> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of jon louis mann > Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 3:26 PM > To: Killer Bs Discussion > Subject: U.S. health care > > dan, are you certain only 15% of americans lack health care coverage?
The number's I've seen quoted are in the high 40s of million. I was rounding to the nearest 5% when I said that. If you look at a website that advocates insuring these people: http://www.nchc.org/facts/coverage.shtml They quote nearly 47 million. With slightly over 300 million people in the US, this comes close to 15.5%..maybe 15.6%. I'll accept 16% as slightly more accurate, but I don't think my rounding to 15% vs. their rounding to 16% is worth quibbling over. . > do you believe a single payer system would reduce costs effectively? Well, I do know that the present system is, in many ways, the worst of both worlds. It's a mess. It should be very possible to construct a single payer system that's better. > > i agree that red tape is a bureaucratic nightmare and poor health > habits contribute to the problem, even if there was available primary > care. i have a friend who has excellent insurance and refuses to see a > doctor. i don't know the solution. > do you have any suggestions how to reduce escalating costs from the > legal system, without increasing the amount of malpractice. i was a > victim, myself and was intimidated from seeking redress. The obvious recourse that would be available would be to let medical review panels handle complaints (I think most other countries do this)..I know it's much harder and riskier to sue in Great Britain. > what can be done about prolonging life when death is inevitable? in my > brother's case, the doctors asked me to sign in order to remove him > from life support and i refused. that was 10 years ago, my brother's > liver recuperated and he recently completed interferon treatment for > hepatitis c. fortunately he lives in hawaii, which has an excellent > health care system. he is a lifelong alcoholic and is only off the > sauce when he is on probation or institutionalized. if was anyone but > my brother i might say pull the plug. >From what I understand, the US is unique in that hospitals and physicians worry about the consequences of using their best medical judgment. From what my physician friend in the UK told me, your brother would not have been a candidate for intensive care in Great Britain. That saves money. So, I don't think a system more like other Western systems would be likely to spend money on someone in your brother's conditions. Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
