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^^^ The statistic is misleading. Maybe apply to people IN treatment, but here are many people that don't go to the doctors and don't get a treatment because they cannot afford it...
Or you think all those people without or limited health insurance are paying for cancer treatment out of pocket??
From the above article:
"When mortality rates are restricted only to patients under 65, the US loses its lead – we are right in the middle. Only when we compare mortality rates among patients over 65 do we excel among our peers. Why? Possibly because Medicare gives older Americans the health care access they lacked when younger."
America does offer the world’s best cancer care, but only to patients with access to that care. Sadly, too many Americans are denied this excellent care.
If one reads the article the OP's father actually had wonderful cancer care and it was available to all and not just the rich.
OTOH many persons in the USA even with insurance die from cancer. Often just getting into MD Andersen or Sloane Kettering is like winning the lottery.
The French system is also streets ahead of something the American medical system has been slow to warm up to; providing extensive home and or hospice care. Rather than have to trek into a hospital or facility for say chemo treatments in France nurses and physicians will make house calls. This extends to all sorts of treatments and end of life care as well.
US healthcare system is profit driven in that doctors, hospitals and others are paid for doing things *to you* regardless if required or even will probably work. Care is also often uncoordinated and not centrally supervised so tests such are duplicated, paperwork lost, etc... Of course again doing tests over and over means someone gets a bill.....
OK, how many people are willing to pay hundreds of $$/month in taxes to fund a fabulous system like the French one? Raise your hands.
With all it's faults France's national healthcare scheme is streets ahead of the United States and that includes Obamacare.
So yes, French citizens do pay via taxes but so do Americans one way or another and yet outcomes are still worse on average than in France.
If you need asthma medication in France there is largely only one price and it can often be given away free of charge. In contrast to the USA where even with insurance you'll pay dear to the point children and adults go without because of cost.
The USA is one of the few if only countries that allows drug companies to patent otherwise maintain anti-competitive practices with drugs and or medical devices. This does nothing really but drive up the costs but as one noted upthread everyone has to have their taste. By contrast the French government uses its buying power to negotiate if not set prices. While American cancer patients were going crazy over shortage of cancer medications, France and other EU countries largely had no problems. Now why is that?
With all it's faults France's national healthcare scheme is streets ahead of the United States and that includes Obamacare.
So yes, French citizens do pay via taxes but so do Americans one way or another and yet outcomes are still worse on average than in France.
I was actually being quite serious with my post. I want to see how many people have really thought about this, and are willing to pay for it. Americans are notorious for wanting something for nothing.
I wrote one of my senators, one whose main interest is issues relating to health care, a some years ago when the debate about health care reform/universal insurance was up for national debate and discussion in Congress, and said, "RAISE MY TAXES" to pay for a national health insurance plan. I said whatever it ends up costing couldn't cost more than my current (at that time) individually-purchased insurance. One of his aides later told me that letter got the attention of the senator and the entire office, and got them into a discussion about it.
So I'm the first to raise my hand. How about everyone else?
What's cool about the French system that would make it a good fit in the US is that it's a combination of private insurance and publicly-funded health care. It's more easily replicable in the US than some of the other European systems. Though nothing relating to health care in the US is easy, lol!
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 02-16-2014 at 08:44 PM..
OK, how many people are willing to pay hundreds of $$/month in taxes to fund a fabulous system like the French one? Raise your hands.
People pay hundreds a month for health insurance now.
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