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even if you're right, and american companies are mostly responsible for inventing the lions-share of the drugs on the market (btw, many american invented drugs are still manufactured overseas anyway) then tell me why americans are routinely paying b/t 30 and 60% more for the exact same meds than Canadians and many europeans and australians are???????? Why is Zetia $3 / pill in the US with no generic available and $1/pill in Canada with generic available. The reason is because the US system allows for price gouging of the american consumer.
the Oz/Canadian & euro governments heavily subsidizes drugs.
If you look at the top medical centers and who comes there for seriopus surgery from foreign conutries that tells alot also. Afterall ;you can go to mexico and have all the treatment you want cheaper. Buit at the same time dentist and doctors still go to mexico to do volunterr work very year for free because the people there can no0t afford it so often. its takes funding to do 70% of the mnedaicl reaserch including medcines in the world.Many epope however want to joi a insurance at teh time they need surgery or other high cosy medciaol and noinsurnace which is a pool woirks that way.
the Oz/Canadian & euro governments heavily subsidizes drugs.
Yes, in a lot of cases drugs are free to patients in countries which have universal health care, but the governments make sure they are not getting overcharged by drug companies by having only one buying agency who make the drug companies compete on price.
Of course one drug company did state it would take the government to court, only one problem with that, parliament is the highest court in the land and can pass what ever laws it likes, the will of the peoples representatives etc.
You can always find an example that can make any system in the world look bad. I can counter by telling you that there are many cases like this lady that were resolved under our system. I can also tell yo that there are people from so many countries that fly to our country to take care of their problems. Canadians do cross the border to us to take care of their problems.
I will venture to guess you post this because you have a biased on our medical system.
There are many examples like her that someone simply did further research and found programs whether they be government or non-profit organizations that have helped.
To make sure my words are not spinned, I am not saying we have the best system in the world, we may not, we may need to improve it.
You have a great day.
El Amigo
Yes, we can always find an example that will make our health care system in the U.S. look bad; it's because it IS bad. I'm sorry, but companies, employees and self-employed pay their premiums faithfully for years and then when it's time to actually use the benefits, they are either cut-off, denied, or just cancelled - period.
why don't the insular american'ts who responded deal with the pertinent question raised by the OP?
there is no reason on earth why a surgery needs to be twice as expensive, well, actually the surgery is even more inexpensive since the cost of half is also including flight down etc.
do you american'ts actually think the care you're getting is twice as good? do you really think New Zealand is some 3rd world backwater?
do you guys realise all prescriptions in England are about $12? name brand, generic, whatever they're for, heart meds, cancer meds, blood meds, they're all $12 dollars. Here I just spent $122 on inhaler , couldn't get another prescription filled as that was only $237 for a one month supply.
right now there are dozens of meds available in Canada and Europe in generic form, these same meds are not going to be available in generic form in the US for 3-6 years. It's time to wake up and stop defending the corporations. And Mr. Hope and Change isn't any better, he just met behind closed doors with the pharmacutical industry and extended the patent protection time from 7 years to 12. How is this going to lessen the cost of meds in amerika?
most of our problems come from the government itself. specificly the FDA
what type of inhaler,,you can get the generic abuteral inhaler here in the USA for about $4,,,,on the other hand if it is like 'pro-air' it is currently very expenstive because the FDA wont allow a generic to be made (the give the initial manufacturer (ie brandname) the rights to it for 5 years before a generic can be made, then the original has first dibs on the generic...
plus here in the USA the government REGULATES what can be used...ie """They have traditionally used chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to “propel” the albuterol into the lungs. But now, , hydroflouroalkane (HFA), has been created to replace CFCs, and will become the required standard for all inhalers starting in 2009."""
I reciently had back surgery (was injured in Iraq back in 2003) when I got home in 2003 here in the USA we were still doing "fusing" of the vertibra,,,in europe that have been doing actualy DISC REPLACEMENT for the last 25 years...finally in November of 2004 the FDA allowed for "testing" the the replacement surgery....I had my disc replaced in Jan 2007, feel 10 years younger
I doubt very few people understand just how much goes into the final cost of any product. Anyone who says "an inhaler should just cost a few bucks" has never owned or operated a business. It is an ignorant and uninformed statement.
How obscene only 1 Ozzie hospital made it to this top 100 World Hospital rankings and 1 more made it in the 100-200 range. I thought Aussie hospitals would be better represented. Of course, no kiwi hospital made it in top 200.
World Hospitals' ranking on the Web: Top 1000 World Ranking (http://hospitals.webometrics.info/top1000.asp?offset=0 - broken link)
Yes, we can always find an example that will make our health care system in the U.S. look bad; it's because it IS bad. I'm sorry, but companies, employees and self-employed pay their premiums faithfully for years and then when it's time to actually use the benefits, they are either cut-off, denied, or just cancelled - period.
And just as there are bad examples you provide there are lots of examples where people do benefit.
I do not think it is bad as you claim. I will say the system has flaws, nothing is perfect so we can improve it.
I doubt very few people understand just how much goes into the final cost of any product. Anyone who says "an inhaler should just cost a few bucks" has never owned or operated a business. It is an ignorant and uninformed statement.
Ditto to that!!!!
You have a great day.
El Amigo
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