Healthcare reform in the US

BillieTheBot

I've just finished listening to a 3 part documentary into the proposed healthcare reforms in the US and I would highly recommend it. Its called Health and a Nation and can be found here.

As for the issue itself, I'm constantly stunned by how partisan the US is now and how the very people who would benefit from healthcare provision seem scared of a communist take over.

Former Member

Really? We're talking about a country which has effectively legalised bribery in government. I forget the exact figure, but I believe the medical companies have spent somewhere in the region of $500m lobbying politicians about this bill. That along with spreading disinformation. Do you know why the NHS is always the target? It's quite simple. Our newspapers are written in English, so they can easily search them for horror stories, which you're always going to find in something servicing 60m people (Canada is often used too, for the same reason). Every survey I've seen has said that this healthcare reform does have popular support amongst ordinary voters, but America isn't run by ordinary voters, it's run by politicians in the pockets of major corporations. And major corporations don't allow anything that will hit their profitability.

Former Member

I love the fact that a man with a pistol strapped to his leg and a barely veiled threat to Obama on a t shirt was not arrested.

Former Member

I'm With Stupid wrote: »

Really? We're talking about a country which has effectively legalised bribery in government. I forget the exact figure, but I believe the medical companies have spent somewhere in the region of $500m lobbying politicians about this bill. That along with spreading disinformation. Do you know why the NHS is always the target? It's quite simple. Our newspapers are written in English, so they can easily search them for horror stories, which you're always going to find in something servicing 60m people (Canada is often used too, for the same reason). Every survey I've seen has said that this healthcare reform does have popular support amongst ordinary voters, but America isn't run by ordinary voters, it's run by politicians in the pockets of major corporations. And major corporations don't allow anything that will hit their profitability.

You're right, and I know all of that but still it is surprising when someone says 'this is just how Hitler started', if for no other reason than its such absolute balls.

Former Member

jasmine2 wrote: »

Health care in USA is good

It's 37th in the world league table of good health provision.

Former Member

Lower life expectancy than the UK, for several times the cost. I'd say that was a pretty damning statistic.

Former Member

MoK wrote: »

Lower life expectancy than the UK, for several times the cost. I'd say that was a pretty damning statistic.

The lower life expectancy isn't totally their crap healthcare system, they are a more violent country too.

Former Member

Their dietary and healthstyle habits cannot help much either I'd think.

Former Member

Mixture of reasons, but from what people who know say the main reason is as Aladdin says - too much rich food and not enough exercise.

Though they do have a higher murder rate than the UK's its not so massive than it makes a noticeable difference in life expectancy

0.042802 per 1,000 people US

0.0140633 per 1,000 people

Basically in both countries being murdered is pretty unlikely especially if you compare to the top 5

# 1 Colombia: 0.617847 per 1,000 people
# 2 South Africa: 0.496008 per 1,000 people
# 3 Jamaica: 0.324196 per 1,000 people
# 4 Venezuela: 0.316138 per 1,000 people
# 5 Russia: 0.201534 per 1,000 people

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capita

Former Member

This possibly supports the whole lifestyle discussion, but is still pretty damning...

Skive

Former Member

just found out the cost of health insurance in america if i lived in a random LA zipcode *cough* 90210 kek

anyway, to not have to payanything towards surgery or $500 in one year at most, when i don't smoke and i'm only 24, the intial estimate looked to be almost £140 a month or $200, cheapest was $170 and it just went up from there!

still have to pay for GP visits and prescriptions can cost about £18 each for 30day max...


glad of the NHS

Former Member

wheresmyplacebo wrote: »

just found out the cost of health insurance in america if i lived in a random LA zipcode *cough* 90210 kek

anyway, to not have to payanything towards surgery or $500 in one year at most, when i don't smoke and i'm only 24, the intial estimate looked to be almost £140 a month or $200, cheapest was $170 and it just went up from there!

still have to pay for GP visits and prescriptions can cost about £18 each for 30day max...


glad of the NHS

I wish 18 pounds Without insurance my 3 prescriptions cost about $350 a month... but that was my own fault for choosing to stay on brand name meds the whole time

Former Member

my name wrote: »

I wish 18 pounds Without insurance my 3 prescriptions cost about $350 a month... but that was my own fault for choosing to stay on brand name meds the whole time

yeh i didnt check the brand medicine section lol

Former Member

Aladdin wrote: »

Their dietary and healthstyle habits cannot help much either I'd think.

The UK isn't that far behind and catching up in the overweight and obseity rates! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7151813.stm

wheresmyplacebo wrote: »

yeh i didnt check the brand medicine section lol

Alot of pharmacies in the last however long now have many generic medications for $4 for a 30 day supply or $10 for 90
http://sites.target.com/site/en/health/generic_drugs.jsp
Not that I condone US healthcare, just saying

Former Member

my name wrote: »

The UK isn't that far behind and catching up in the overweight and obseity rates! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7151813.stm

I've heard before that if we in the UK classified childhood obesity the same way as mainland Europe we would cut our rate by 25%, which shows how random it is for children.

my name wrote: »

Alot of pharmacies in the last however long now have many generic medications for $4 for a 30 day supply or $10 for 90
http://sites.target.com/site/en/health/generic_drugs.jsp
Not that I condone US healthcare, just saying

Here most of the drugs you get are generic, but then even for the brand name ones the NHS pays a lot less because it has such massive buying power.

Former Member

budda wrote: »

Here most of the drugs you get are generic, but then even for the brand name ones the NHS pays a lot less because it has such massive buying power.

I know. I was simply just giving a tidbit of information about what is available in the U.S. ...

Former Member

my name wrote: »

I wish 18 pounds Without insurance my 3 prescriptions cost about $350 a month... but that was my own fault for choosing to stay on brand name meds the whole time

Why would you buy brand name when generic was available?

Former Member

katralla wrote: »

Why would you buy brand name when generic was available?

There was no generic equivalent of those particular meds. Generics for that ailment, sure, but I was happy with them and didn't want to switch to something different. I'm stubburn, plus, I'd pay any price (almost, I'm still boarderline ) for my current birth control, its amazing Under patent for another 4 years, sigh.

And no, the doctor didn't reccomend or push the brands on me in the first place, I asked/requested them.

Former Member

The bill is passed. Hooray! http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/22/us-healthcare-bill-passes-congress

Still short of what should be, but a positive step for Americans.

It is very amusing to see some twats spitting blood at this. Some chap in the Telegraph even claims it is a dark day for "freedom".

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100030793/a-dark-day-for-freedom-in-america/

Fuck off, cunty

Former Member

chuckle