Comparing health care systems

deoxy4

The difference in life expectancy in Cuba is about four months shorter than the average American. Certainly there is a difference in lifestyle. This article compares the differences in costs and policy.

http://www.alternet.org/story/149090/eight_reasons_us_healthcare_costs_96_more_than_cuba's--with_the_same_results

GaleHawkins

Who would have thought throwing more $$$ at health care in the USA would not have given us better results?

Good article. Thanks.

totaloblivia

Good sarcasm @GaleHawkins !

I haven't read the article fully (sorry - and no doubt this will annoy everyone, but it wouldn't load properly for me because of the adverts etc), but I suspect that it will be about results across the population. I am sure healthcare in the US is excellent for those with money, whereas Cuba will have a generally wider application of healthcare across the community (I am not suggesting that there are no inequalities in Cuba, but that these are likely to be smaller than in the US). When you average these populations out, then this has meant that it comes out similarly.

Plus I've never understood why people are surprised that when medicine is run for profit, understandably some (lots!) of the money goes for non-healthcare related things like dividends. This is unfortunately the way that our UK government is pushing our nationalised health service: but there is no perfect system I know.

deoxy4

"The hallmark of Cuban medicine has been designing and putting into effect a system of primary and preventive health care which is little more than sloganeering in other countries. Only 2–3% of US health care expenditures are for preventive care."

There are a staggering number of MRI & CT facilities in the US. There is a Field of Dreams philosophy-"build it, he will come." Great technologies, effective tools but way over prescribed. Facilities desperately seek to make ties to stay in business with doctors who sound like McD order takers "want an MRI with that?"