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Originally Posted by llrn7470
While this might sound great-be careful. Michael Moore is also known for filming what he wants to film and not generally being fair. People fly here for treatments because most socialized medicine countries have ridiculous wait lists for care and surgery. They can actually say you have to wait weeks to months for interventions such as cardiac surgery that are done here right away. Why? The doctors are paid for providing care. When doctors are paid flat rates, they limit the number of procedures they are willing to do in a day.
I personally know of no government run agency that I would call efficient. I can't say that socializing medical care would be more effective. You may find that people who actually live in these countries aren't as thrilled as you think they are. Remember that even if the benefits sound great, you know someone has to pay the bill eventually You could obtain any of these services if you wanted them, but would have to pay for them. Socialized medicine is the same-you will pay in one way or another for services.
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Here in Vancouver Canada we have a 3 - 4 year wait list for new patients to get into the the pain clinic in Vancouver. The doctor only has 4 beds for treating the whole province, the government will ultimately fly in patients from remote areas for treatments that can't be offered in their communities. The only reason I got early treatment (finally after a 6 month wait) was because I knew somebody who works with my PM doctor and I got bumped ahead. Otherwise I would have been waiting like everyone else while the rsd got worse. While our medical health care premiums are relatively low $78.00 per month for a family, our taxes are very very high here!!!! There are pros and cons to universal medicine. If your income is low most medications are fully paid for, but there are many restrictions especially for off label use.
Some very good sides to our medical system...well I've lost a couple of family members to terminal illnesses, through it all they were very well cared for by the doctors and nurses, including allowing us to have in home palliative care programs and and it didn't bankrupt our family. And yes we
can pick our own doctor, (that is if you can find one taking new patients, we have a shortage of doctors especially primary care physicians)
Switzerland seems to have a terrific medical system, not socialized rather it is a "consumer driven" medical system where it is mandatory for everyone to have insurance but the people can purchase it from a number of insurance companies, most employers offer it as a benefit and the government will help those who have lower incomes. Doctors are fairly well paid, not quite as much as American drs. though. I'm reading an interesting book right now called "Who Killed Heath Care?" by Regina Herzlinger. where she discusses this in detail.
Michael Moore uses sensationalism to drive his point home, but on the other hand so do many of the right wing opponents who use fear and rhetoric to maintain the status quo.
There are no doubt some very interesting points of view out there.
MsL