"tcomeau" <tunderbar@hotmail.com> wrote in message

You are comparing apples and oranges. You should be comparing government
insurance programs among nations.
The US does not have a national monopolistic system.
The US medicare system provides less than regular private insurance
companies in effect lowering the quality of care as what happens with
government programs.
If anything it shows that the US Medicare program for the elderly sucks.
It also doesn't show tha life expectancy of HIV or IV abusers in those
countries or the life expectancy for the poor in comparison.

news:b550f406.0408260650.dabb62c@posting.google.com...

http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Publ
icly_funded_medicine#Public_systems_around_the_world

Public systems around the world

In Australia the current system, known as Medicare, was instituted in
1984. It coexists with a private health system. Currently, the tax
levy system of funding Medicare has lead to a severe revenue
shortfall, with increased costs to patients. This has triggered
reforms by the Howard government to the scheme. Many critics claim
that these reforms are in fact a move away from the principle of
universal health care.

Canada has a federally-sponsored publicly funded medicare system, but
each province may opt in or out but none curretnly do. Basic services
are wholly public, with no fee for service allowed. Other areas of
health care such as dentistry and optometry are almost wholly private.
In Finland the publicly funded medical system is funded by taxation
and every citizen has a state-funded health insurance. The system is
comprehensive and compulsory, like in Sweden, and a small patient fee
is also taken.

In France, most doctors remain in private practice; there are both
private and public hospitals. Social Security is a public organization
(actually, several of them) distinct from the state government, and
with separate budgets. It generally refunds patients 70% of most
health care costs, and 100% in case of costly or long-term ailments.
Supplemental coverage may be bought from private insurers, most of
them nonprofit, mutual insurer s.

In Israel, the publicly funded medical system is universal and
compulsory. Payment for the services are shared by labor unions, the
military, and the treasury.

In Sweden, the publicly funded medicine system is comprehensive and
compulsory. Physician and hospital services take a small patient fee,
but the services are funded through the taxation scheme of the County
Councils of Sweden.

In 1948, the United Kingdom passed the National Health Service Act
that provided free physician and hospital services to all citizens.
Most doctors and nurses are on government payroll and receive
salaries, a fixed fee for each patient assigned, and enhanced payments
for specialized treatments or skills. The National Health Service has
been amended from time to time, but is largely intact. Around 86% of
prescriptions are provided free. Prescriptions are provided free to
people who satisfy certain criteria such as low income or permanent
disabilities. People that pay for prescriptions do not pay the full
cost. For example, in 2004 most people will pay a flat fee of £6.40
(€9.64, US$11.76) for a single drug prescription regardless of the
cost (average cost to the health service was £11.10--about €16.70,
US$20.40--in 2002). Funding comes from a hypothecated health insurance
tax and from general taxation. Private health services are also
available.

The United States has been virtually alone among developed nations in
not maintaining a publicly-funded health-care system since South
Africa adopted one after toppling its apartheid regime, but a few
states have taken serious steps toward achieving this goal, most
notably Minnesota. Other states, while not attempting to insure all of
their residents strictly speaking, cover large numbers of people by
reimbursing hospitals and other health-care providers using what is
generally characterized as a "charity care" scheme; New Jersey is
perhaps the best example of a state that employs the latter strategy.

***

TC

Are you suggesting Americans eat more like the Japanese?

PaulP