To The Single-Payer Advocates (spokeswoman, health care, Canada, Obama)

[Motion]

The AMA says there is still 1,300 people waiting more than 500 days for an operation.

Council spokeswoman Karen Carey-Hazell says the public would deal better with the truth.

"What we really need are politicians who are open and honest about the fact that we need rationing, about what is deliverable so that people can decide how the rationing should be applied," she said. "

Council attacks WA waiting lists - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

How do you propose avoiding these situations if America adopted a single payer system? Australia has a single payer system. There example should indicate single payer's potential problems for us.

[saganista]

There aren't any systems with no problems. There are a lot of systems with fewer problems than the one we currently have. Virtually every other developed country has one. This is why we pay about double what they do and still receive some of the worst overall health care of any of them. Our current system isn't sustainable. If we kept it in the long run, health care costs would simply swallow the economy. The current system is doomed. We don't have a choice but to shift to a different one. The only choice is in deciding which one it should be. Bush did nothing. Obama has put the issue front and center where it should have been years ago. Single-payer offers advantages in terms of coverage, cost, and overhead that are difficult to ignore. But if you have a better idea, do let us know what that might be...

[KevK]

Originally Posted by Motion

How do you propose avoiding these situations if America adopted a single payer system? Australia has a single payer system. There example should indicate single payer's potential problems for us.

The Health Consumers Council is angry the Government has admitted it can no longer contain elective surgery waiting lists.

Last December Premier Geoff Gallop announced a $10 million solution to reduce the waiting lists for elective surgery.

You do know the meanning of "elective surgery" I assume.

[Motion]

Originally Posted by KevK

The Health Consumers Council is angry the Government has admitted it can no longer contain elective surgery waiting lists.

Last December Premier Geoff Gallop announced a $10 million solution to reduce the waiting lists for elective surgery.

You do know the meanning of "elective surgery" I assume.

Well looking at another single-payer system in Canada they are having issues with urgent surgeries. I think these types of problems with single payer would be even worse for America because of our larger population. We'll simply have more people on waiting list.


"However, council CEO Dr. Ben Chan says half of Ontario cancer patients who need urgent surgery have to about twice as long as is medically acceptable... "

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/06/09/cancer-wait-times.html

[Motion]

Originally Posted by saganista

But if you have a better idea, do let us know what that might be...

If Obama is open to it I hope he considers the most reasonable sounding views of those who advocate for non or less gov't approaches to healthcare reforms. Such as the views of people at the Cato institute for example. It's obvious now that a gov't or public plan can't be afforded. These gov't run UHC systems are more complicated to fund and manage than many Americans realize. Just read up on them from Canadian,UK and Australian news sources.

[odanny]

If you have to wait an extra three months to get a hemorrhoid removed, so be it. Surgeries will be classed on a necessity basis, and those needing life saving procedures could now get them, without knowing they will be broke without any insurance without coverage, thereby increasing survival rates.

I'm all about prioritizing, and making universal healthcare a reality.

[Motion]

Is anyone open to the idea of health-status insurance?

The Health-Status Insurance Solution: How free markets can provide health security - Reason Magazine

[HubbleRules]

Originally Posted by Motion

How do you propose avoiding these situations if America adopted a single payer system? Australia has a single payer system. There example should indicate single payer's potential problems for us.

Watch this in-depth analysis of UHC world-wide by Frontline...

They do NOT come to the same doom-and-gloom predictions you quoted..

BTW - the AMA is firmly against UHC for profit reasons...

news + public affairs player: video

[Motion]

^
I've seen some of those. Maybe Switzerland will be a better model for us. It's the most market oriented of the UHC systems. Trying to keep healthcare costs cheap the way Japan does as pointed out has caused 50% of their hospitals to have deficit problems.

[Motion]

The situation is still dire.

"We have huge numbers of very sick patients essentially left behind in hallways and on ambulance stretchers for long periods of time," said Innes.

"And across the country, in every major Canadian city, in every large urban emergency room, you have patients who are deteriorating or having adverse events as a result of these delays to care..."

CTV.ca | Wait times only the tip of health problems: doctors

I'am just not seeing single-payer as America's solution.