The U.S. has the best healthcare in the world...

[MellowDem]

for other countries that is. Indeed, it is the best healthcare system at helping the rest of the world at the expense of the American people and the American economy.

-It is true that our healthcare system is very very good at research and development, often at the forefront of developing new medical technology or medicine. This can be done because of the massive profits companies can make on our for-profit health system. Who profits from this? Well, everyone really, but it's Americans paying for it by and large.

-Many of the healthcare insurance companies that operate in the US are foriegn owned, and boy, do they love America's privatized healthcare system.

-America's economy is made less competitive because of the extremely high cost of health insurance for companies in the US, which makes it easier for other nations to secure investment.

-Another hit to the American economy is our exceedingly bad health due to poor preventitive policies and 40 million uninsured that are only paid for in the most expensive, least efficient way imaginable.

The rest of the world benefits tremoundously from our current health care system. So the next time a Republican tells you we have the best healthcare in the world, just be sure to finish the sentance for them. We have the best healthcare insurance in the world for the rest of the world.

[panader0]

1. Which of the healthcare insurance companies

are foriegn owned? That is good ammo for my RW buddies.

[stuball111]

2. The CARE is good, it's the insurance system that sucks...

And as a result, like you said, it reflects back on the care....they know that the sicker people are, the more they will have to spend....it's good business to have people scared to go to the doctor or go without insurance....no money in keeping people healthy.....

[EmilyAnne]

3. A fact which must warm the hearts of the Americans who have no access to it. nt

[WeCanWorkItOut]

4. Yes, our system is pretty bad, But still capable of getting worse!

You are quite right, that it's mainly our technology that's good,
not our system as a whole.

It's also true that we have a prevention problem, although
I'm not sure we're really behind the rest of the world in
all respects. We start mammograms at 40 here.
In Japan, in 2003, they started mammograms for women over 50.
In Germany they just started mammograms
for women over 55. And I think they're still pretty
dubious about colonscopies for all.
So we're better about the high-tech prevention.

We could benefit from better heart health outreach.
But who on a national level is talking about that?

The problem is, preventive care can't really help the oldest people.
So it's unfair to simply take from their Medicare benefits.
I think we really are being reckless there. Not to mention callous.