I apologize in advance to people who are reading this who don't do numbers, but that is the easiest way to explain what is about to be attempted in regard to American healthcare. My statistics come from an article at National Review written by John C. Goodman.
The article begins by discussing the cost of healthcare in America. The author points out that raw statistics on the dollar amount spend are misleading. For example, some other countries use to government to limit the income of doctors, nurses, and hospital personnel--that makes the cost of healthcare in their country look smaller--people are paying less--but actually, part of the reason for the lower cost is the people who are paid less because of government intervention.
The results of American healthcare are more positive than where healthcare is run by the government. According to the article:
"The largest international study to date found that the five-year survival rate for all types of cancer among both men and women was higher in the U.S. than in Europe."
In discussing accessibility of healthcare in America, the article points out:
"Britain has only one-fourth as many CT scanners per capita as the U.S., and one-third as many MRI scanners. The rate at which the British provide coronary-bypass surgery or angioplasty to heart patients is only one-fourth the U.S. rate, and hip replacements are only two-thirds the U.S. rate. The rate for treating kidney failure (dialysis or transplant) is five times higher in the U.S. for patients between the ages of 45 and 84, and nine times higher for patients 85 years or older...Studies show that only 5 percent of Americans wait more than four months for surgery, compared with 23 percent of Australians, 26 percent of New Zealanders, 27 percent of Canadians, and 36 percent of Britons."
In the area of preventive care, Americans also fare better than government programs in other countries. For example, in Canada proportion of middle-aged who have never had a mammogram is twice that of the U.S., and three times as many Canadian women as American women have never had a Pap smear. The article further states:
"...the mortality rate in Canada is 25 percent higher for breast cancer, 18 percent higher for prostate cancer, and 13 percent higher for colorectal cancer. In addition, while half of all diabetics have high blood pressure, it is controlled in 36 percent of U.S. cases, compared with only 9 percent of cases in Canada."
The article has further statistics on access to healthcare in America and the role of wealth in healthcare in America and in other countries.
The bottom line is simple. We have very good healthcare in this country that is generally available to all citizens. There is room for improvement, but a government-controlled system is not improvement. I know it is being said that private healthcare will remain, but that is a myth. As soon as the government begins to pressure healthcare providers to charge less under its system, private insurance will be forced to raise its prices to make up for the difference in cost and will be driven from the marketplace. I would also like to remind everyone reading this about the history of the cost of government programs. None of them ever decrease in cost. I live in Massachusetts, the last estimate I heard on the cost of the 'big dig' (the new traffic routing system in Boston) was that it would eventually cost about $22 billion dollars. When it was started, we were told it would cost $2.8 billion. I have one final question. "What has the government ever done really well?
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