What If Other Countries Spent on Health At US Levels?

by: Daniel De Groot

Sat Aug 15, 2009 at 14:30

See the dirty secret here is that Canada has historically been notably less wealthy than the US (Nationmaster lists the US at $6K higher in GDP per capita for 2006) and there was always an element of apples to oranges in comparing our systems.  We have fewer MRIs?  Well, duh.  Of course America should have had the better system, and at the upper end of the income spectrum, they probably do.  The fact that we're ahead at all is itself an indication of how broken the US model is.

So let's transmogrify those oranges into apples, and get some idea what it would mean to implement US level health spending within other systems.  US health care reform opponents have recently moved from bashing Canada to the UK's NHS, but the same sort of disparity applies.  In 2006, the UK spent about US$192B (8.2% of GDP) on health care, based on an economy that generated $39K per capita.  America spent $2 trillion (15.3%) based on an economy that generated $44K per capita.  The Brits too, spent less of their national income on health care, but that income is proportionally smaller too.  Let's adjust both dials and see what we get.

Angry Britons flood Twitter with defenses of their NHS

by: sTiVo

Thu Aug 13, 2009 at 14:38

Knowledge of this needs to go viral here.  Much more effective than the defensive "no one's proposing that here".

Why, unlike most of Open Left's posters, I support socialized medicine.

by: just john

Tue Aug 11, 2009 at 14:32

Here's three reasons I support socialized medicine:

1) People in developed nations that have socialized medicine tend to live longer than we do.

2) Plus, they have better infant mortality numbers than we do.

3) And the reason that wasn't even on my radar until this summer:  With socialized medicine, there's no place for a health insurance industry.  And I'm SICK AND TIRED OF OUR HEALTH INSURANCE INDUSTRY!  They're in the business of keeping us scared.  And every bogeyman they raise about the Obama/Dems' plans -- rationing of health care, "death panels," etc. -- our health insurance industry is already doing!  Plus, they're financing the organizing of those town hall hooligans.

There.  Rant over.  Now back to your other posters, who prefer something else.  (And I will admit, ANY health care reform will beat doing nothing.)

Openleft and Single Payer

by: HousesofProgress

Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 14:02

There have been, and will be posts here on openleft, that call for real pressure, strong pressure, on the drive to 'reform' our healthcare system, and what that 'reform' should be.

 But there have been no diaries, the frontpage thrust of the debate here at openleft is on the economy, the debates and calls to action, such as the necessary calls to primary those who stand ion the way on necessary legistation are on jobs and laws. There are calls to organize around accuracy in reporting, the history of progressives and Keysian economic plans, calls to reinstate civil rights protection and a threatening survielance society.

 But the debate on healthcare is lacking.

That is a shame. This is the time for 'economic, jobs and worker rights progressives' to listen closely to what  'health progressives' are saying, have been saying, will be saying louder and louder in the months and years to come.

 The opportunity, the responsibility, right now to act desicively is greater than at any other time in our history. The ongoing lurch of history will beging to have turbulence, the debates about other significant issues will heat up, the situations in other crisis will press for attention. Right NOW is the time.