what kind of healthcare would be the best?

[kappa273]

This question has been seriously discussed and no pure solution could be found.

What kind of healthcare is the best?
socialized or capitalist healthcare... ( i am not sure about the term capitalist, so allow me explanation)...

socialized is the type of healthcare where the government provides the management of the care in return for taxes.. this is the kind of services available in Europe and Canada. if u r a citizen, then u will be treated...

this in contrast to the other kind available in the US as well as Lebanon where hospitals are providing a service in return for fees.

what are the pros and cons of each?
1) socialized: all the population are equally treated. the poor population is taken care of and in the face of disease, there are no first and second degree citizens.

however, since the resources allocated for ministries of health are always scarce, the level of healthcare is not to the level. for example, an MRI may take 3-4weeks waiting time on the average in Canada (out of experience from patients).
waiting time for open heart surgery may be several weeks in canada. in the UK, you cannot get dialyzed if u r past a certain age. screening colonoscopy is not widespread in europe since applying it will cost the governments a huge increase in expenses...

2) capitalist medicine: breakthrough technology. all in all, it is the best care money can buy. the newest machines, the most experienced physicians, etc... etc.. etc... etc...
on the other hand, it is simply not fair. for example in the US, it is estimated that 40 million persons don't have insurance...

of course, these 2 examples are extreme and they are not even purely applied in the US or Europe. for example, in Europe there are private clinics and in the USA, there are programs like Medicare and Medicaid..

what do u think should be a good system?

kappa

[GMA forever]

Great thread Kappa, this is a very complicated issue you hit here.

I am against the "socialised" health care, as it is in most european countries, because, as you said the level is not up to the standards, and it is unfair for the people who pay high taxes and high heath care fees, and get the same "low level" medecine as the people who don't pay taxes at all, or pay just a small amount.

I would like to give an example here, in most european countries, if your income is over 4000 euros, you pay over 50% taxes and healthcare fees. what you get in return is the same "low level" medical care as the people who are jobless (don't pay any taxes and any healthcare fees) or have a salary of about 1000 euros a month (they pay just 100 euros for taxes and healthcare fees). This is really unfair, because, I don't mind for the low income people to get the best healthcare if the government can afford it, but to oblige the high income people to get the "low level" one when they pay so much taxes and healthcare fees, and they can get private "best level" medical care for half of what they pay is a crime in my opinion.

That's why I have to go with the "capitalist" healthcare system, but as long as some sort of help for the real needy people is provided, that way each one can afford the health care according to his abilities.

[LebanesePride]

A balance has to be created.

Those who think extreme socialism in healthcare is the solution are very wrong.

Everyone will have equal, but crappy healthcare. And its not just that. Itll also hold back research and development, and therefore ultimately reduce the level of healthcare for everyone.

Some level of healthcare must be accessible to everyone, just like education. But to think everyone can have the same level of either would be counterproductive for everyone.

[GeaGea SkyWalkeR]

A socialist style healthcare system mixed with a capitalist one,

Australia is sort of like that. If you cant afford private health care, Then use the government funded medicare health options,

[dandann]

I think a structured and regulated "capitalist" (for lack of a better term) health care system is the way to go.

In the US (the most typical model of a capitalist health care system), major issues affect the system due to lack of regulation.
There's defenitely alot of unfairness. Many people have no insurance and some of them are not even eligible for medicare/medicaid. Those people end up in emergency rooms, for a medical problem that could have been resolved in a doctor's office, thus further burdening the already crowded ER's. In addition, when they get admitted to a hospital, the hospital bills the patient. But in view of the ridiculously expensive medical care, the un-insured patient does'nt pay, and the hospital ends up paying for the care. So to compensate for that, the hospital raises even more the price of medical care for the insured patients. Which drives private insurances to become even more selective in who to insure, which creates more un-insured people....

Add to that the issue of malpractice. Doctors in the US get sued sometimes for the most ridiculous of reasons. In order to avoid getting sued, the doctor ends up ordering more unnecessary tests (defensive medicine), which contribute more to raising the costs of medical care.

Even worse are the prices of some drugs. While in some European countries the prices of some drugs are regulated by the government, this does'nt exist in the US. As an example the treatment of one patient with metastatic colon cancer can cost upto 50,000 dollars.

Despite all that,I think if those issues are regulated and controlled, thus lowering significantly the costs of health care, the capitalist model will be able to work well and help most of the population in a very timely and organized fashion.