On Aug 28, the Obama Administration hosted a nationwide call-in for physicians, in which more than 1,900 physicians participated. It was said to be “closed to the press” so that a “conversation” could occur. Continue reading
Category Archives: universal care
Myth 16. In countries with government-funded health care, people get immediate care in emergencies, though they may have to wait for elective procedures.
The usual response to concerns about the months-long waiting lists for surgery in Canada and Britain is that this is a mere inconvenience, a small price to pay for universal “free” care. If you have a really serious need, you’ll get immediate attention—or so Michael Moore and others tell us. Continue reading
Myth 7. Universal coverage, enforced through an individual mandate, as in Massachusetts, will achieve universal access and reduce costs.
According to the implicit hypothesis underlying the rush to “health care reform,” the main barrier to ideal care for all at an affordable cost is the absence of universal “coverage”—payment and supervision—by an appropriate (governmental or government-credentialed) third party. Continue reading
Myth 6: Life expectancy is longer in other countries because they have universal tax-funded medical coverage, and the U.S. does not.
The longest-lived people are probably the Japanese. They have good genes, are seldom overweight, and eat lots of fish. They have had a government-funded medical system since 1927—and they also have a robust private medical sector. Japanese, like all people except Canadians and North Koreans, are not restricted to a “single” (government) payer. How do we know they wouldn’t live even longer without their government medicine? Continue reading
Myth 4: Infant mortality is lower in other countries because they have “universal” tax-funded medical care, and the U.S. does not.
A number of countries report lower infant mortality than the U.S., but it has nothing to do with the source of payment for medical care. Continue reading