Thread: Opinions On Gov. Sponsored Health Care Outside of the USA

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

... sacred cow?

That's a loaded term.

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

are there talks about budgets?

What government doesn't talk about budgets?

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

are there programs that are sinking?
would you even know?

No sinking, but some growing neglect of the system was very evident a few years ago following a senate report that recommended privatizing. Who were the senators who signed the report? Well those who owned health insurance companies of course.

why can't you just answer a question X ?


anyone else ??

what was all the talk I heard recently of the NHS being in the red by umpteen bajillion pounds?

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

what was all the talk I heard recently of the NHS being in the red by umpteen bajillion pounds?

I think you missed the proper figure by a cajillion Shawn.

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

why can't you just answer a question X ?

What do you mean?

Originally Posted by chee16

just to clarify i am in no way in favour of private health care. i like the idea of what i system should be and have always been satisfied, but i really dislike the drug companies and how the health care system is based around them.

so yes to public health care, no to drug lobbying!

You dislike the drug companies??

Do you dislike them when their products save your life?

Originally Posted by honedright

You dislike the drug companies??

Do you dislike them when their products save your life?

I'm thankful for pharma products. I'm livid at their business practices. Two separate things that a are mutually exclusive. Pharmas are, on the whole, sharks.

My wife's practice has a 'strictly no pharma reps' policy. Those guys come cold calling and sneaking into practices asking for time with the doctors. Next thing you know, they're trying to "oil the wheels of commerce" by giving away freebies. And I'm not talking about branded notepads and pens! My wife has personally been offered these things in the past (supposedly 'no strings'):

- expensive medical equipment, e.g. stethoscopes, pharyngoscopes, sphygmomanometers, etc.
- all expenses paid travel and board in a 4-star hotel to attend conferences
- countless dinner invitations (in our early twenties we accepted one invite and the tab at the end was nearly £1000 for 6 people)
- provision of free consultants to her practice
- paid-for places on expensive training sessions
- and much more

The marketing budgets for pharmas must be sky-high, which has a knock-on effect on the price charged for their drugs. Prices that are paid for by the NHS which gets its money from taxpayers. So my wife and her partners just turn these guys away and instead prescribe according to CLINICAL judgements, as opposed to decisions which might be partly driven by a sense of owing, due to the big juicy greenback sweeteners that are given away.

When I worked in medical publishing, pharmas would advertise and sponsor many journals. Many times I was being asked by the pharma to either 'fluff' up a particular journal article which researched one of their drugs, or even to bury an article which did not support their drug, or supported a rival's drug. So much for the impartiality of academia. I left medical publishing because I couldn't stomach the hypocrisy involved.

Once again, BIG difference between pharma products and pharma business practice. Yes, the costs and risks of research are very high, but that does not justify the kind of crooked practices I've seen them engage in.

Over here from what I understandhealth service isn't run by the government. But by law everyone MUST be insured.

The result of this is that although insurance isn't cheap, it's affordable because EVERYONE is insured and in that way the cost is carried by many. Recently we've been getting less for our money and paying more though. It's a consequence of the government's "Privatising kick.".....jerks.

Insurance used to cost me about €30-45 euro's a month. Now it's around €120-€140.

Still affordable...but by no means cheap. I wish they brought back the previous system.

Here in Finland everyone is insured by law. The system has worked well. However for last few years public health systems has been in some sort of crisis because of the politicians privatising talks. That sucks.

Few years ago i was possible and even normal to get an appointment with a doctor right away, but nowadays it might take even a week or two if you have no urgent need to get a cure. The whole public system is so overloaded that usually they simply do not have time for you if your case isn't serious. However the law has stated that if you are trying to reach the public hospital, they MUST call you back within two hours and give you a time for doctor appointment asap or at least instructions what to do.

Many people have taken private health insurances. It is relatively cheap, about 125 €/year for me and that is all i have to pay for using private health services. They are not any better than public services but at least i do not have to wait in case i have the flu or something like that. Luckily i haven't ever needed much health services.

As a EU citizen we are all insured by law in the whole EU + Iceland, Switzerland and Norway also.

My wife works at the public hospital for children's psychiatric care and you could all imagine how is the situation there when the system gets overloaded.

I think State sponsored healthcare is one of the best things in a country..Healthcare and education.

In my view if a modern state can't provide these things for its citizens it isn't worth paying a dime of tax to it.. and I also think it is about time the US would offer its citizens the same great services, in the long run I think the US would benefit from it.

Its interesting to note that every time you guys mention having to pay into the system the amounts are about the same as what I pay with my employer provided plan and the costs of that plan are similar as well.