Best healthcare as in quality of healthcare or best in terms of provision.

Yes no health care system is free, difference is is it free at point of service, or do yo upay up front.

We in the UK pay our N.I. like Penelope has said and it varies with your income earn more pay more. Also you aren't denied this insurance depending on your risk toward certain things.

Also is your insurance unlimited? What happens if you end up in intensive care, need a bunch of surgery and then your insurance runs out,,,what if it doesn't cover you? Your'e out on the street...that happened to a friend of ours in the Texas....

So I prefer my system where I KNOW for sure without a doubt I can get care, I won't be turned away and don't have to trek halfway across town to go to a clinic that will treat me.

Both!

Policies have a limit, such as a million $. So if they have to rebuild your body from the ground up, grow all new organs, and piece meal you back to health, there is a chance you can run out, but then there are other options, such as disability and medicare.

-S

PS. Most people in Europe have no idea that anyone that wants to be covered over here can be if you go through Medicare, with restrictions of course, so we get the best of both worlds, and the best equipment money can buy. I've seen what socialized medicine buys for medical equipment - its pretty pathetic. Over here, hospitals are like country club and everyone is always checking up on you to see how you are doing. In socialized medicine, you're lucky if a nurse comes in to check at all!

Anyway the video linked is pure rubbish, I didn't even bother watching past the first 30 seconds. Having free health care doesn't make people think "hey it's free, let's break myself some bones and go to the hospital". Yet another troll :roll:

Hardly. My mother in law died last year in Canada and their health care pretty much sucks! I should have brought her to the states.

Your statement is very troll like however.

-S

Whose "they?"

I've been injured quite badly during my short life once upon a time... I never went to America to get better.

You think you've got the best healthcare in the world?
On what do you found that that claim? When there is plenty of evidence to the contrary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/opinion/12sun1.html
http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-healthcare.htm
http://www.who.int/whr/2000/media_ce.../en/index.html

If you read only the first paragraph of the World Health link... it says France has the best overall medical provision, followed by Italy, Spain, Oman, Austria and Japan. America ain't even on the list!

WHO's reports rank your healthcare as 37th as compared to the UK's 18th. So the US health system is NOT the best in the world. Far from it in fact. The French healthcare is the best in the world. So tell me... why would "they" want to avoid the countries you list like plague... when they are all better than the US model?

Sicko lied. They took you to hospital in Cuba to show its better care than the US. If you analyze the facts however, they took you to a tiny section of the hospital that is reserved for the elites of Cuba! It was all a show and Micheal Moore hid that from you.

And the rest of your reports focus on life expectancy, yet fail to notice stress and effects of society. It takes better medicine here to counteract the fast pace of life, and the severely over weight population - but nothing you report takes that into account.

Want to see what hospitals really look like in Cuba? Here ya go!

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/cuba-hospital.jpg

http://www.moonbattery.com/cuban_hospital_02.jpg

had to smile at the US reporter: 'we shoot each other more often, we kill each other on the roads, and are obese.' Great country.

The NHS, like all large organisations, has significant flaws, although does seem to be improving in some areas, especially with reducing waiting lists. The point that seems to escape most people is that we still have private healthcare as well, so actually have a massive advantage over other nations as you have a choice.

Certainly private care hospitals are superior to most NHS, but to meet most needs the latter isn't bad. What is not commonly known abroad is that the two services can also overlap, although it does seem slightly unethical. It works like this:

Your doctor refers you to a surgeon on the NHS, and the waiting list is say, six months. Ring the surgeon's office, ask to pay for a private consultation, which is typically about £125. He will see you within a week or so, and if you need surgery will do it on the NHS at no cost to you, and bump you up the waiting list.

Also, although I accept that life expectancy depends upon many factors, to assume healthcare is not one of them is extremely naive. GB life expectancy is slightly higher than the US, so I think we can say that the NHS system does not seem to be detrimental, at any rate.

Study the obese in both countries and then you'll be amazed at how we manage to keep a somewhat close average to yours! :D Only through superior medicine!

-S

Fat blokes with guns who can't drive...got to love the USA.

Lots of em here! That's for sure! Can't argue that.

-S

C'mon Subman, I am sorry about your mother in law, but that is a fairly generalized statement ^^^.

As mentioned, overall it has served this Canadian well, there are issues, but what system does not have them. Nothing's perfect.


RDP

Those images, while terrible and dreadful, don't exactly counter the fact that according to the World Health Organisation... America's healthcare system is ranked at 37th...

America DOES NOT have the best healthcare system in the world as you claimed. Yet, you said it did... and... bad mouthed the German, Spanish, French and British models for good measure. Total disrespect for other people's nations, yet your good self is often the loudest voice on here demanding respect for America.

All of which according to the WHO are better than the US model. If you want to big up the US feel free... but make sure what you are saying is true before you think to rubbish what other peoples countries have first please.

Oh you are right about the Cuba thing, the American healthcare system is better than Cubas. Cuba came in at 39 on the list.

List is here

Canada's healthcare model was ranked by the WHO at number 30. While not great its higher than the US model.

If you read my post above, they are basing it on deaths. Excuse me? Pretty bad way to rate things when not looking at all the factors! Thats a crock of crap that Canada, let alone the USA are in the 30's. There are many factors missing from that report.

How many dignitaries choose the UK for example over America for health care? I think you need to watch a video on that. i will get it for you.

-S