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Oct. 25, 2004 I care about America (doesn't that sound pretentious!) and so it bothers me when false ideas get taken as fact. Take the idea that the US has the best health care system in the world. Now I'm quite prepared to best that the best health care in the world is available in the States - for some. But for the generality of the population? Take look at the quote below from a leading US newspaper. Two decades ago, when Washington embraced the for-profit model to curb escalating charges, health care spending represented 10.5 percent of gross domestic product. Now it is approaching 16 percent. We spend more per capita on health care than any other developed country. Yet on the important yardsticks, like life expectancy measured in healthy years, we don't even rank among the top 20 nations. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, we come in an embarrassing 29th, sandwiched between Slovenia and Portugal. Embarrassing isn't the right word. It's an absolute disgrace. And there is no sign that market forces are moving to change the situation. Why should they? The first concern of any commercial enterprise is to make money for its share holders. And industry likes a high cost environment - after all, they would much rather have a ten percent profit margin of a big number than a small number. Industry also has an ambivalent attitude to Government regulation - they just LOVE governments who impose restrictions on competition (like refusing drug importations). On the other hand, try suggesting any scheme that might reduce pharmaceutical costs and everyone will be thumping the free enterprise drum and saying that such Commie schemes are bad for America. And who pays? Need you ask....? But it looks as if you are also paying with years off your life, and that's inexcusable. ------------ About the author: Eric lives in tropical Queensland and writes books - some naughty, some nice - that can be found through Renaissance eBooks (renebooks.com) He reads widely and when he is not thinking about lunch, worries about the state of the world. Email: ericge@westnet.com.au Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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