Why can't the US pay for Health Care but the UK can?

[seabhcan]

http://www.informationclearinghouse.inf ... e19381.htm

Watch the above linked video. The US' chief accountant says that the US will be soon bankrupt by paying for a fairly limited public health care system - applying only to retired people and some poor people.

How can this be, when officially less rich countries, like Spain, France, the UK, even Sri Lanka and cuba, can provide complete universal health care. Is the message of the video nonsense anti-new deal propaganda, or is there a rational explaination?

[ManOfReason]

People are living longer that is why. The same demographic problems face the UK, France and Spain.

[seabhcan]

People are living longer that is why. The same demographic problems face the UK, France and Spain.

There is no problem paying for far better health care in the Europe, covering vastly more people. People live longer over here than in the US also.

[johnfás]

According to the CIA World Fact Book annual military expenditure of the USA amounts to 4.06% of their GDP. The equivalent statistic for the UK is 2.24%. Spending nearly double the amount of one's GDP on military expenses eats up alot of money which other countries can invest in other areas of public spending.

It is odd though that American spends a far greater percentage of its GDP on healthcare than even some of the more socialist models in Europe. This stands at 15% of GDP (10% in France, 8.5% in UK) according to the BMJ. The difference is that the majority of American healthcare spending comes from the private rather than public purse. I would also hazard a guess that going by the raw percentage figures, there is also far more wastage in the American system.

[qtman]

People are living longer that is why. The same demographic problems face the UK, France and Spain.

There is no problem paying for far better health care in the Europe, covering vastly more people. People live longer over here than in the US also.

There is. Its generally accepted that the public health model is unsustainable in the long term.

Countries like France are only able to maintain it by servicing massive amounts of public debt, while other countries finance it with compulsory health insurance or punitive tax regimes.

Countries like Ireland and the UK, who try to maintain lows taxes, low debt and don't demand compulsory health insurance, are witness to relatively poor public health outcomes.

[qtman]

People are living longer that is why. The same demographic problems face the UK, France and Spain.

There is no problem paying for far better health care in the Europe, covering vastly more people. People live longer over here than in the US also.

There is. Its generally accepted that the public health model is unsustainable in the long term.

Countries like France are only able to maintain it by servicing massive amounts of public debt, while other countries finance it with compulsory health insurance or punitive tax regimes.

Countries like Ireland and the UK, who try to maintain lows taxes, low debt and don't demand compulsory health insurance, are witness to relatively poor public health outcomes.

[seabhcan]

Did a bit of poking around:

US Medicare costs $440bn to cover 43 million people (4% of GDP to cover 14% of the population). Thats around $10,000 per person per year.

UK NHS costs $200bn to cover 60 million people (8% of GDP)

France is 9% of GDP to cover 60 million. Other EU countries are similar.

If the Medicare system was extended to the whole US population it could cost 30% of GDP. Why is it so inefficient?

(however, the 14% covered are all elderly, and so sicker than the uncovered 86%. It would probably be less than 30% of GDP)

[ManOfReason]

People are living longer that is why. The same demographic problems face the UK, France and Spain.

There is no problem paying for far better health care in the Europe, covering vastly more people. People live longer over here than in the US also.

The baby boomers are reaching retirment, the time at which the government picks up the tab for thier medical expenses.

Also why do you give a Sh** what Americans pay for the healthcare? I have used the Ameican health system and it is many many times better than the crap here in Ireland. In the State I lived in EVERYONE was covered by health insurance and they had some of the best hospitals in the world.

[seabhcan]

Countries like Ireland and the UK, who try to maintain lows taxes, low debt and don't demand compulsory health insurance, are witness to relatively poor public health outcomes.

Its incorrect to compare Ireland and the UK. The UK medical system is vastly superior to Ireland, and only a shade behind France.

[Kevin Doyle]

People are living longer that is why. The same demographic problems face the UK, France and Spain.

There is no problem paying for far better health care in the Europe, covering vastly more people. People live longer over here than in the US also.

The baby boomers are reaching retirment, the time at which the government picks up the tab for thier medical expenses.

Also why do you give a Sh** what Americans pay for the healthcare? I have used the Ameican health system and it is many many times better than the crap here in Ireland. In the State I lived in EVERYONE was covered by health insurance and they had some of the best hospitals in the world.

And what State was that?