One of the many wrong facts that keep being repeated by Republicans is that the US health care system is the “best in the world.” John Boehner just said that ““This (the ACA) is going to destroy the best health care delivery system in the world,”
That is some typical fantastical thinking that is hardly worth taking the time to debunk. (It is nice to see that DL readers don’t suffer from such delusions). Anyway, it turns out that France has the best healthcare system in the world. It was a conscious choice. And, surprisingly, it isn’t single payer.
French healthcare was rated the best overall in the world by the World Health Organisation in 2000 – a ranking it has not updated because of the political fallout. A decade on, with all countries struggling to contain health costs as treatment becomes more expensive and populations age, France still accords health a very high priority, in line with its inhabitants’ expectations. Although there is always talk, France looks unlikely to take drastic action to try to fill the “great hole” of €23bn (£20bn) everybody talks about in the social security budget, which is mostly caused by healthcare. The most recent OECD figures, for 2008, show that France spent 11.2% of GDP on health. The UK spent 8.7%.
France has an insurance-based system. Patients must pay up front for their healthcare and are reimbursed mostly by the state but partly by their “mutuelle” – a private or employment insurance provider. The state shoulders about 70% of the cost, or 100% for chronic diseases such as cancer or diabetes. For those who are too poor to pay into a mutuelle, there is a safety net – the CMU (Couverture Maladie Universelle) established in 2000. There are standard charges – it costs €23 to see a GP – but some doctors charge extra. Patients can choose to be treated in the public or private sector.
What is America #1 at? (See Below – it is an impressively depressing list). Also, what’s my point?
My point is, while France DECIDED to be #1 in the world at healthcare, and worked toward that goal, we have decided to be #1 at nothing. What national goals are we moving forward? If anyone knows of any please fill me in. For a while we decided to be #1 in space exploration, but that was because we didn’t want the Soviets to take the blue ribbon.
With our natural and human resources we could have decided to own renewable energy R&D, but that is tough when we are so committed to widespread ignorance on the topic. We could have decided to be the fasting growing country in the field of sustainable manufacturing – but that might add two cents to the price of brooms at Wal Mart, so that is out. It seems that our goals are mired in the same stupidity that afflicts our politics.
As a result, our default goal seems to be related to further enriching a smaller and smaller percentage of our population.
That is an odd goal that doesn’t really pay many dividends to the bulk of the citizenry, but fuck it. American #1 Here are our other superlatives:
– America has the highest incarceration rate and the largest total prison population in the entire world by a good margin.
– There are more car thefts in the United States than anywhere else in the world by far.
– Of all the major industrialized nations, America is the SECOND most obese. Mexico is #1 (for now).
– The average American drinks more than 600 sodas a year – the most in the world.
– U.S. corporations sell more fast food and more soda than anyone else in the world by a wide margin.
– Nobody watches more television per week (28 hours) than Americans do. Although to be honest, people living in the UK are tied with us.
– The United States leads the world in credit card fraud.
– The United States has the highest percentage of one person households on the entire planet.
– The United States has the highest divorce rate in the world by a good margin.
– The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the world by far.
– There are more school shootings in America than anywhere else in the world.
– The United States has the highest child abuse death rate in the world.
– There are more “deaths by reptile” in America than anywhere else in the world.
– The United States has the most lawyers per capita in the entire world.
– The United States produces more pornography than any other nation in the world.
– Americans take more prescription drugs than anyone else in the world.
– More is spent on prescription drug advertising in America than anywhere else in the world.
– The percentage of women taking antidepressants in America is higher than in any other country in the world.
– More people have been diagnosed with mental disorders in America than anywhere else on earth.
– The United States has the highest rate of illegal drug use on the entire globe.
– There is more credit card debt in America than anywhere else in the world.
– There is more mortgage debt in America than anywhere else in the world.
– There is more student loan debt in America than anywhere else in the world.
– U.S. citizens spend more time in school than anyone else in the world. So why are so many of us dumb as a rock?
– Nobody in the world gets more plastic surgery done than Americans do.
– The United States leads the world in eating disorder deaths.
– According to nationmaster.com, the United States has the most total reported crimes in the world by far.
– The United States spends much more on health care as a percentage of GDP than any other nation on the face of the earth.
– The United States spends more on the military than the next 12 nations combined.
– The United States has the most foreign military bases in the world by far.
– The United States exports more arms to other countries than anyone else in the world.
– Americans spend more time sitting in traffic than anyone else in the world.
– Americans spend more money on elections than anyone else does in the world by a very wide margin.
– Every single year, the United States has the largest trade deficit in the world by far.
AWESOME !