Politics
Out of context: Reply #6757
- Started
- Last post
- 33,773 Responses
- TheBlueOne0
A couple of points on health care. Now, I'm in favor of some system of nationalized healthcare, or at least some improvement over what we have, because it sucks. But I also know there are no easy answers, and no matter what we end up there will be compromises. But just a few things:
I remember having a conversation with a guy very against any sort of nationalized healthcare, promoting the free market solution. And he said "Do you want the government making your healthcare decisions for you? Do you? You want some bureaucrat somewhere telling you what you can and cannot have? No. You want your doctor to make those decisions."
And I said, "You are absolutely correct. I want my doctor to make those decisions, but right now it seems like the bureaucrat at my insurance company is making those decisions and not my doctor."
He kinda just grunted at that.
--------------------------------...
Admission, my wife is a Japanese born doctor.Under the current system here in America, some doctors are going out of certain critical medical fields because of insane malpractice insurance fees.
In Japan, which is a nationalized health care system, doctors are leaving certain critical areas because not only are they held accountable civilly for potential malpractice or negligence, but are also held CRIMINALLY responsible a priori. Thus Japan has a giant dearth of OBGYN's and surgeons, lot's of primary care though.
Doctors in Japan also make considerably less than they do here, although it is a good salary. Doctors also work far harder in Japan with less support staff for clerical and medical follow up.
My wife thinks Japan is a better system for some things (primary care, geriatrics, etc...) and not so good for other things (trauma, OBGYN, cardiology...). She does feel though that doctors in Japan are more involved with patients and devote more time to them overall - now is this because of the culture or the medical system? Don't know..maybe both.
---------------------------
Anyway, whatever we have here in the States is just not working. It's bankrupting too many people, and too many people aren't getting even the primary care they need. How do we address this? How do we fix this? Is the right to health a right that falls under the "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?"