Does Socialized Medicine Work?

[Kontiki]

BK should be around any minute to tell us how terrible Canada's health care system is, how every Canadian desperately wishes they were an American and how our government won't do anything about fixing our health care because all they want to do is force us all to have gay marriages.

[GePap]

Well, the simplest method would be to heavily tax things that increased health risks and tax incentives for taking preventative measures, like going to doctor's offices, meetings with nutritionists, so forth. I don't think it would be feasable to create tax penalties on individuals - how would tax authorities know someone is fat, or smoking?

Of course, everyone should have access to general practicioners (pediatricians for the kids) and dentists without out of pocket costs. I see no problem charging people for seeing specialists if something comes up, but we need a way to give people a chance to avoid that.

[Traianvs]

Originally posted by Japher


It was sarcasm, get over it. The point is that in places with socialized medicine it's the masses with the most problems get attention first. If you are the only person with your condition you will get treated last, regardless of how sever or easy it would be to cure.

It's not that it's much better here where ED and RLS get cures before cancer and colds.

No. Everyone gets treatment, meaning everyone will be helped to a large extent, but several really expensive treatments, i.e. the most expensive ones, for people with extremely rare diseases, are not refunded because they would bankrupt the state budget. The speed of your treatment will not matter. If you are unlucky to have a rare disease, but you have the money, you'll be cured anyway. That's only logical I suppose.

This problem of expensive medicines is merely due to economics. Doctors with the proficiency to remedy those diseases are scarce, and so are the medicines. And there's only so much the state can handle. Nevertheless, at least in Belgium, nobody is ever without treatment. Still, we might start a discussion about farmaceutical companies and the prices they charge for their medicines. In fact, these capitalist companies cause a lot of deaths annually, despite the fact that they save millions of lives selling medicines.


Also: the stories I hear from people in the US are abhorrent. I really can't understand people don't organise a general uprise... And the US is a developed country!

[Traianvs]

Originally posted by GePap


Of course, everyone should have access to general practicioners (pediatricians for the kids) and dentists without out of pocket costs. I see no problem charging people for seeing specialists if something comes up, but we need a way to give people a chance to avoid that.

In Belgium, if I don't meet up with my dentist every 6 months, and it turns out I have a cavity in one of my teeth, I need to pay for the whole procedure myself. If I do get a checkup every six months then the state pays for pretty much all of it in case of a procedure.

Do you have that as well?

[GePap]

Originally posted by Traianvs


In Belgium, if I don't meet up with my dentist every 6 months, and it turns out I have a cavity in one of my teeth, I need to pay for the whole procedure myself. If I do get a checkup every six months then the state pays for pretty much all of it in case of a procedure.

Do you have that as well?

It would depend on the terms of ones dental plan, but I doubt that many here in the US would include such clauses.

[Traianvs]

Hmm. It's standard for everyone around here. By the way I read that the US has dropped to the 29th place worldwide when it comes to mortality rate during childbirth (for the baby).

When will US dissing ever stop?!

Support Obama. Come to the dark side! Convert to universal healthcare!

[Lancer]

The VA health system is excellent. You pay according to your earnings and whether you have service related injuries. I pay about 1/4 for meds what they would cost me on the outside. If I need emergency room I can use any and only have a $50 copay. Great system. The only other country in the world that has a VA clinic is the Philippines. Made to order for my life.

Socialized medicine has been good to me.

[Traianvs]

What is a VA health system. (Don't know abbreviations that may seem obvious to you)

[Kidlicious]

Re: Does Socialized Medicine Work?

Originally posted by MosesPresley
The only time that I have experienced anything that comes close to socialized medicine was when I was in the USN. There were not any long lines

You must not have caught VD in the PI.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Traianvs
What is a VA health system. (Don't know abbreviations that may seem obvious to you)

Veteran's Administration. The US has an independent Department of Veterans Affairs that runs its own health care system, which as far as I know is independent from the Military health care system, and distinct from the government's senior health care system (Medicare) and health care system for the poor (Medicaid).

[Asher]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
Socialized medicine is for p*ssies. All you need is Whiskey. Got a cold? Some Jack Daniels will put fire back into your belly. Lacerations from a bike accident? Just pour Jack Daniels on the wounds and your good to go.

Jack Daniels is bland.

If you want "medicinal" Whiskey, try Laphroaig...that stuff was actually available by prescription during prohibition.

[Lancer]

What GePap said. If you serve in the US military the US looks after you. It may be the model for a nationwide system in the US.

I believe that even if you have national health care it should have a copay for all. That way every time little Billy gets a sniffle mom doesn't take him to see the doc.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Kirnwaffen
Then you were very lucky. I can't really speak to the quality of the Navy's medical system, but the Army has serious problems. As an example, I had a Soldier who, for various reasons, was being administratively separated from the service. As it turned out, the docs wanted him to get a neuro-psych consult prior to being separated. Wait time for first appointment: six weeks. . . .

Is this recent or decades old? The Army's been having a lot of problems lately, especially for soldiers who need psych help.

[TheStinger]

Lots of brits do not go to the US for treatment, what happens in a few high profile cases is that if and its a big if people raise bucketloads of cash they go to the staes for some high risk experimantal treatment that has very little chance of success.

At the very top end the US is probably better than the UK however babies form poor families get treated in the UK and I would rtaher have this than the lottery that is the UK

[Jon Miller]

I know a guy who went to China from the US for treatment. Does that mean that China is better than the US for health?

JM