Originally Posted by
EvilV
Health care is a sore topic so I won't say much except that being free at the point of use is a great advantage to people when they are sick. It isn't free of course because we pay in taxation instead. Also, we have a constant debate about which drugs are too expensive to be used and see people on tv with cancer saying they have been refused drugs that cost tens of thousands of pounds a year, but would save their lives. Somehow, I doubt they really would save them. Drug companies can charge astronomical fees for some products. European health care is better than ours by far, but their tax levels are huge. They do rate as happier than we do though, with a much higher self reported sense of wellbeing.
Interesting...I do health care policy analyst for the government here in the U.S. Not long ago, I met with some officials from the NHS on the other side of the pond. These people were pretty high up and the funniest part of the meeting was that they just couldn't grasp how everyone in the U.S. couldn't have some sort of basic health care coverage. They kept throwing out scenarios and we kept explaining that some people literally have to sell their home or file for bankruptcy because of medical bills they've racked up. The NHS officials admitted that they were shocked to learn just how bad it was here.
The problem here in the U.S. (IMO) is that we already have socialized health care which we pay for via taxation - it's called Medicare & Medicaid but the system is so bass-ackwards because it doesn't kick in until you're REALLY sick and REALLY poor. And you usually get really sick because you've lacked basic health care from the beginning. So, in the end, we end up spending more money and have worse health care outcomes. In addition, we now have a huge problem with college students and young adults lacking insurance. Even something as mundane as a broken leg or acute illness like appendicitis can put you into financial ruin at a very young age. Also, the hospitals are constantly writing off costs (uncompensated care) and then passing those costs onto those of us with insurance. Even if you have insurance, you always have out-of-pocket costs that can run upwards of several thousand dollars. So, some people say, "I have health insurance, but I can't afford to use it." Finally, there's the whole issue of end-of-life care. An estimated 25% of ALL Medicare expenditures are for people in their last year of life. That indicates that people are getting lots of really expensive treatment and still not living any longer.
Unfortunately, both the UK and USA have fallen prey to drug lobbyists - drug companies in both countries charge huge fees for drugs that really aren't any better than the cheap generic medications developed 50 years ago and proven time and time again to successfully treat conditions. And because the drug companies are sometimes in bed with doctors, you have to be very careful when a physician hands you a free packet of some new drug or recommends that you try a drug for a condition that really isn't bothering you. He/she might be getting a free trip to Hawaii because they're passing out some new pill.
The US has done some wonderful things with medical research and technology, but we've failed miserably at providing basic health care to all citizens. I do think we're reaching a tipping point where something has to be done to provide basic coverage to every citizen. I'm currently reading Tom Daschle's new book (Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis). He was recently appointed Secretary of HHS and he has some interesting ideas for fixing our health care system. I really think it could happen this time around.
And to bring this back to cycling, the US has to come together as a nation to take some personal responsibility for our health. So many of the chronic conditions (type 2 diabetes, heart disease, etc) are the result of people taking horrible care of themselves (not exercising, eating bad food). Obesity here is rampant. So much of this could be solved if people just got out of their cars and biked!!
Just curious, but do you think in the UK that people take better care of themselves because of the perception that they might not be able to get health care when they need it? Do you think there's a greater personal responsibility for maintaining good health?