Have cons ever systematically asked people with universal healthcare, what they thought about their system?

Question

APPARENTLY NOT. THEY ONLY HAVE PERSONAL ANECDOTES

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The Commonwealth Fund and Harris Interactive surveyed adults in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain -- all of which have single-payer health-care systems -- and the United States. The methodology appears sound, the margin of error is less than three percentage points and the results are striking.

Respondents in the United States were less likely than those in the other countries to say their health-care system "works well" -- and much more likely to see a need for "fundamental" change or a total overhaul. With 47 million Americans lacking health insurance, I suppose that shouldn't be much of a surprise.

What did surprise me was the wealth of data refuting the general criticism that single-payer health-care systems are cold, impersonal and, well, uncaring. According to the survey, 80 percent of Americans have a regular doctor whom they usually see. That sounds pretty good, until you learn that 84 percent of Canadians, 88 percent of Australians, 89 percent of New Zealanders and Britons, 92 percent of Germans, and 100 percent of Dutch respondents surveyed said they had regular doctors. Marcus Welby, M.D., seems to have emigrated.

Okay, but what about the long waits for treatment under single-payer systems? The survey found that 49 percent of Americans said they could get a same-day or next-day doctor's appointment when they were sick -- as opposed to 75 percent of respondents in New Zealand, 65 percent in Germany, 58 percent in Britain and so on. Only in Canada was it more difficult to see a doctor within 48 hours.

It's true that in the United States, the wait for elective surgery is likely to be shorter than in the other countries (except Germany, which has the shortest wait of all). But onerous delays of six months or more were significantly more common only in Australia, Canada and Britain.

When you look at overall costs and outcomes, meanwhile, there's no contest.

The United States spends $6,697 per capita annually on health care, according to the survey -- more than twice as much as any of the other countries surveyed. Americans were much more likely than any other national group to have spent at least $1,000 out of pocket on medical expenses over the past year. And, of course, 16 percent of Americans reported being uninsured, as opposed to essentially none in the other countries.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201429_pf.html

APPARENTLY CONS DON'T KNOW THE MEANING OF PERSONAL ANECDOTES AND ARE CONTINUING TO SUPPLY THEIRS.

YEAH AND I BELIEVE THEM. HA.

Answer 1

Yes I have numerous times. Half of my coworkers are either from Canada or Finland.

They all say the same thing, that it sucks!

Answer 2

Yeah, but do people in Canada, Great Britain et al get to watch pretty commercials that show people riding balloons over fields of daisies while a voice-over describes a drugs side effects while never really saying what it's used for?
I think not!

Answer 3

New Zealand is denying immigrants entry that happen to be fat - They are not allowing fat immigrants to enter because of the already burdened health care system


aww, looky there more thumbs down, I guess people cant handle the TRUTH

Not a personal anecdote - here you go

http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/new_zealand_denies_immigration_to_uk_wife_because_shes_too_fat

Answer 4

I have been asking this question since I saw the premiere screening of "Sicko" by Michael Moore...

It's true - Canadians are much happier with their system and resent having to buy insurance to visit the USA...
The French are happy with their system too...
And England is happy with theirs.

All you have to do is log on to the Canadian Yahoo Answers and ask them... they'll be happy to tell you what they think.

The only country that is really mad about their healthcare (and dying faster because of it) is the United States.

It's true - you DO have to wait longer for an MRI... big deal. At least EVERYONE actually gets one...

Answer 5

No- they are to busy stating it doesnt work.

There has to be a better way that what we currently have..they cant keep pushing it away...It needs to be addressed in some form!

Answer 6

Ten years ago, information from the Washington Post meant something. That is unfortunately no longer the case. I am interested as to why Canadians come to America to have surgeries when the Canadian health care system is so marvelous.

Answer 7

And yet they all flock to the US to have surgeries that need to be taken care of quickly? Hmmmm, wonder why that is?

Answer 8

How long does one have to wait for an mri? How many drug patents are awarded to these foreign countries as com pared to the US?

Answer 9

I have friends in Canada and they HATE the health-care they are strapped with.