France spends 2/3 what we do per capita on healthcare and has better health results. The UN World Health Organization ranked France's system #1 and the U.S.'s #37 in 2000. And France spends the MOST after the U.S. Canada spends around $2,000 per capita (covering everyone). We spend around $4,000 per capita (but not covering everyone). Oh, and the U.S. government already pays half our healthcare. The discussion is about the other half.
It's true, U.S. consumers are the drug companies' favorite marks, we're divided, negotiating prices in small groups or individually. The action these other countries take is to deal with the drug companies as one big buyer, or, god forbid, produce drugs publicly--or threaten to.
On doctor salaries, she's confusing a health service (docs are state employees) with a single payer system. In other single-payer systems (Canada's) the docs band together and negotiate themselves a nice old deal with the gov't. (Doctors struck in Saskatchewan when the first single-payer system in the mid-60's went through there, the strike was broken by physicians from the UK, where, certainly, they're paid less than US doctors but also saw the beauty of not having to practice medicine based on 'can my patient afford this scrip?') Doctors want to leave the U.S.? And go where? Everywhere else with electricity and running water spends less and has some form of universal health care--the U.S. is the only holdout. If they want to leave medicine altogether cause it's not lucrative enough, well I don't want those types deciding my cancer treatment, do you?
As for fraud, much of this insurance company 'fraud fighting' consists of denying our claims when we're sick. Administration of Medicare--which also fights fraud--stands at 3%; while private insurance skims 15-25% off the top for profits, paperwork, exec. salaries and acquisitions. It's worth noting that U.S. costs for healthcare are also hidden in our car insurance, workers compensation premiums, and medical malpractice insurance, the entire medical portions of which would be unnecessary in a universal system. Most people sue to pay for the health care they need after the car crash/job injury/medical malpractice.
For a nice funding proposal for National Health Insurance in the U.S., see the Labor Party's plan at www.justhealthcare.org It includes funding for a 'just transition' for displaced ins. co. workers.
Jenny Brown co-chair, Alachua County Labor Party 1720 NE 75th St. Gainesville, FL 32641 USA