Private sector or public sector: Which is more efficient?

[DinoDoc]

Judging from the graphic gribster posted, neither the public or private sector seem to be all that efficient at providing health care services in the US.

[Asher]

Judging from the graphic gribster posted, neither the public or private sector seem to be all that efficient at providing health care services in the US.

And that brings us back to the OP. The US' system is absurdly complex with ridiculous administrative overhead.

If the US adopted Canada's single-payer system, studies have estimated $700 per year per capita in savings.

[DinoDoc]

If I were to suggest changes to the American health care system, Canada wouldn't be the model I would choose both for its statist nature and the absurd power your system seems to give the provincial medical associations.

[Guynemer]

And that brings us back to the OP. The US' system is absurdly complex with ridiculous administrative overhead.

If the US adopted Canada's single-payer system, studies have estimated $700 per year per capita in savings.

$210 trillion per year?

Shut the **** up!

[Guynemer]

Regarding the infant mortality stats brought up by Asher and Kits:

Those stats are measured very, very differently from country to country. Some argue this is due to the right-to-life movement, others due to simple cultural quirks. But a child born at, say, 23 weeks gestation in America, who (inevitably) dies a couple days later, is considered an infant mortality; while the same child in another nation may be considered a spontaneous abortion (and likely never would have been resuscitated in the first place).

[BlackCat]

$210 trillion per year?

Shut the **** up!

No wonder you are a bit grumpy - reciving all those 299,700,000,000 babies must have been hard work

[Guynemer]

$700 per capita per year * 300 million capita = $210 trillion per year, right? Or has my inevitable Alzheimer's begun to set in?

[KrazyHorse]

$700 per capita per year * 300 million capita = $210 trillion per year, right? Or has my inevitable Alzheimer's begun to set in?

Billion, not trillion...

[Guynemer]

GAH. This is what happens when I try to get off caffeine.

Still:

$210 billion a year? Shut the **** up!

[Flubber]

He better hope he doesn't get appendicitis either. I've had a couple colleagues in their late 20s/early 30s in the last year get that.

Apparently it can cost over $20,000 today.

http://www.oralchelation.com/calcium/DegenerativeKneeJoint/p28.htm

But hey, you have a choice not to pay for insurance on top of what you already pay to the government.

Asher

My sons appendix ruptured while we were in Florida . Total cost for a 10 day stay was over 70k (although the first hospital had signs indicating huge discounts for immediate payment).

A few comments on our experience

1. The wait while they were confirming our insurance coverage was relatively short but agonizing
2. The care was generally excellent although the surgeon had some insightful comments on the move to " hospitals as hotel" where money is spent more on the appearances than on retaining experienced nurses.
3. We were astonished by the number of different invoices we received ....... I Had it at a dozen or so, of which we got calls from bill collectors on three--- in each case they had not billed our insurance correctly--- it seems that giving them insurance with an address still doesn't prevent them from mucking up
4. I thought we were done but just a week ago we got an invoice from a collection agency for a bill we had never ever seen before. I called out of curiosity since we are now about 15 months after the provision of service. It seems that this provider -- the emergency room doctor -- has billing software that is unable to send invoices outside the US. ( this seems idiotic for an emergency room doctor in the closest hospital to Disney !!!!!!!) the bill collector agent guy was very friendly and agreed that they were probably SOL-- I was over-covered as we had trip insurance as well as the more basic coverage I get automatically at work but both have rules that require receipt of invoices within a year of service. So they probably won't get paid--- the bill was only 700 bucks but I sure as heck am not paying it.

As an aside, my experiences with the Canadian health care system have also been excellent.

[Flubber]

Ben

How can you say you see a gp every year or so and then say you have not seen one in several years. Are you averaging somehow more frequent visits in Canada with your complete lack of visits in the US?

I guess its fortunate that you "feel healthy" though because everyone knows that it's impossible to have an illness or condition that is doing you harm if you "feel healthy"

I go to my gp once a year for a physical . She orders bloodwork to check me out as well. It's called preventative medicine.

[Asher]

If I were to suggest changes to the American health care system, Canada wouldn't be the model I would choose both for its statist nature and the absurd power your system seems to give the provincial medical associations.

The "statist nature" is what the US already has for 90% of people, since you are now with "managed care" insurance programs.

And I'm not sure what "absurd power" you are talking about. The power to heal everyone could be considered absurd by some god-fearing people, I suppose.

[Asher]

Ben

How can you say you see a gp every year or so and then say you have not seen one in several years. Are you averaging somehow more frequent visits in Canada with your complete lack of visits in the US?

I guess its fortunate that you "feel healthy" though because everyone knows that it's impossible to have an illness or condition that is doing you harm if you "feel healthy"

I go to my gp once a year for a physical . She orders bloodwork to check me out as well. It's called preventative medicine.

And it's also highly likely why Canada's costs are lower and life expectancy higher. The sooner you catch things, the more likely you are to cure it and the cheaper it will be.

When everyone in Canada can go to their GP once a year and get bloodwork done, or even just go visit the GP or clinic whenever you are worried something might be wrong, it's no wonder we live longer.

For Americans: The process of me going to the GP is I book an appointment with them, walk in.If I've ever been there before they have my health card # on file (that's all they need), and I go see the doctor. When I'm done, I simply leave. I don't need to talk to any receptionist again, fill out any invoices, or discuss payment.

[KrazyHorse]

And it's also highly likely why Canada's costs are lower and life expectancy higher. The sooner you catch things, the more likely you are to cure it and the cheaper it will be.

There is loads of evidence to suggest that this is simply not true in all cases. Much preventative medicine has negative expected value relative to allowing illness to present itself.

[Asher]

Where would I find that evidence?

By "illness to present itself" I assume you mean "illness becomes serious". The illness has presented itself if it's discovered in a physical.