Which country has the best Health Care System?

[Platypus]

Australia.

Free public healthcare for all, but a private system that can be paid for in part by the government if it is the only way to get the best service.

IE, if you have a broken arm and go private, you'll be seen a bit sooner but you'll have to pay the majority. If you have a rare blood disease and the only doctor in the country who knows how to treat it has a private practice, the government will refund much of the cost. When I had a CAT scan a couple of years ago, the government paid for 80% of the cost, for example, because whilst there are public health service CAT scanners, the wait is comparitively long (2 days private, 1-3 weeks private depening on urgency)


Also, the government encouraged people to go private by providing revates to people who signed up in a period of about 2 years a while ago, to take pressure off the public system, which has so far worked.

But the jewel in the crown, in my eyes, is the PBS-Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme-which allows for really ceap presicription medicine. My family spends about $5000 a yearon medication, because of my mother's heart attack prevention drugs and my father's medicines relating to his illness, but without the PBS we'd be paying at least $30000 for the most basic of the medicines, and possibly up to $80000-neither amount affordable.

Dad's blood cleansers (can't remember the proper name) cost $80 for 20 tablets, but we pay $3.50 because they are classified as high importance and because as a family we'd spend more then the $1500 (apx.) a month before the high level kicks in.

There are problems, but it is the best mix of free healthcare, but with options for other providers, of access to essential medicines, and of keeping the government budget in the black. Whilst I don't like some of the changes the government has made to finer details, like bulk billing, in recent times, overall our system is a fantastic one, and I have yet to hear of a more practical but fair, better one.

[Platypus]

It is not. It is a bunch of people voting to steal money from certain individuals and give it to other individuals. That is criminal. This is why I'm opposed to income tax and sales tax.

And the every other law on the books is practically criminal, too, by that definition - it doesn't just stop at money.

Look, Richius, I'm not going to argue with you about this any more; you're too stuborn and you would degenerate into name-calling and ridiculous arguments; I'm not in the mood for that. I'm just more charitable-minded, I guess, and I happen to think that majority rules. Congress and the rest of us should be willing to create a system to help the less fortunate.

Fine. Just don't involve me, or anyone that does not want to go along. Let us donate to private charities, and allow us to work for $1 an hour as a paramedic. Yeah. Guess what. I want to get paid $1 per hour as a volunteer paramedic, but it is illegal here in Ontario due to minimum wage laws. Screw that. Due to that stupid law, I can't give people cheap medical attention and care.

Might as well do it for free, I hope that isn't illegal.

[Platypus]

well, i know trhat here and in canada, and in the US, the system of liberal democracy exists./ basically, that means free speech, minority rights and the ability to vote anyone in or out. I;m happy with the system, at least at it's core; some of the periphery isn't perfect but overall it's better then anything else.

Churchill said it best: "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the rest"

[Platypus]

the system you outlines Huck is very very similar to the Australian version.

[Platypus]

I'd prefer a system with at least some social equity to none though. If you can have a fair healthcare system that works properly, do it. Australia's system isn't perfect, but it is better then America's and it works AND Australia has posted budget surpluses for something like 12 of the last 15 years.