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Getting somebody's ears pierced is comestic and not required for any medical reason. I have no doubt in Spain that you would have to take a number to get that done. BTW, my sister stuck an ice cube behind my ear lobes, took a sewing needle and pierced both my lobes for free.
Getting somebody's ears pierced is comestic and not required for any medical reason. I have no doubt in Spain that you would have to take a number to get that done. BTW, my sister stuck an ice cube behind my ear lobes, took a sewing needle and pierced both my lobes for free.
yeah we did that too, bad idea tho, you can get infections and cysts, but who cares, its free... the piercing stuff in Spain was among other patients tho...they were there for other reasons...all the waiting took place on foot too... maybe Dr. Death had the answer, experimentation on the masses, I feel for the Swedes too....dont know too many countries that Id be all that envious of to adopt their ideas but Im not that familiar with many, we were on the hydrofoil on the Straits of Gibraltar going to Morocco, Tangiers, and gal got hurt on a camel while we there and they had to medevac her all the way Madrid, so I dont know... must be tough all over ...
See this is the point actually. Let's say you just think our health care system is better, slightly better, somewhat better, etc. than France's system (try not mincing every word here). Let's narrow it down. What do you like here that is better????? That we are not socialists. Its just an argument and if that is your interest regarding health care, that is fine too. But, lets be honest here. Some like to argue and some might like to reform health care in the U.S. and we might be able to incorporate things that have worked in other countries.
If you are addressng me, I would have to answer that each system has its good and bad points. I have had exeperience with both health systems. But the two countries differ in so many ways that any overall comparisons should be taken with a good deal of skepticism.
I was addressing you yeledaf in a way, but actually it was a broader question to anyone. you (in the broad sense) have been asked now four or five times to point out something you like about the U.S. healthcare system and you (in the broad sense) largely do not respond. I am not asking you to compare any countries. I am not asking you to tell me what you like about France, etc. One person has actually responded to my question and I do appreciate that because that seems to be to me what is lacking in the overall controversy over our healthcare. I have seldomly if ever heard any proponent of our healthcare actually mention specifics about what they like-it is always some general comment like we have the greatest healthcare in the world. Okay....but what about it is good. I don't think really you (in the broad sense) can speak to one thing in particular. It always comes back to something like its not France's healthcare, or Spain's healthcare, or whatever. To me, it makes these arguments a worthless waste of time and energy.
We can always improve something. Let's not actually take some other country's idea and use it. people in the world don't hate us because we are "beautiful" (insert here any other stupid word you want). I would venture to say it might rest somewhat on the fact that we can be a very smug people.
I was addressing you yeledaf in a way, but actually it was a broader question to anyone. you (in the broad sense) have been asked now four or five times to point out something you like about the U.S. healthcare system and you (in the broad sense) largely do not respond. I am not asking you to compare any countries. I am not asking you to tell me what you like about France, etc. One person has actually responded to my question and I do appreciate that because that seems to be to me what is lacking in the overall controversy over our healthcare. I have seldomly if ever heard any proponent of our healthcare actually mention specifics about what they like-it is always some general comment like we have the greatest healthcare in the world. Okay....but what about it is good. I don't think really you (in the broad sense) can speak to one thing in particular. It always comes back to something like its not France's healthcare, or Spain's healthcare, or whatever. To me, it makes these arguments a worthless waste of time and energy.
If you have reviewed this thread, you will note that I commented at length on my father's aortal resection, which was performed on him in 1975 at a medium-sized hospital in a medium-sized American city, and which prolonged his life for 15 years. The purpose of my relating this episode was to point out how advanced treatment of this kind was widely available over thirty years ago in the US to very ordinary people of modest means (my father's surgery was covered to a large degree by Medicare). I have personally received outstanding treatment of a visual disorder which in the past may have consigned me to a total loss of vision, but my prognosis now is excellent, owing to recent advances in therapy developed in the US. I mention these two as personal examples of what I consider to be something which I like very much about the US healthcare system (and which the rest of the world admires and benefits from, as well): namely, the tremendous strides in techniques of prevention and treatment which the level of medical research conducted in this country have made possible. It is doubtful whether such strides would have been made were the US medical establishment to pattern itself after some other models. Note that I did not say "impossible"; I said "doubtful", and certainly open to debate. Nowhere in this thread -- to which I have contrbuted numerous posts -- have I claimed that the US healthcare system is perfect, or "the best in the world" (though other posters claimed that I have); no one with my perspective would claim such a thing. Nor have I disparaged other nations' systems -- having been a beneficiary of hospital care in several other countries, I have some first-hand knowledge of conditions elsewhere). What I have argued is that the study cited in the OP seemingly ignored a public-health disaster in France yet rewarded that nation's system with a first-place ranking; and that the study needs to be taken with some skepticism owing to the statistical and methodological problems which face any generalized study of a population and healthcare system as vast and diverse as that of the United States.
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We can always improve something. Let's not actually take some other country's idea and use it. people in the world don't hate us because we are "beautiful" (insert here any other stupid word you want). I would venture to say it might rest somewhat on the fact that we can be a very smug people.
I agree wholeheartedly that we can always improve. However, having traveled extensively overseas and lived for considerable periods of time in several countries, I do not agree that people in the world "hate" us, any more than we "hate" them.
Thank you for your fair question and positive approach. I hope I have given you a fair response.
Thanks for your response yeledaf. I think your post makes some of my points. From the non-medical world I live in, an aortic resection is for an extreme reason like an anuerysm or calicification that is pronounced, so clearly, this was done to extend your father's life and it succeeded. as I said, we do these more rare and extreme procedures (like heart-lung transplants) and do them well. again, however, statistically, their numbers are quite small. I am not saying we should not do them, but rather, we should look at a bigger picture. One might argue that calcification could be prevented and with early intervention and prevention, so a procedure like an aortic resection might never be required.
My concern is that there are large numbers of people who need intervention at an earlier point and don't get it for a variety of reasons to include no insurance and/or no money to pay for the help. There are many seniors who are between 60 and 65 right now who are forgoing very important preventive procedures like colonoscopies in the hopes that they can wait until they get on medicare. In that five year period, polyps are turning to cancer and killing them. In my mind, they shouldn't have to wait.
Diabetes is another huge problem where people are forgoing life saving and life extending medications early on due to no insurance and/or no money. Diabetes is a silent killer and it will take your life by inches. So, forego treatment now and end up a double amputee in years to come. It is far cheaper for us as a nation to pay for early treatment and even prevention up front.
This is all I am saying. We do not do that well and no one can convice me otherwise. We need a comprehensive health care plan and our fear that we might somehow look or act like socialists should not be a reason we don't explore all the alternatives. I realize that the populations of these other countries (France, Spain, The Netherlands, etc.) is very small and to transfer or impose their plans on us logically would not work. but, something needs to work. and, something needs to change. Thats all. arguing about statistical sampling, mincing words and winning point by point a never ending argument, is nothing more than that.
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