when we didn't have health insurance after my mum/step-father's divorce.