"Leaders from other Countries come to America for Health Care"

[JerryBiscoTrey]

Is this true? I get this as a response alot when debating health care.

If it isnt true are there some sources to prove it or is this just an outright Capitalist myth?

If it is true what are the reasons?

Thanks!

And by other countries i mean countries with socialized medicine!

[DDRsurvivor]

Yes, it is true, check stats for yourself, never take anyone's "word" for anything.

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

Like everything in Amerikkka, there is huge inequalities in the quality of health care you get depending on what you can afford to pay. If you are poor, uninsured, and in an inner city hospital, chances are that no one will really care about you. If you are the King of Saudi Arabia and you come to the Mayo clinic and your entourage spends millions of dollars every time you come, people will care.

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=479282

[L.A.P.]

It's only because in the United States, those with more money get served first while in their countries no one is given special treatment. So anyone who has those arguments are basically admitting that the health care system is for the rich only so they refute themselves.

[DDRsurvivor]

I disagree, the reason why the "poor" are purported to have lesser care is because most of them are in a public program, and public health is horrible, I know, I grew up in that system, now If people had individual choice, they would not allow themselves to be subjected to sub standard care, I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but looking at what I pay in taxes on my coverage is why it is expensive, and also that regulation makes it impossible to compete for lower oal cost, this, I think is on purpose, that way another sector can be socialized, because if were de-regulated the only reason anyone could complain, is because they chose not to be covered. IMO, pre-existing conditions should not exclude anyone from coverage. Playing devil's advocate, FWIW this is my 2 cents. Just check out the NHS, and other programs of similar nature, my step daughter lived in the UK for most her life, it took them 18 months to determine she has asthma, when she was covered by me, she was diagnised THAT day, and had an inhaler the NEXT day. Public employees are very lazy and unresponsive, ever been to the DMV?

[syndicat]

It's a silly argument because no one argues that those with lots of money can't buy excellent medical care in the USA. The problem with the health care system in the USA is:

1. There is a lack of social solidarity in that there are nearly 50 million people who have no health insurance, many who have health insurance still have to pay a large portion of their medical bills themselves, most people who go bankrupt from medical bills had health insurance.

2. The health insurance scheme in the USA is grossly inefficient. It consumes far more of the country's GNP than health insurance systems do in countries with a single payer system. The health insurance companies are parasites. They provide no care. Instead they try to finagle ways of denying coverage because this is how they make a profit. There are hundreds of plans and each has its own claims bureaucracy and hospitals and doctor's offices must have there own bureaucracy to deal with claims. Other things that come out of the premiums are health plan advertising and profits. These things are pure inefficiencies. Plus the health plans are unable to restrain the costs of drug companies, physicians and hospitals. Competition between plans means they don't want to risk loss of a physicians group or hospital form their plan by trying to pay them less. Thus there are no effective controls on costs.

3. Preventative care is ignored even tho this is the most effective way to guard health, by prevention of disease. For one thing, a lot of disease and injury happens due to the way capitalists run their businesses. Speedup leads to stress, which leads to things like heart disease over time. The working class doesn't live as long as the capitalist and bureaucratic classes.

[ʇsıɥɔɹɐuɐ ıɯɐbıɹo]

In Canada we have a province called Newfoundland and Labrador (it's the ugly big one on the East Coast) and their Premier went to Florida for a heart issue.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2510700

So your statement has some truth to it.

[FreeFocus]

It's true, but people arguing this line in debates about health care only provide you with evidence about the unfairness and inequity inherent in the current system. You can get some of the best care in the world in the United States, but if and only if you can afford it.

[Wanted Man]

Leaders from other countries come to Russia to eat caviar. That doesn't mean that every Russian can eat luxury food. Duh.