Trick or treat

[sparks19]

I experienced socialized healthcare in Italy, for 13 years of my life and it was a good experience. Never did me or my family ever spend sleepless nights thinking about how we were going to pay for drs. appointments and surgeries and general care, until we moved to the States. I love it here but the healthcare system is messed up. I really don't understand why people are afraid of it here. If organized correctly it can be a great thing, for everyone.
The only ones who should fear it are the insurance companies.

that's a big if lol. I think that's why it doesn't work in Ontario (at least not for me or just about anyone I know... which isn't exactly a large part of the population lol). It has been so mismanaged and they have to keep cutting funding and cutting funding and that means less dr's, less nurses and A LOT less beds.

a friend of mine just had a baby and she was almost two weeks over due and she was supposed to be induced. The date of her induction she went in and they said "Oh sorry all our beds are full. come back tomorrow" so she went back the next day and they were still full so they told her to go home and they would call her when they were ready. 4 days after her original induction date she finally got in. Not ONE hospital in London had ONE bed open? they told her that if she went in to labor she would have to go to another town 45 minutes away and hope that they had beds. I'm not exaggerating this.

So... seeing how badly the system CAN be mismanaged with a population no where CLOSE to the US... and seeing how bad the government has screwed up just about every other program. I don't have a lot of faith that it will be organized correctly.

[beeniesmom]

I heard nightmare stories about Canadian and English healthcare in particular too. I really think the US can pull it off, if it's done the right way.
I'm sorry about the treatment your friend got.

[sparks19]

I heard nightmare stores about Canadian and English healthcare in particular too. I really think the US can pull it off, if it's done the right way.
I'm sorry about the treatment your friend got.

Thanks... it"s all good now. Now she has a happy and healthy baby boy... but I guess the dangers of being so far overdue... he was 10;bs 10 oz. YIKES lol

[jackie]

I heard nightmare stories about Canadian and English healthcare in particular too. I really think the US can pull it off, if it's done the right way.
I'm sorry about the treatment your friend got.

I am Canadian, I never once had a problem with health care there.

I have vacationed in England and ended up in E.R., I was taken care of and sent on my way without paying a dime.

I live in Spain, they do make you wait around a lot, but at the end of the day I am not having to decide whether I can feed my children or pay for their medical care. Thank god.

[Edwina's Secretary]

France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica

[lizbud]

France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica

This is amazing to me. I really didn't know there were that many countries.

[RICHARD]

This is amazing to me. I really didn't know there were that many countries.

There are more than 191 (about that number) of countries in the world.

The amusing thing about the 'rankings' is that most of these countries are far richer in per capita, per person than the U.S., they have a smaller populations and have a stronger HC system set up by the government.
THey have had years to perfect it.



lol, San Marino? Andorra? UAE? Saudi Arabia?

IN those countries they probably do not even consult a physician in that country? How many people fly to have surgeries or treatments in the U.S.? People with money or means will travel the earth for a cure.

IF you have oil or FU money, at what price health?

We fly kids with ortho problems, transplant and brain patients here-or fly our doctors out to them-because we are pioneers in the medical field.

Half (?)the vaccines and pioneer procedures are perfected here, most often on ill patients from other countries.


Stats/ranking/polls are great fun. And in the end they mean nothing more that being able to count from 1 to 100.


Show your work.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Yes....analysis from a former hospital worker is far more valid than that of the World Health Organization.

Pleeeze....

[Edwina's Secretary]

IN those countries they probably do not even consult a physician in that country? How many people fly to have surgeries or treatments in the U.S.?

You haven't been reading closely RICHARD...everyone goes to India for surgery now.

or fly our doctors out to them-because we are pioneers in the medical field.

Would that be...Doctors without Borders...a group you disparage?

Show your work. Wouldn't that require you to .....WORK???

[RICHARD]

Not ONE hospital in London had ONE bed open? they told her that if she went in to labor she would have to go to another town 45 minutes away and hope that they had beds. I'm not exaggerating this.

So... seeing how badly the system CAN be mismanaged with a population no where CLOSE to the US... and seeing how bad the government has screwed up just about every other program. I don't have a lot of faith that it will be organized correctly.

That is incredible.

The least the facility could have done is placed her into an ER bed? A triage area bed? A post op bed?

The reason that physicians DO NOT WANT TO DEAL with the government is the turn around on the payments for services rendered, that and malpractice insurance for doctors is driving them out of certain specialties.

A good surgeon can do two cholecystectomies and two or three hernia repairs in a day. One heart surgeon will do one valve replacement and a couple of vein strippings on a person's leg.

The money is made on the hard operations, But, it's also lost on how many people you have in the room with the surgeon. For a simple hernia? One surgeon, an anesthesiologist, scrub and circulator. For a heart valve? 6? more?

If there is to be any kind of health care reform in the United States it has to be done from the top to the bottom. It's not without people fighting the system and the changes.

IF HCR means that your coverage will have to absorb or make room for government subsidised members, you will see a drop in the quality of your HC and the type of tests available to you.

The key to the problem that everyone brings up is AFFORDABILITY. I do whine and complain about it because no one else does. People continue to sign over large checks because they have to-they have no choice.

It's either go broke paying a monthly premium now or pass on it and go broke later if you don't have the coverage.

A shame.