Alan S wrote:
Citaat:
On Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:49:13 +0200, Deeply Filled Mortician
deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
NZ and Oz are currently running headlong towards the US system,
despite it being quite clear it's a lousy direction to go.
We're not, actually. At least, not in Oz. I agree about the
US system, but we're not heading towards it at all, not even
slowly.
Ours will continue to go through changes as governments
change, but for all it's faults - I'm bloody glad I'm a
citizen here.
I have interesting blood; consequently I read and post on
several medical newsgroups and email lists. I can't fault
the wealth of the US research establishment and the
brilliance of the US technical and research expertise, but
if I do eventually need to travel there for treatment (to a
top Australian specialist - in Texas:-) I'll need to sell my
house and everything else I own first. For those who live
there who aren't wealthy the health insurance system appears
to be a nightmare and the cost of medications is horrendous.
Especially if they are unemployed.
If the NICE guidelines on self-management of diabetes within
the NHS system are anything to judge it by - I'm very
grateful I'm not under that system. Similar comments apply,
for slightly different reasons, to Canada and Germany.
Everything has a price; free health care isn't. When you
accept state subsidisation you accept State decisions on
what is good for your health; too often those decisions
become affected too much by cost-benefit rather than medical
benefit.
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And when you have a private system based on employment you accept
Insurance company decisions concerning how little they can manage to
approve.
Citaat:
The blend of State and private in the Australian system,
with all it's faults (particularly in the country towns), is
still better than my international friends have described to
me in any other country. That doesn't mean it can't be
improved and that we don't need to fight locally to prevent
erosion of benefits - but I'm definitely happy to be here.
Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Epidaurus
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/
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