Apparently, the US lags in some areas of health care while also paying the highest rates....hmmmm....
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ALEXIS_DH
11-03-2006, 06:10 AM
am checking out some charts on the WHO to confirm one guess i have (based on anectodal evidence i had, from the doctors i saw in the US)
i look for physicians per capita and i see "US, 2.56 physicians per 1000 habitants"
then....
Finland 3.16 2002
France 3.37 2004
Germany 3.37 2003
Netherlands 3.15 2003
seems the supply of physicians isnt up with the supply in europe.
this might account for the high costs of health care (physicians in the US are relatively grossly overpaid IMO) and a few other problem in service and promptness.
Westy
11-03-2006, 06:20 AM
It is a great system if you can afford it. The biggest problem I see is the high cost is helping drive regular jobs out of the country as it costs employers too much for insurance, ask GM about this one.
ALEXIS_DH
11-03-2006, 06:26 AM
that's prolly why the US attracts top doc's from all over the world to work here as well as why a lot of people from other countries who can afford it, come here for treatment as well.
yeah, the US healthcare system sucks bad.
i think its great actually.
but its extremely expensive.
you average visit to a doctor´private practice (nothing fancy, no million dollar machines involved, just a plain office visit) runs about 1/4 of 1 month´work of minimal wage.
not even in peru it gets that relatively expensive.
Westy
11-03-2006, 06:30 AM
GM's problems are so much greater than the cost of health care for its union workers.
Was just an example. The department I used to work in here got nuked and sent to Canada. The reason why? Cut the cost of employee benefits. Personally I'd rather get paid the difference and take my chances. If I had to pay my own dr. bills it would cost me less than $500 bucks a year. If I got the money my company paid for my insurance I could have invested it and had a ton of cash available if I ever needed because of some catastrophic health event.
dan-o
11-03-2006, 09:30 AM
I'm self employed and pay $12,500 to insure my family of four.
$10 copay, cheap meds, excellent plan.
