Health care as a national value

A country's approach to health care reflects its national values. Germany subscribed to universal health care over a century ago. England, Canada, and most Scandinavian countries followed suit. These governments consider health a public good, and manage it with a strong hand:

----Financing is supported through various forms of taxation and the government either runs health insurance or heavily regulates it.
----Health costs are controlled as a matter of public policy. This may be through price controls, limits on new technology, and fixed budgets

The United States has never made health care an obligation of the federal government. Instead, it is a free market service that has grown into the largest segment of the American economy. That is why health care reform is so contentious. Any change threatens job, profits and investment portfolios. Only a revolutionary public mandate can change these dynamics.

Even if the U.S. adopts the policies of other nations, it may not be enough. Most developed countries have failed to "bend the curve" of medical inflation. The reason is that no one has a system that will deliver consistent, cost-effective, patient-centered care.

That "Nobel prize" in medical economics is still up for grabs.

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We must provide health care. Surely we are a smart enough country to find a way. Surely all of us have friends who struggle with no health care - how can we turn our backs? Bake sales are not enough. Capitalism is already a mix of controls - don't let greed win here.

Posted by: jhogg | October 21, 2009 8:31 PM
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"Most developed countries have failed to "bend the curve" of medical inflation."

You may find the following interesting:

http://www.cepr.net/calculators/iousadeficit/calc_iousa_deficit.html

Posted by: lensch | October 21, 2009 4:21 PM
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Health care as a national value

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