Quote:
Originally Posted by villagegolfer
It is late and I'm about to retire for the evening, but there are tons of evidence that the World Wealth organization has skewed the statistics to make the USA look bad. Surprise huh?
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Hmm, my typo and you copied it. I meant
Health Organization (WHO). I assume we were on the same subject. I didn't even know there was a Wealth Organization (WIWO).
Anyway, WHO did the study more than a decade ago and hasn't repeated it because it was so difficult. Criticism is always easy. I think there's general recognition that our system is far from the best, definitely the most expensive, and fails on results. Here's an interesting
Business Week article on France's system. Not perfect, but superior, #1 in the study.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...8/b4042070.htm
With third party payer, the cost will always increase, and with private profit motive they'll increase further. The insurance provider (govt or private) and the health care provider agree on all cost and services. It all feeds back to the consumer in premiums or taxes. Most often, the consumer doesn't even see a bill. My wife had open heart surgery, 9 days hospital, and we never saw a bill or statement. They could have charged for 12 days, or anything else. As easy as my typo. I think the best system would integrate the consumer in the process, if for no other reason then to audit the statement. Ideally, the consumer should pay directly and be reimbursed somehow.