In 2004, I’d just finished a novel and by way of celebration had taken my family for an extended visit to Australia, where I was born and raised.
I didn’t expect that trip to save my life. But I’m convinced it did, because of Australia’s “socialized” medicine…
Two weeks later, I was in a Sydney hospital, discussing treatment options for my invasive stage II cancer. According to testimony by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) at last Thursday’s health-care summit, I should have been heading for the airport at that point. Like his unnamed Canadian state premier with the heart condition, I should have been hightailing it to the U.S., to avail myself of “the best health care in the world.”
No thanks, Senator. I elected to stay in Australia. We had ample U.S. insurance; cost wasn’t an issue. I simply wanted to remain in a humane, rational system where doctors treat a person as a patient, not a potential plaintiff, and where the procedures ordered for me were the ones shown by hard science to produce the best outcome for the most people.
Australia adopted universal health care in 1984. Since then, life expectancy for women has increased to 83.5 years from 78.7 (for males to 79.1 from 72.6), while spending on health care has risen less than 1 percent, to 4.4 percent of government outlays (in 2008-09). The scheme is funded by a levy of 1.5 percent on taxable income, and all political parties, even the most conservative, support it.
RTFA. Try it! It won’t harm you.
Geraldine Brooks suggests, you might pass this along to a Republican or some other reactionary.
Thanks, honeyman
I’m an Aussie and whilst I would never say our healthcare system is perfect I do believe it is damn well better than the current US system. Whilst those without insurance can wait undue times for what are considered elective surgeries there is no question that any citizen requiring treatment will get it. No questions asked. And if you are treated at a public hostpital as a public patient (about 95% of all large hospital are government run) the bill you will recieve after your treatment will be $0.
Socialized medicine. Yes Please!
Don’t you know? There are only two healthcare systems in the world, Canada and the UK. The notion that other countries such as Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Israel have healthcare systems that could serve as models for the USA is just some liberal fever dream.
Oh, poo.
Australia has made this work by limiting the availability of advanced health care to the major metrop0olitan areas. Go anywhere outside a city and you’ll find a small clinic with one doctor and a few nurses. My last trip there (about five years ago) an Italian gentleman had a heart attack on the bus between Fremantle and Perth. When we got him to the local clinic, they slapped some leads on his chest and did an EKG that NONE of them could read. So they put in a call to the doctor. They didn’t want to let me talk to the doctor but finally relented. I explained to him what had happened and what the cardiogram showed. They finally admitted him. But the doctor told me HE COULDN’T COME TO THE CLINIC UNTIL THE NEXT DAY BECAUSE HE HAD OVERWORKED HIS ALLOTTED HOURS THAT MONTH! Now, I understand, Eideard, that this must seem like a dream solution to the costs of health care to those of you who are citizens of the Obama Nation but I find it inadequate. No, I’m not anti health care reform and I’m not even a Republican. But I’m sure someone will accuse me of both quite soon. As a physician I would truly like to see health care reform but not a health care takeover! Especially one that is so well thought out they say, let’s just pass it and work out the problems later! Screw that. If they want to nationalize health care, fine, do it. But trying to reform care by insisting people buy insurance is just spitting into the wind. I’ll sit back now and wait for the loons to start calling me names.
And for a more realistic look at the truth, see:
http://article.nationalreview.com/427277/why-democrats-dont-care-about-97-trillion-in-debt/dennis-prager
If we’d passed healthcare reform in ’93, these goofbag conservatives would be screaming ‘Keep your stinkin’ government hands off my Hillarycare!”
“The scheme is funded by a levy of 1.5 percent on taxable income”
Hummm, can Eideard, or any other lefty loon, say this about Obamacare?
cost wasn’t an issue. I simply wanted to remain in a humane, rational system where doctors treat a person as a patient, not a potential plaintiff, and where the procedures ordered for me were the ones shown by hard science to produce the best outcome for the most people
So you already had your mind made up that you preferred socialized medicine, yet somehow one personal anecdote is supposed to be proof of the superiority if socialized medicine? Huh? If you could pay for it, how is it so great for the people of Australia that you made them pay for it instead?
I realize that hand-picked personal anecdotes are the preferred tactic for politicians trying to push socialized medicine since the numbers showing our ability to support another Ponzi scheme does not support it, but this story is particularly week.
Another curious quote:
While every legal resident of Australia is covered by Medicare, many Australians also choose to buy reasonably priced private insurance to cover such gaps, avoid waits for elective surgery, and pay for private hospital care. Since we had our U.S. insurance, I chose to “go private” for my treatment, but I soon learned it didn’t mean much. I could have paid nothing and still chosen to see the same excellent oncologist in the public system.
What? Did she just forget in by the second sentence that in the first sentence she just said residents still by private insurance to avoid long waits for surgery? As in, you might still be in Australia waiting if it weren’t for that? Who cares if you get to see the same great doctor if cancer spreads to other parts of your body by that time? Also, if she is such of big fan of pure “humane, rational” socialized medicine, why did she pick the private route at all?
#3 “trying to reform care by insisting people buy insurance is just spitting into the wind”
It’s not spitting in the wind, it’s corruption on an unprecedented scale.
Reading and hearing repuke’s speak about health care or anything for the people makes my stomach turn over to generate that feeling of nausea that earned them the moniker re_PUKEs. Sick bastards are probably going to blame Obama now that Bush’s repuke CEOs cheap coal retaining walls have let go in Virginia and they will be drinking poisoned water all through the south.
Why is requiring folks to purchase health insurance, “corruption on a massive scale”, to you, Ah_yeah?
Awww, aint you cute! You’re still in your fantasy world where the Republicans foil everything (just like Snidley Whiplash).
If the Democrats didn’t have majorities in Congress, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in my lifetime, you might actually get some sympathy.
Guess the ‘Vast Right Wing Conspiracy’ is more effective than I thought.
(BTW Animby, great post)
#- Ah_Yea — I like how the article quotes from CNN. The guy couldn’t find a more reputable source? He might as well been quoting from Wikipedia.
Both parties will not do what needs to be done. A good first step is to cut budgets by 20 percent across the board. This includes military spending. If the republicans were so worried about the deficit, they would have stopped Bush Jr. from spending so much.
I laugh everytime when I hear republicans complain about the budget and deficits.
Whine all you want but until both sides decide to curtail their spending, big budgets and deficits will be the American way.
Dr Dodd said,
Barack Hussein Obama took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. Instead, he is working towards the day he can burn it on the Capital steps.
I love where people draw the line. “Free speech zones” ok. Signing loyalty oaths to see the president talk in public. ok. Declaring war on a country based on false or misleading arguments. ok. Throwing US citizens in military brigs for years without even charging them with a crime. ok. Making sure sick people can pay for their healthcare. OMG! They are burning the constitution!!!!
If Obama is trying to destroy the constitution he is just following in the steps of the guys who had the job before he did.
As a Yank who has lived years in Oz, I agree with with the article and the first poster. It is not perfect, but it is far better than the mess we have in the US.
In fact, I think the US should look to Oz rather than the UK and Canada for a model. That is because Oz closer resembles the US in the way services are needed.
The key is that everyone is covered, no matter what your employment situation. Some more than others. But there is something there, unlike the US where you get nothing.
#8
Life saving surgery differs from elective surgery. Surgery to remove cancer is considered life saving and should not wait for it.
If we just pass the Mandatory Union Act we will all have healthcare and big salaries. All jobs from CEO to part time greeter at Wal-Mart will have the same benefits. Just think of our retirement packages! 20 years and we can retire with 90% with COLAs! Plus all unemployed can be covered under Medicare and Unemployment. Social Security can cover the disabled, so everyone will be HAPPY! Owners of companies will just have to stop their greedy ways and give us what we deserve. Under this plan I am sure I can juggle some numbers and get a Trillion Dollar Savings over the next 10 years. How many are on board? Let’s get this party started!!!!!
#16-jccalhoun-If Obama is trying to destroy the constitution he is just following in the steps of the guys who had the job before he did.
So it’s OK for Obama to finish the job because someone else began the destruction?
Obama is now the guy. A more prudent approach is to stop him before he can light the match.
#18 Mr MiGu,
Thanks for clarifying. If that is true, it does make her sound a little less crazy. This must be different than Canada, though, because I know they have crazy long waits for some surgeries that are absolutely life-saving.
Overall, I agree that Australia’s system does sound much better than UK’s or Canada’s, but if the only real goal is financial help for those who can’t afford it, it seems to me we should just call it another welfare program and find a more efficient way of funding it instead of taking control of the entire system. There is no way the US government will ever handle health care with as little waste and overhead as is claimed about Australia in this article.
# – Dr Dodd — According to the democrats, Bush Jr. killed the constitution with spying programs and called it a piece of paper. Now, the republicans think Obama is killing the constitution by initiating social programs. So this means democrats and republicans are on common ground now.
#22 aslightlycrankygeek,
That is the same as it works here in Canada.
Dr Dodd said,
So it’s OK for Obama to finish the job because someone else began the destruction?
Obama is now the guy. A more prudent approach is to stop him before he can light the match.
Well that would be true if that was what was happening. That’s a big “if.” I fail to see how trying to make sure sick people can pay for health care is “burning the constitution.”
The question is why are people so upset about “burning the constitution” when they didn’t seem to care about the other things that previous presidents did that are much more constitutionally questionable.
#3–Animby==you are a name. Lets see – – – – whats the name for someone who overgeneralizes from a specific experience to the point of inanity? THATS what I call you.
“As a Scientist” I would think you would look at the group health outcomes of Australians before/after the system was put in place, or compared to USA system? You know—something RATIONAL??
And the Aussies have a great opportunity to decide if they want to provide more money to fund docs to work more hours==or not.
Heh, heh. I hope you keep posting Animby==your rationale last week was much tougher to see through. This time its plain to see. Do you always refer to your personal experiences as “proof” when they fit your preconceived bias?
Someday, you might see it. Physician: heal thyself.
Bobbo – you write such pretty words. Too bad you can’t read half as well. I offered nothing as a proof. I merely cited an example I knew from personal experience. Someone above apparently thinks I said every backwater town in Australia should have a major medical center. I didn’t say that. Nut, I will maintain that any place that has an emergency clinic ought to have it adequately staffed. Oz apparently disagrees with that philosophy. Now, it’s midnight here in SE Asia and I’m going to bed. So write anything you wish. I won’t revisit this subject.
Why do we need to look to other country’s to get inspiration?
Why not look at Hawaii?
Palin earlier also told a Skagway audience that for the same injury (a burn to her brother’s foot) the family took him to Juno.
You see, Palin has no governing philosophy and therefore can’t even tell when she is violating her own accidental image and appeal to the masses. No, she just says whatever flits into her brain that she thinks the crowd in front of her will approve of.
Transparency will kill these toadying politicians if the public will just pay attention===but then if we all paid attention, we wouldn’t believe them in the first place.
How do I get off this boat?
I think I can clear this up once and for all. Social medicine is great! But it will only work well in a society that has values that go beyond the cost in dollars and cents. You can’t have socialized medicine in the US anymore than you can have democracy in Iraq, the people just don’t have the character to make it work.
#32–amodedoma==good idea but I think you are wrong. The correct anaology is that the American Voting Public is like a crowd of really stupid little ignorant boogeyman coward children. This is not a “cultural” phenomenon as you pose but rather just the nature of really stupid people.
All that has to happen is Obama turn on the light switch for the unserviced masses so they can see there are no monsters in the dark.
Easy peasy. Damn money grubbing repuglican boot lickers have the kiddies all ascared!!!
Come the revolution, people will learn to vote for the common good rather than be divided by the special self serving special interests.
A testimonial isn’t enough reason to force universal health care on Americans. The majority do not want it, and as the old expression says, “It’s a free country.” I shouldn’t be forced to pay for your health care if I don’t want to.
There will always be success stories and horror stories that each side can pull out of their butt to support their argument. The reality is that it’s easy to point to a country that has successfully pulled off public medicine… unfortunately those countries have a fraction of the population compared to the US.
Ask a small business person if it’s easier to manage a business with 2 employees or 30.