🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1994Oct7.024215.9930@biancx.UUCP> larry@biancx.com (Larry Racies) writes:
>In article <35v2eu$757@crl.crl.com>, Scott Nesbitt <scottn@crl.com> wrote:
>>jong@wonderware.com (Jonathan Gwynne) writes:
>>
>>>You want an example of a single-payer system which stands on its own merit?  
>>>Look at Canada.  Their system isn't perfect (far from it in fact) but it is 
>>>better than ours by every meaningful measurement there is.
>>
>>No, it is not, and such a sweeping statement without a glimmer of support
>>seems to be typical of your arguments.
>>
>>In almost every aspect of medical technology, the US has more units per
>>person than Canada.  To name a few: 
>>
>>open-heart surgery
>>cardiac catheterization
>>organ transplantation
>>radiation therapy
>>mri
>>pacemakers
>>cat scanners
>>kidney dialysis/transplants
>>
>>(Health Affairs, Fall 1989 and the National Center for Policy Analysis)
>>
>>The length of time spent in a hospital is less. (OECD Health Data File, 1989)
>>
>>Press reports in Canada of people on waiting lists coming to the US or
>>dying.  ("Grief, Frustration Left in Wake of Man Who Died on Waiting List",
>>Globe and Mail, January 25, 1989)
>>
>>Regardless of the costs of health care in the US, it simply  cannot be argued
>>that Canada has a better medical system.  The reason we have higher costs
>>than Canada (besides being better) include:
>>
>>Higher teen pregnancy rate (The Health of Nations, Leanard Sagan)
>>Higher incidence of violent crime (The Medical Cost of America's Social Ills)
>>More drug-exposed infants (Drug Abuse Warning Network)
>>More drug overdoses (same)
>>More AIDS patients  (Federal Spending for Illness Caused by HIV)
>>Higher commitment to the elderly and neonatal care (numerous)
>>
>>and on and on.
>>
>>The solution to lowering health care costs lies in competition, not emulating
>>a Canadian system that even they admits does not work.  Since Federal funding
>>for health care system is declining (The Fraser Institute, Vancuver), the 
>>provinces are moving away from a single-payer model to mixed public and
>>private systems.  Ontarios is considering reorganizing along the lines of 
>>US HMOs.  Over 65 percent of Canadians now purchase private supplemental
>>insurance.  Analysts predict that Canada will reintroduce private health
>>insurance within the next five years.  (Why We Spend Too Much on Health Care,
>>Bast, Rue, and Wesbury)
>>
>>Scott
>>-- 
>>Scott Nesbitt             Organel Software 
>>scottn@crl.com            Makers of AFS/DFS administration and user tools.
>>A is A
>
>Talk about a clouded crystal ball.
>
>Canada is just as likely to abandon single payer as you are to perform brain
>surgery tomorrow.
>
>The Fraser Institute is a right wing outfit funded by insurers
>and oponents of single payer.
>
>Canada's health system is a major factor in its number one world ranking in
>the United Nations human development index. The World Economic Forum ranked 
>the system first in the world from the standpoint of its contribution to the
>country's competitive capacity. The US is way down on the list, number 12,
>I believe.
>
>Now we know where the software is.
>
>Larry Racies
>.

    Just ask Lee Iacoca about the cost our fee-for-service
medicine loads onto the price of a car.  

    And then ask yourself why we have rich doctors but poor
citizens.  The doctors are still raising fees twice the rate of
inflation while only 20% of families are finding their income
rising.  The other 80% find their income falling.  So where
are the economists?  How can this be?  Answer: political power.



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