It’s not even debatable anymore. IBD steps up to the plate and defends some good things about our present health care system. They aren’t saying it’s good or great, or doesn’t need fixing, just that it does many things better than people believe.
Which leaves us with the issue of costs.
Yes, with $2.5 trillion expected to be spent this year, health care in the U.S. is more expensive than in any other country, including Great Britain and Canada, whose nationalized, universal care systems are held up as models.
But what we spend isn’t thrown down a rathole. The National Center for Policy Analysis has published a study, “10 Surprising Facts About American Health Care,” that shows how Americans get something for the extra dollars they lay out. To wit:
• “Americans have better survival rates than Europeans for common cancers.” Breast cancer mortality: 52% higher in Germany and 88% higher in the United Kingdom than in the U.S. Prostate cancer mortality: 604% higher in the U.K., 457% higher in Norway. Colo-rectal cancer mortality: 40% higher among Britons.
• “Americans have lower cancer mortality rates than Canadians.” Rates for breast cancer (9%), prostate cancer (184%) and colon cancer among men (10%) are higher than in the U.S.
• “Americans have better access to treatment of chronic diseases than patients in other developed countries.” Roughly 56% of Americans who could benefit are taking statin drugs. Only 36% of the Dutch, 29% of the Swiss, 26% of Germans, 23% of Britons and 17% of Italians who could benefit receive them.
They conclude, be careful not to ruin our system by emulating others.
Can the nationalized, universal systems in Britain, Canada or anywhere else improve on this? No, but we can ruin our health care by following the policies of countries where medical treatment is far below the American standard.
There’s more, read the whole thing.
