[merb]

> This is the model many rich country healthcare runs on, and provides measurably better outcomes for less expenditure than the US.

well I'm living in Germany and I agree with that it is cheaper, but "better outcomes"? I do not think so.

I mean in Germany treating Diabetes means taking Insulin for a life long. However newer studies, actually found out that a treatment where the patient should be dieting and starts to do more sport can actually reduce the needed insulin dose or patients can even completely dismiss insulin or are cured from it completely in rare cases. (not a lot of doctors would actually help the patient or even tell them that this would be beneficial to them, hell not even the public health care sector cares)

However the thing is if you can sell Insulin for a life long to somebody who will probably die earlier you make a profit. On multiple fronts. Treating it means that once the person is cured, he will probably live longer, will have less problems and will probably cost the overall system less (but that's not something that should happen).

So basically in "richer" countries the system is equal to the US, it's just more hidden. care system and government are systems that benefit from each other if patients take treatments over a long time and probably have a reduced life-time. i.e. treatment > healing, at least from a business perspective.