The Selfish and Wasteful American Health Care System

Average cost of Anglogram: $798 in US; $35 in Canada.

Average cost of MRI: $1080 in US; $281 in France.

US GDP spent on health care: 17%; Highest of ANY other country -- 12%; 7% in Taiwan.

Average life expectency: 78 in US; 82 in Italy.
Percentage of Adults with Diabetes: 10% in US; 4% in UK.

We do worse than any other industialized country in a broad range of health care measures, life expectency, prenatal death rates, even patient satisfaction.

So, everyone else does it cheaper and better than we do. Super, let's do what they do since it obviously works.

What do all those other countries have in common, each and every one?

They each have universal health care that covers everyone and/or MANDATES everyone be covered by the government (most countries) or by private insurance they buy (Switzerland).

Yet, despite the overwhelming FACTS --- polls say most Americans oppose mandating health coverage for all.

So, are Americans simply stupid?

Or what? Can anyone help me out here? I don't get it.

Comments for The Selfish and Wasteful American Health Care System:

America -- please choose! - by Anonymous

Everyone agrees health care costs are out of control and must be cut.

Here's the choice:

Obama and Dems want to cut costs by cutting government payments to healthcare providers.

Paul Ryan and the GOP want to cut costs by cutting government payments to beneficiaries.

Given that we already pay health care providers (doctors, hospitals, insurance companies) about twice what they get paid in the rest of the industialized world -- the choice seems obvious!

But, either way, make a choice so we can get on with things. Going the GOP way will result in a huge swing back in the next election. So, either way, eventually, we have to end up with the only rational health care policy -- which is universal, single-payer, government regulated, health care. Let's just get on with it.