Here is an associated press story where a report was made about the poor state of American health care.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/40 … gap12.html
Basically the story states that Americans pay 2 1/2 times more per capita than any other advnaced country and our labor force is less healthy.
That the health care costs are a drag on the economy and that having a less healthy work force relative to other countries is another drag on the economy.
I have always maintained that the only thing that the govt owes to the market and private companies is a supply of a well educated and healthy citizens for the labor force. From a pragmatic perspective the economy would be much better off with a govt run health care system. It would be cheaper and give better results. But of course on the other side you would be sacrificing, at least to some degree, the private nature of the health care industry as it exists today. But, that sacrifice would be a benefit to the overall economy and help to make the country more productive and prosperous overall. IMO
Pragmatically it makes a lot of economic sense. Its craxy to think that we a spending $2.4 trillion a year on health care right now, when other countries, based on pro capita ratios, would be spending $1 trillion and everyone would be covered. It boggles the mind at the waste that must exist in the present system.
It reminds me of the story where the Americans and the Canadians were negotiating the Free Trade Agreement (before NAFTA) and the Americans wanted the Canadians to give up their national health care because the national healthcare system gave Canadian companies an unfair economic advantage.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/40 … gap12.html
Basically the story states that Americans pay 2 1/2 times more per capita than any other advnaced country and our labor force is less healthy.
That the health care costs are a drag on the economy and that having a less healthy work force relative to other countries is another drag on the economy.
I have always maintained that the only thing that the govt owes to the market and private companies is a supply of a well educated and healthy citizens for the labor force. From a pragmatic perspective the economy would be much better off with a govt run health care system. It would be cheaper and give better results. But of course on the other side you would be sacrificing, at least to some degree, the private nature of the health care industry as it exists today. But, that sacrifice would be a benefit to the overall economy and help to make the country more productive and prosperous overall. IMO
Pragmatically it makes a lot of economic sense. Its craxy to think that we a spending $2.4 trillion a year on health care right now, when other countries, based on pro capita ratios, would be spending $1 trillion and everyone would be covered. It boggles the mind at the waste that must exist in the present system.
It reminds me of the story where the Americans and the Canadians were negotiating the Free Trade Agreement (before NAFTA) and the Americans wanted the Canadians to give up their national health care because the national healthcare system gave Canadian companies an unfair economic advantage.
