dk: If your measure of the 'primacy' of American health care is by how many people travel here for care then I have something that will probably cause you some cognitive dissonance - I know it surprised me.
Quote:
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A McKinsey and Co. report from 2008 found that a plurality of an estimated 60,000 to 85,000 medical tourists were traveling to the United States for the purpose of receiving in-patient medical care; the same McKinsey study estimated that 750,000 American medical tourists traveled from the United States to other countries in 2007 (up from 500,000 in 2006)
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Think about that. A one-year increase of FIFTY PERCENT in Americans going abroad for health care.
Think about the fact that TEN TIMES as many Americans go outside the country for health care as do those foreigners coming here.
Until we acknowledge THE TRUTH - that we are NOT the 'best in the world', we will not be able to so much as TALK to people who (I'm sorry to say it) *erroneously* have the idea that we ARE the 'best'.
People, by and large, are afraid of change - that's NORMAL. But sticking your head in the sand and ignoring the facts that are continuing to mount means it'll be that much MORE time before we can come up with solutions!
What made me think of this was when I remembered a conversation I had with someone in London last year. HE was complaining about the foreigners coming to ENGLAND to take advantage of THEIR NHS (National Health System).