American vs Australian Healthcare

I'm not questioning which is better, there's just a question I'd like answered. Why doesn't America have anything like Medicare? I mean, it always seemed ridiculous to me that healthcare is such a low priority in the American government. Australia's healthcare is excellent, and we don't really suffer at all for it.

So why doesn't the US Government just divert funds from useless military expenditures and whatnot in order to, you know, keep its people alive?

America is supposed to have the best economy in the world (recession notwithstanding), so is it really so difficult?

Holy dejuvu Batman, its another healthcare thread bashing the American healthcare system.

To quote myself:

Also, US citizens are fearful of having a government organisation in control of healthcare for whatever reason.

edited 2nd Sep '11 8:09:30 AM by whaleofyournightmare

So you're saying that the rest of the world wil step up, and use their respective militaries to sole their own problems? Sounds like fun.

Hey Sudan....deuces!

You know, that's sorta silly, when a lot of Americans talk about peacekeeping and stepping up when the US has never deployed any peacekeepers.

...what?

Well american has 'obamacare' now doesn't it?

that true?

edited 2nd Sep '11 9:59:39 AM by joeyjojo

You may want to clarify that you are referring to Australian Medicare before everyone gets confused.

Obamacare does fuck all.

Looking at it objectively, all it seems to do is increase the coverage of US Medicare/Aid and forces HMO companies to cover anyone.

Doesn't do anything, IMHO.

America has the money to do it. For god's sake, Europe started UHC and other social programs in the wake of WW 2. Nearly bankrupt Britain was. Hell, the exact same arguments used in America now were used in 1948. And who's 18th place? The NHS.

edited 2nd Sep '11 10:12:20 AM by Inhopelessguy

It would probably help even more to describe the particulars of Australian Medicare.

The simplified version is: healthcare is funded by the government and a 1.5% income tax.

18th Place in best health care system I assume?

Fascinating information.

Not only is our life expectancy better than the US, but we don't get all the nonsense expenses. I may not be a patriot, but I'm happy to be here.

Yes

@Hopey, why why why waste energy though, you have more chance of stopping the tide.

Yep.

Although France is ahead of us.

Yeah I know... common sense doesn't work in Congress. At least, not as well in Parliament.

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:03:41 AM by Inhopelessguy

it's obscene that a frist world bation should leave such a base as need as healthcare to the wimp of the free market, i'm glad we have healthcare too

Still lets not forget such a system has a high cost too it. and not just in terms of monetary value.

America spends the most of GDP on healthcare in the OECD.

We spend half of what they have.

Japan spends a third, has twice as many smokers, and a bunch of other stuff, and yet has lower mortality rates and higher life expectancy.

Hell, at one point in time, IIRC from Geography class, the infant mortality rate in Washington, DC was higher than that of Bangladesh.

But there's really no point in us boasting about our glorious and free-at-the-point-of-service health care systems, if America doesn't get rid of the oglipoly of HMO companies and enact something that sounds better than what Obamacare is.

Oh yeah, that 1.5% income tax is killing me.

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:17:11 AM by Heartbreaker

Yeah. The only thing that I can say is bad about the NHS is that the waiting times in A&E are long. And the paperwork.

Damn, I had to fill out two forms when I was in hospital! TWO! Including the menu! (Yes. Forms are somehow a big issue here)

The monetary cost per taxpayer in the nations with UHC is pretty low.

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:21:23 AM by Inhopelessguy

The waiting times for A&E are based on triage. But yeah, the GOP is going to kill UHC because only dirty commies have healthy citizens

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:24:48 AM by whaleofyournightmare

the cost is social not financial. Remember your not just getting state funded hospitals, your getting state run hospitals. Your personal health is now a matter of public policy.

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:26:02 AM by joeyjojo

The US looks like ti sepnds a lot of healthcare % wise because it doesn't spend shit on education and other things.

@OP: Because politics.

And thats bad because?

@ Joey. And? I have been to the GP several times in my life. I've just had an operation. The only people who know about either are me, my doctors, and the hospital itself.

The government doesn't need to know, except for statistics.

The only people who decide my care, is me (and parents of course), and the medical staff. No-one else.

In any case, its much easier to lobby the government for a new drug (and they usually bend) than the myriad HMO companies in America.

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:32:31 AM by Inhopelessguy

Actually the US spends quite a lot on education. It just somehow does nothing, just like their healthcare spending.

Where the hell is that money going?

The US spends about 18% of GDP on health. We spend about 9%. Where is the money going? How much corruption must there be in education and health?

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:35:06 AM by Inhopelessguy