The Frontline review of the universal health care systems in about 5 other countries (mentioned by a few posters) said that differences in national culture help to explain the differences in health care. The American national culture is highly individualistic. Does anyone remember the ficitional charater Nero Wolfe, the private investigator created by Rex Stout? Frankly, Nero Wolfe on a diet and jogging wouldn't be the fictional character I loved. How much intrusion into our lives are we willing to tolerate for the sake of being healthy in the interests of not being a health burden to the community?
Ouch! Free access for chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage therapy, gym membership. Sounds nice but it would be a hard sell for me. My daughter would like an expensive gym membership, but is willing to settle for walking more. There has to be some common sense about what services we are willing to provide free.
My brother and his family live in London and rave about the British health care system. They were used to the best health care treatment when they lived in the US. They say kids in the UK are sent to the front of the line and never have to wait for treatment.
Your example about Brits with cholesterol of 300 being healthier reminds of of a documentary I saw that argued that health in America was significantly impacted by socioeconomic factors such as race and job security. Boy, it's complicated.
Lots of folks I talk to want a "carrot" for good health practices and a "stick" for bad health practices - think of cigarettes. But it's a easier issue to discuss in the abstract than in terms of individuals we all know - including ourselves - who don't always act as they should in terms of their health. I guess I would agree with the last two posts that a better way to deal with bad health choices is to increase efforts at health education and to make it easier and easier to get help when wanted.
What a good point that I don't hear discussed enough. Any thoughts on why health providers are so unevenly distributed throughout the US?
Looking for more information on long term/nursinghome/assisted living health care. For example, does medicare cover any of the costs for these long term health needs? Do any of Obama's health care proposals deal with the problems of long term care? In terms of overall costs for health care ($6,000 per capita?), what percentage of that cost is attributable to long term health care?
Thanks
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