Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

In 2004, U.S. hospitals charged patients without health insurance and those who paid for care out of their own pockets an average of 2.5 times more for services than fees paid by health insurers, and 3 times more than Medicare-allowable costs, a new study finds.

USA Today-Consumer Health News, Information and Resources Updated Daily-Health Insurance-Hospital Markups on Care Toughest on Poor: Study


It's a business.

Businesses don't care.

Businesses are there to make profits for their shareholders.

Thank God we have the NHS.

Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

In general I would have to agree ... but, also in general, Americans are generous and compassionate; more so than many others in the world. Perhaps the system they have now works for them. The American concept of freedom, and what limits are placed on government are different from those in Britain, and they are definitely different from those in Canada. But this does not change the fact that as a people they are generous and compassionate, both at home and internationally. But I still maintain my opinion that in a wealthy nation all should have access to that wealth.

Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

As I said earlier.....the consumer is out of the mix. This skews everything. The government began the price fixing mess, with no regard for how much it cost a hospital or doctor to deliver a particular service. This then slopped over into the private insurance sector because hospitals and doctors were charging them a little more to make up for the losses. People who pay out of pocket often pay more because of this downward spiral. This tends to happen when you have a third party payer. In the case of your NHS, it manifests itself in shortages of equipment, specialists, etc., and waiting lists for patients.

Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

If you are poor in the States, you'd be waiting forever for the drugs that I'm on for Parkinson's Disease.;)

Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

Thanks for the kind remarks. I have to disagree with your last sentence, though. All wealth is earned by individuals and does not belong to the State. Most of us are not into collectivism down here as we have studied past experiments with same and duly noted that it doesn't work.

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'Merica's fine, just as long as you feel as frisky as a flea on a fat dog, but if you're feelin' lower than a well digger's heel, you'd better cut down on those fancy vittles, cus you'll have a mighty fine Doctor's bill to settle shortly.:D

http://www.nndb.com/people/916/00009...an-2-sized.jpg

Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

I do not agree that all wealth is earned by individuals, and certainly, some individuals "earn" their wealth illegally ... Conrad Black, a Canadian who seems to have aquired his business ethics by studying Enron, is a case in point. If a welfare state attempts anything, it tries to make sure that individuals have an opportunity to share in the national wealth ... to establish that level playing field that many in the states talk about. Not all citizens in the race of life (sorry about the cliche) begin from the starting line. Some start way back, and others, born with advantages, start somewhere near the finish line. Govt. funded health care is not collectivism, it is a way of insuring that all citizens have equal access to the best the health care system can offer. This, along with publically funded education, affirmative action programs, subsidies for day care, and federal transfer of funds (equalization payments) from tax revenues from wealthy provinces to the poorer provinces evens out the inequalities in the system.

And Canada is certainly not a collective ... our provinces have extensive political powers that the federal govt. cannot touch, mineral rights for example, and control over education. If anything, Canadians are natural Liberals. We like govts. who are fiscally responsible, yet socially generous. At the moment we have a minority govt. ... and this seems to be working out well. But none of our political parties, and they hold radically different views on most things, will tamper with the health care system. Even the Bloc Quebecois supports medicare and promotes federal transfer payments.

If what we have isn't working well, how does one explain the surging looney? Hitting par with the greenback is not too far in the future.

Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

Dear Willow, one doesn't make charitable donations with the expectation of getting something in return, (beyond the joy of helping one's fellow man).

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You have a great housing market at the moment, plus good consumer spending and exports. Keep it up!

I consider my earnings to be my property, not that of the State. The Left is obsessed with equality of outcomes rather than equality of opportunity. Some people are smarter than others. They invent things. Take risks when they start a business. Use their God given talents well and invest their assets wisely. I have never bought into the class/wealth envy game. Remarkable really when you consider where I was raised.

By the way, did you ever read a series of articles in the Canadian National Post about the wonders of Cuban healthcare? I thought it quite ironic that Michael Moore went down there during the course of making his "Sicko" film. Michael Brazell Murray » Cuban Health Care has some interesting commentary on this, as well as other healthcare systems.

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My god, did I actually write "surging looney"? Now people may think all Canadians are insane!

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The earnings of Canadians are not the property of the state. But the majority of us agree, and we express this agreement consistently at the polls, that there should be a "social safety net." What we sometimes disagree on is the size of the mesh. I support Kingston General Hospital in their funding drives, I give to the United Way, and to the Kingston Humane Society, and the Hotel Dieu Hospital food bank blitzes. But, there has to be something more than personal charity. The Sisters of Providence of the Hotel Dieu spend lavishly on programs to help those in need in Kingston, but they also publically argue for government supported health care. They hold weekly vigils for the poor, urging the government by their example to spend more tax dollars on welfare, disability allowances, free prescriptions for all low income Canadians, subsidized daycare for single mothers etc. I don't however, see the good sisters as a radical vanguard for the socialist state. They are just good people who realized that private charity is not enough.

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I brought up the Cuban System earlier. Far from the unmitigated disister you seem to feel it is I think the stats speak for themselves. American health system versus complete disaster equals same life expectancy.

And how many more times is your GDP than Cuba's?

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Re: The NHS is rediculous
 

Cuba is a great country to visit, I was there a couple of years ago and hope to go next Feb. for a break from the Big Chill. In no way is anything in Cuba a complete diasaster. However, Cubans stood up to the Americans, not the ordinary Americans, but US businesses that had a vested interest in raping Cuba. They will never be forgiven. But for now, they have a health care system that works for the benefit of the people. I don't know if England recognizes the Cuban govt.. But if UK citizens are allowed to travel there, I would recommend it. It's clean, fun, safe, and, for the cigar smokers and rum drinkers, a mecca. And if you get sick, the hospitals are damn good.