Calling All Non-Americans!! Would You Trade Health Care Systems With Us?

[Vepres]

For general care and emergencies, yes, single-payer is superior. But for cutting-edge technology, specialists, and immediate service ours is superior.

I wonder if the physical therapist I'm currently seeing for a shoulder problem would be covered in Canada or the UK.

Oh, and I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I heard that in Canada, one must travel miles and/or wait months for something as simple as an MRI. Is that true?

[Vepres]

But for cutting-edge technology, specialists, and immediate service ours is superior.

...if you have the money (and certain other things). And if you don't? Ordinary people can have rare-and-serious illlnesses as well...

I didn't say it was cheap or that it was universal. My point was that, in the US's system, we should strive to keep the good aspects of our care while simultaneously providing universal coverage (however one may go about it).

[Vepres]

But for cutting-edge technology, specialists, and immediate service ours is superior.

...if you have the money (and certain other things). And if you don't? Ordinary people can have rare-and-serious illlnesses as well...

I didn't say it was cheap or that it was universal. My point was that, in the US's system, we should strive to keep the good aspects of our care while simultaneously providing universal coverage (however one may go about it).

I think everybody is for that.  I believe the best way is to provide insurance to the poor, young, old, and uninsurable while letting private insurance cover the healthy, working adults.

If people feel the need to purchase supplemental insurance to cover bills in a case where they need expensive, high quality care, then they should be free to do so.

There should also be a catastrophic coverage claus where insurance companies and the government pick up the tab in extraordinary cases where people rack up huge bills to have their lives saved (like an accident or major, unexpected complications brought on by other medical problems)

The government could have a program where they provide a guaranteed loan to someone with huge medical bills that insurance won't cover.  The payments should be affordable, the interest rate low, and once the person has paid for a certain period of time (payments tied to income), the rest is forgiven and eaten by the government.

I agree, at least partially, with all of this.

[Vepres]

Fezzy is 100% right.  Too bad I am the first person to come to his defense in this thread (also the first non-European or liberal to post here)

I live in a town where the median family income is around $80,000 with <4% poverty.  That pretty much describe your typical middle class American town.

I wouldn't call a town with a median family income of $80,000 middle class. Then again, if you live in an area with a high cost of living, that could very well be middle class.

Let me say this, every country needs a different system to suit it's culture, needs, demographics, etc. There is no reason to overhaul the health care system when a vast majority of Americans have and like their insurance.

I read an interesting article today on how Vermont reformed their health care system. Coverage wasn't universal, but there was no government insurance, it was deficit neutral, with it had good results.