France best, U.S. worst in preventable deaths

[Straw Man]

France best, U.S. worst in preventable deaths
British study's rankings based on access to timely and effective health care

Reuters
updated 6:44 a.m. PT, Tues., Jan. 8, 2008

WASHINGTON - France, Japan and Australia rated best and the United States worst in new rankings focusing on preventable deaths due to treatable conditions in 19 leading industrialized nations, researchers said on Tuesday.

If the U.S. health care system performed as well as those of those top three countries, there would be 101,000 fewer deaths in the United States per year, according to researchers writing in the journal Health Affairs.

Researchers Ellen Nolte and Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine tracked deaths that they deemed could have been prevented by access to timely and effective health care, and ranked nations on how they did.

They called such deaths an important way to gauge the performance of a country’s health care system.

Nolte said the large number of Americans who lack any type of health insurance — about 47 million people in a country of about 300 million, according to U.S. government estimates — probably was a key factor in the poor showing of the United States compared to other industrialized nations in the study.

full story:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22554235/

[tonyboloni]

Our system sucks so bad.  fuck these right wing crazies who keep us from fixing the worst system ever.

[240 is Back]

they're selfish, they believe since that have coverage RIGHT NOW, they shouldn't worry about fixing the system.

When they are downsized or their carrier drops them, they will suddenly change positions. I have insurance now, but I didn't for the last 2 years, and it's scary. 

Of course, they'll support letting 1/6 of the population spread disease, as long as their dollars don't support it.  They WILL, however, let their dollars go to Iraq.  Fancy that!

[Straw Man]

they're selfish, they believe since that have coverage RIGHT NOW, they shouldn't worry about fixing the system.

When they are downsized or their carrier drops them, they will suddenly change positions. I have insurance now, but I didn't for the last 2 years, and it's scary. 

Of course, they'll support letting 1/6 of the population spread disease, as long as their dollars don't support it.  They WILL, however, let their dollars go to Iraq.  Fancy that!

Even if you have insurance you can still get screwed.  I have a friend who has been diagnosed with deterioration of her jaw bone and she needs surgery to remove bone from her leg (or hip - not sure) to repair the deterioration in her jaw.  Her HMO declined the claim and gave no reason.  Her attorney appealed to the state HMO board and proved that her policy covered this exact problem and they still declined (still no reason).  Her only recourse at this point is to sue and that's what the HMO is  basically betting she won't do because the cost of suing will probably be greater than the cost of the surgery.   Any $ that the HMO saves goes to the bottom line and to pay the bonuses of the exec's and CEO's

We like to think of ourselves as the greatest country in the world and some will argue that we're a deeply religious and compassionate country but if you get sick and don't have insurance or even if you're sick do have insurance it's clear that $$$$$ and profit are more important than human beings.