| How is that NOT screwed up? I'm amazed at the ways the U.S. healthcare system is so much worse than most of the rest of the world's. I guess there are humungous lobbying efforts and entrenched interests to make it stay the way it is. The caveat being, it also has some of the most advanced medical technology and procedures too, but the day-to-day healthcare is surely the worst. How it works here in Uruguay: There are three levels of care 1) Universal (public) healthcare, you just show at the door and you're admitted. The quality is poor (although doctors are mostly good), and some hospital conditions are close to appalling, but it's 100% free (paid by taxpayers blablah), even up to cancer or AIDS treatment (yes, thousands of dollars). Time to treatment is also very bad for surgeries and other conditions. 2) Almost-universal healthcare in a co-op mode (Mutualism, "Mutualistas" and FONASA). Anybody who works or draws a pension has the right to one of those for himself and his children. Quality is decent, and there are some small costs associated (U$ 5 per doctor visit, and a few hundred dollars for major events). Medicine is provided by the hospital at an extreme discount (usually U$ 5 for any medicine, including the ones costing hundreds of dollars. Generics are mandatory whenever possible). The thing is, it's becoming a bit overcrowded and quality is going down, government is over-regulating IMO. 3) Private insurance, US-style. This one can replace 2) although 1) is still free to everybody (double coverage). That one gives access to the very best hospitals, doctors, etc... but it's the most expensive by far, and usually doesn't cover medicines outside of hospital stay. |