[ExI] Health care discussion

[painlord2k at libero.it]

Il 12/05/2009 14.02, Stathis Papaioannou ha scritto:

> The article mentions that the Canadian public health care system is
> amongst the most expensive in the world, but in absolute terms, the
> total amount spent on health care in the US (public plus private) is
> something like double anywhere else in the developed world. And
> despite waiting lists etc. the Canadians live longer than Americans
> do.

The Canadians have not the same ethnic/social composition of the US, so 
they could live longer for genetic reasons.
The Canadians are prohibited to pay for additional healthcare or they 
forfeited the public healthcare, so it is understandable they spend less 
on healthcare than the US; but there are so many clinics under the 
border in the US serving Canadians clients.
Then, healthcare is only partially responsible of life length of people.
Better food, sanitation, lower crime, etc. can have an effect.
Hail Mary treatments are much more diffused in the US than in socialized 
healthcare systems.
50% of healthcare costs happen during the last one-two years of life.
US healthcare is not so government-intervention-independent. It is 
heavily regulated.

> This is not to say that there aren't problems with the Canadian or any
> health care system, or any other enterprise, public or private, for
> that matter. Observing where one country or company does it better
> than another is how improvements are made.

And competition is because they are done.

Mirco
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