Why is the USA the only major western economy that doesn't have universal health care?

[birdie1971]

Why do so many quintessential middle Americans find the idea of a United States style NHS so objectionable?

[Clanad]

Interesting post slaney... a point to ponder though... (there are problems with American health system, no doubt) is one of th emajor costs imposed on the public is neither self-imposed nor governement imposed (in a way) that being the amazingly high costs of malpractice awards here. Example; a patient sued a doctor and hospital for leaving the proverbial "sponge" in following a minor, elective operation. The mistake was found by the doctor and rectified within hours but the patient (guided by a lawyer who received 75% of the final award) continued with the suit anyway. The patient was awarded $2.2 million dollars for the "mental anguish" he supposedly suffered.

I ahve a son-in-law who is a General Surgeon... he spends $127,000 yearly for malpractice insurance and he's never been the subjected to any lawsuit for any purpose.

If our beloved government would simply pass one more law... designed to prevent such abuse, our health care costs could be reduced by 25% yearly, by most estimates. Those who have suffered true malpractice should be compensated of course, but usually a suit will be brought forward to the insurance company for the hospital and/or doctor for say a paltry sum of perhaps $80,000. The insurance company will negotiate that sum down to maybe $50,000 and pay it with no further fight simply because to do so would cost more than that sum. Goes on all the time.
Reason the U.S. government (both political parties) are reluctant to pass such badly needed laws is the tremendous sums invested by the attornies as political donations each year. They don't want to damage that cash cow... (rant over)...

[Clanad]

Well... rant almost over... one last thing... due to the tremendous risk posed by frivolous malpractice suits and answering slaney's suggestion the U.S. patient may not be getting good value is the fact that doctors and hospitals will perform many largely uneeded tests just to protect themselves from accusation that they didn't do enoughfor th epatient... andding mulitple millions of unecessary dollars to the costs...

[slaney]

Clanad, the practice of doing extra tests just to cover yourself from malpractice is widespread in the NHS as well - no one wants to be sued, so I suspect that's not the reason for extra costs. You may well have higher administrative charges.
I don't wish to knock American healthcare, which has some first rate services and a history of excellent innovation with rigorous evaluation, but from this side of the pond it seems somewhat inequitable.

Sqad - we've had this discussion before..
http://www.theanswerb...2.html#answer-5790863
... the results especially for breast cancer are now on a par with those in France.
On a cold day like today, however I could be persuaded to go to live in sunnier climes!

[Sqad]

slaney....LOL...we have indeed.

Don't know about France, but UK is still well down in the European cancer survival rates...........although improving!

The US beats all the world countries in cancer survival rates.

Over investigating has always been aimed at our friends over the Atlantic, but might i add that this is responsible for the superb cancer survival rates.

Under investigating could be levelled at the UK, but in my opinion this is forced upon them by lack of hospital facilities and could this state of affairs be reflected in the poor cancer survival rates?

[Andyvon]

There is more money spent per patient in the USA than in all other nations with a national healthcare system. The reason? As patients or insurers are willing to pay, US doctors prescribe unnecessary treatments and medication simply to keep the pennies rolling in - to their own pockets!

How can the USA spend trillions of dollars operating huge aircraft carriers, a global fleet of submarines, B2 bombers, a space programme etc - and completely ignore the medical or social welfare of their own people? It's seems that people will only recieve treatment if they pay. If they can't afford healthcare or don't have a job - tough! That's their own fault! The US then talks about Freedom with a capital 'F'! Freedom to live on the streets it seems and the freedom of 50 million people to have no access to healthcare!

Let's pray we never sink to that heartless level here.

[VoiceofReason]

The US has the most expensive health system in the world and yet...life expectancy is lower and infant mortality higher than most western countries. Also health prevention is poor and chronic disease care is very poor.

[VoiceofReason]

Mind you Andyvon you could point that accusation more at China and India where spending on the military and space programs takes precident over the millions of poor.

[Andyvon]

True VoiceofReason, but they don't profess to be pinnacles of Freedom and the social models that the rest of the world should strive to attain. The US tells everyone how great the US system is - but only for the 1% of the population who own 25% of the wealth.