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Domain: cmwf.org

Stories and comments across the archive that link to cmwf.org.

Comments · 8

  1. Re:Its our by leoxx · · Score: 2, Informative · on Steven Hawking Considering Move To Canada

    It's better than the American health care system, so that would be a plus compared to going to the USA.

  2. Re:The healthcare market has only one impediment. by dylan_- · · Score: 1 · on Can Technology Fix the Health Care System?

    Don't spew garbage about the U.K. either, I have a few ex-patriate friends living there who has mentioned how terrible it is.
    You know, I usually like your posts, even though I rarely agree with them (I do on copyright and patents) but I'm getting a bit tired of this uninformed nonsense about the NHS in the UK. Fair enough, you're probably getting bad info from your whiny friends so let's introduce some facts into this (note that I'm comparing the CURRENT system in the US with the UK; not your idea of a totally free market health system).

    Firstly, access to the NHS. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to wait months to see a doctor: you call up in the morning and make an appointment for the following day (if it's an emergency, go directly to A&E and be seen immediately). There are waiting lists for non-critical operations, because urgent operations take precedent. Not good if you happen to be the one waiting, but I'll get to this later.

    Secondly, some figures (from 2003; latest I could find; all prices from now in in USD):

    UK government (NHS) spending was $2,231 per capita on healthcare (ignore the US figure as that's private spending too)

    US government spending was $2,548 per capita

    So we actually pay less in tax for a far more comprehensive service!

    "Ahh, but what about those horrible waiting lists?" I hear you cry. According to http://www.preferredmedical.co.uk/ I can get private cover and avoid mixing with the proles for less than $80 a month for the Comprehensive Cover with No Excess. If I want to get the medium one with $400 excess, it would cost less than $50. What's more I know I always have the NHS to fall back on should something happen that means I can no longer afford the insurance. Prescriptions here cost $14 per item. Can you seriously tell me that the US system is better? Have the other posters been lying about extortionate insurance costs, horrible prescription costs, and the risk of becoming uninsurable?

    So the next time your friends complain about the NHS, ask them if they're really so cheap that they can't afford to pay $50 a month.

    And next time you're posting about healthcare reform, maybe you should be more along the lines of "even the nasty, socialist UK NHS is better than our current mess". Since you're a Libertarian, it should sound pretty powerful coming from you. ;-)
  3. The US spends more on education than any country by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on India To Offer Free Broadband by 2009

    Same for health care.

    http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/spend.php
    http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show .htm?doc_id=372221
    http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_spe_per_per- health-spending-per-person

    http://thebluesite.com/ustopseducationspend.htm
    http://www.oclc.org/reports/escan/economic/educati onlibraryspending.htm
    http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/edu_tot_exp_as_o f_gdp-education-total-expenditure-gdp

    And yet, both are getting worse. MAYBE spending more isn't the answer...

    By the way, I love the Anti-US troll. I can't get enough of the pandering.

  4. Re:How to stop frivolous law suits by notwrong · · Score: 1 · on Why the RIAA Doesn't Want Defendants Exonerated

    But then part of that very problem is the malpractice system in the first place. Why do you think so many women get C-sections? Because no one ever sues you for the C-section you do. But if you are more conservative, the one time the baby does badly and you don't do a section, you are fucked. Same thing with a cardiologist: say you have a patient with chest pain that has really weak indications for doing an angiogram. If you do one and its clean that's great. The patient incurs a slight risk from the cath, and it costs several thousand dollars, but you wont be faulted for being 'careful'. However if you don't do one, eventually you are going to send someone away and they will have a heart attack the next week, at which point you are again, fucked. The system is set up for people to me more aggressive, send too many tests, do too many procedures, and prescribe too many antibiotics. In the US we are set up to not reward the avoidance of false positives but we severely punish getting a single false negative. So its no wonder cardiologists are loose with the caths and gynecologists with the sections.

    I have suspected for a while that this is the main reason why the US spends more on health care than any other country, yet seems to get a much worse return on that spending than most. Policies that basically force doctors towards arse-covering seem to be a very poor way of getting the best outcomes for everyone. The New Zealand system is an interesting contrast, as compared here.
  5. Wrong again. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on North Korea Says It Has Conducted Nuclear Test

    What you say is a common and a fallacious argument. In fact, there are plenty of other statistical indicators for measuring poverty, and income compared to the median is not even amongst the most important of them.
    Here is another measurement, far more important one: can you get reasonable medical assistance in case you are ill? In the US, one in ten people NEVER sees a doctor, because the costs are too high.

    SEE:

    http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show .htm?doc_id=280812

    http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p60-223.pdf

  6. Re:Erm, and? by Fyz · · Score: 1 · on Techies Asked To Train Foreign Replacements

    the choice isn't "Some people get healthcare in the US, everybody gets healthcare in Europe", the choices are "People who can/want to pay a lot for healthcare get great healthcare in the US, everybody gets mediocre healthcare in Europe."

    Bullshit!

  7. Re:KISS by belg4mit · · Score: 1 · on Vintage Diseases Making a Comeback

    Indeed, like syphilis.

    Rickets is not a communicable disease and is completely irrelevant.

    Also of note, Gaps in Health Insurance: An All-American Problem.

  8. Re:This is funny by dgroskind · · Score: 2 · on Movie Review: John Q

    Very few people complained about healthcare in the US until Hillary Clinton riled people up...

    According to The National Coalition on Health Care, 79% of Americans agree with the statement "there is something seriously wrong with our health care system," 87% agree that "the quality of medical care for the average person needs to be improved," and only 15% have "complete confidence" in hospital care. Less than half of people (44%) say they have "confidence in the health care system to take care of me." 69% believe the federal government can play an important role in making health care better".

    Four in ten Americans report having had a "bad" experience with treatment or care, don't have confidence in the system to take good care of them, or believe hospitals have cut corners to save money, thus endangering patients.

    According to The Commonwealth Fund, 54% of American doctors are concerned that patients will not be able to afford the health care they need.