Cecil,

The US has been looking at european systems where quality and availability of healthcare outperformed the US one for a fraction of the price. This has nothing to do with socialism or communism... that probably is indoctrinated to you by the republicans. Shocking to see that the average american does not even know the definition of those words. Europe is not ruled by communism and socialism, but their healthcare infrastructure outperform the US on about every aspect.

The dutch system is most likely the system that best could be implemented in the US, as the government has no role in insuring, but only in strict regulation. We've got commercial insurance companies you can choose from which have several packages you can pick. Of course if you've got enough money you can buy the best healthcare needed.

The problem of the US health care are inmense because of its infrastructure and lack of emphasis of prevention. Up here a family PCP (GP) handles 90% of all problem. If he/she cannot handle it, the patient is referred to a specialist. Emergency care of course is different and more like the one in the US. But in our system specialist are not bombarded with simple stuff that could be taken care of by a PCP. Up here they also won't do a whole scala of expensive investigations, to avoid being sued even in the slightest chance.

I'm working in the healthcare business in europe and north america, and I can tell you that the current US system is sick to the core.
I could not get any worse.




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>Cecil
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>>>Where did you get the idea that the reform bills that just passed are aimed at providing "ultra-luxury care for every man, woman, and child"?
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>>The entire middle class pays for and expects a very high level of care.
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>>There is no reason to think that the middle class will suddenly accept rationing or worse yet, poor quality.
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>>This bill seeks to provide first quality care for everybody.
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>>Nobody wants to die, and as long as somebody else is paying, we will all keep spending without regard to cost.
>>That is quite a luxury that we, as the middle class, take for granted.