The Best Health Care System In The World? No Way

[UglyGreed]

Americans spend more per capita on health care than people anywhere else in the world, yet outcomes in every other developed country are better on almost every measure, from infant mortality to life expectancy.

A big reason for that is our collective gullibility. We continue to believe what many politicians tell us, despite evidence to the contrary: that we have the best health care system in the world.

Similarly, we continue to be persuaded by insurance companies that they’re essential to the system and better than any government program could possibly be at controlling health care costs.

And we are still buying the pharmaceutical industry’s argument that if Americans don’t keep paying more for prescriptions than anyone else on the planet, drug companies—which have gargantuan profit margins­­—won’t be able to keep developing the drugs we need.

To understand how foolish we are, let’s consider the war of words that recently erupted between health insurers and drug companies.

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/06/best-health-care-system-world-no-way

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. It isn't really even a "system."

It's an almost entirely unregulated conglomeration of insurance companies and medical providers that may or may not offer adequate medical care, depending on where you are, who you are, how much money you have and whether the insurance you might or might not have will cover your medical problem this time. First-rate medical care exists in this country, but access to it arbitrarily depends on all of the above. If you don't have/can't get/can't afford insurance you could drop over dead from a treatable illness on the front steps of the best hospital in America.

[Wilms]

2. Now, now.

Isn't a racket a "system"?

[unblock]

3. if you listen carefully, they usually say we have the best health care, not the best system

what they mean is that, for those with enough money, you can get the best health care in the world right here in the good old u.s. of a.

what we suck at is *distributing* that fantastic health care across to all our people.

[UglyGreed]

4. Kick for luck

going into the city today to see about my on going shunt problems. I was told Friday to go the emergency room by my general practitioner since I have a very, very large lump/swelling near the incision where the shunt tube was inserted into my abdominal cavity. She felt that this due to shunt tubing being blocked and I'm having a neurological episode. I feel this may of been the problem all along, either the shunt is blocked or malfunctioning. Best health care in the world unless you have on going compounding issues which there is no money or glory to be made.