This is a well-written article reminding Americans they don’t need to reinvent the wheel to learn some lessons about how to reduce costs and make health care more efficient and effective. America is close to the last country to face this challenge. So why don’t we take a longer and closer look at what other countries have done, what has been successful, and where the real challenges are that need attention.
As Americans search for the cure to what ails our health-care system, we’ve overlooked an invaluable source of ideas and solutions: the rest of the world. All the other industrialized democracies have faced problems like ours, yet they’ve found ways to cover everybody — and still spend far less than we do.
I’ve traveled the world from Oslo to Osaka to see how other developed democracies provide health care. Instead of dismissing these models as “socialist,” we could adapt their solutions to fix our problems. To do that, we first have to dispel a few myths about health care abroad.
Continue reading here.
fnord
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Thanks, fnord; interesting reading.
I’ve been saying the same thing for a few years. We look at how other countries are doing it, then we choose the best of each/all.
France has the best, but since the Republicans turn their nose up at anything remotely connected to that country (Freedom Fries, anyone?), they dig their heels in and ignore what’s best for us. And all because France didn’t want to get involved in the Iraq fiasco. Gee, look which country played it smart!
Maybe the reason America does not look to other countries and try to emulate their policies is something I call the ‘Ugly American Arrogance’?
We Americans can be very arrogant and selfish people. There are alot of people that simply don’t want to acknowledge that someone else might have a better system than we do.
Or, because the current health care system is working just fine for those who profit from it.
Arrogance and selfish often leads to ignorance – doesn’t it?
And, not only are we arrogant, but those other countries are socialists! Or communistics! Or something bad!!!
As unemployment increases, more people run out of unemployment benefits, and more people loose their homes , the number of people without health insurance increases. As these now uninsured people start using emergency rooms as their primary health care provider, what happens to the costs? They spike and the rest of “us” are stuck paying the bill. Isn’t the most costly and least efficient system possible? Wouldn’t almost any alternative be an improvement,.
IMHO
??
I understand what you’re saying g-stir.
Why people are so against public option is beyond me. Because, as you say, when uninsured people get sick – they go to the emergency rooms for their health care – and the ones who are paying for that will end up to be those working taxpayers.
So, why not just cut out the costly middle man – the emergency room – and help these uninsured to be able to get insurance in the first place.
It is alot cheaper and these people will be contributing towards their own health care in the process – that sounds like a win-win to me.
I just posted a couple of comments regarding this to someone commenting on the Facebook page of a friend many of us have in common. Try making them use common sense. They have their feet dug in and refuse to listen to facts. When the other person commenting finally said she sold health insurance, my final comment was, “Then I’ll consider the source.”
🙂
My first comment was in response to the comment that the Constitution doesn’t guarantee us good health care.
My comment: Life has nothing to do with good health?
She then told me that the Constitution only gives us the right of the pursuit of life.
I haven’t gone back to quote the Constitution to her or to the fact that she’s confusing it with the Declaration of Independence.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
I found it and read the whole conversation. I think you summed it up BEST with your consider the source comment! 🙂
I always try to be polite. 🙂
I’m waiting for someone who feels there is no Constitutional right to privacy since the same is not “written in the Constitution” but who is sure about his/her right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness being constitutional in nature and therein appearing to raise this; I think it may be fun.
Oh, I’m sure I’ll run into someone like that, and when I do, I’ll sic you on them. ::evil grin::