Socialized Medicine shortages
Socialized medicine may help some people get basic medical care, but it is not the answer to our Healthcare problems in the United States.
Physicians per 100,000 people in the US averages about 275-300 with a range from a low of 170 in Idaho to more than 440 in Massachusetts. In Britain, they have 166 doctors per 100,000 of the population, while France and Germany have more than 300 doctors per 100,000. Most other areas in Europe have much, much lower numbers and places like Ghana has just 9 physicians per 100,000 of the population.
Recent articles from the BBC and other European publications continue to demonstrate that socialized medicine does not meet the needs or expectations of patients or physicians.
Here are a few recent articles defining how the medical and dental care in Europe is declining and how more physicians and dentists are going into private practice with a fee for service payment system. This is basically becoming a two-tiered system. Those who can afford care can choose who and what they want and those who cannot afford care either do not receive it or are on a very long waiting list.
BBC NEWS UK England Doctor shortage hits waiting list plan
NHS dentist shortage is exposed News This is London
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=416187&in_page_id=1774#StartComments
We have the capability to do better than this. We just need some innovative ideas, progressive thinkers, paradigm shifts, and a different mindset in our politicians.
Physicians per 100,000 people in the US averages about 275-300 with a range from a low of 170 in Idaho to more than 440 in Massachusetts. In Britain, they have 166 doctors per 100,000 of the population, while France and Germany have more than 300 doctors per 100,000. Most other areas in Europe have much, much lower numbers and places like Ghana has just 9 physicians per 100,000 of the population.
Recent articles from the BBC and other European publications continue to demonstrate that socialized medicine does not meet the needs or expectations of patients or physicians.
Here are a few recent articles defining how the medical and dental care in Europe is declining and how more physicians and dentists are going into private practice with a fee for service payment system. This is basically becoming a two-tiered system. Those who can afford care can choose who and what they want and those who cannot afford care either do not receive it or are on a very long waiting list.
BBC NEWS UK England Doctor shortage hits waiting list plan
NHS dentist shortage is exposed News This is London
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=416187&in_page_id=1774#StartComments
We have the capability to do better than this. We just need some innovative ideas, progressive thinkers, paradigm shifts, and a different mindset in our politicians.
posted by Anonymous at 5:50 AM
1 Comments:
I don't see how we can realistically compare our health care system to that of Europe. I know firsthand what the care is like in Holland. Two of my cousins (by marriage) had babies over there last year and they were both in the hospital for a week, were not allowed visitors except for their husbands and the grandparents and they had so many hours of education on caring for themselves and their baby. No wonder their infection rates are so low! The system seems to work for the people there but we need to change many things here. Not just the politicians, but with the current way of thinking among our citizens and the way of thinking of those who treat them. I for one am feeling the pain of having very high medical bills and at this point, I would have to say I would be more willing to support socialized medicine more than any other prospect out there.
Also, as far as the difference between rich and poor, isn't that the way the system is set up here? If you have a lot of money, you can afford to buy better insurance and there are now some physicians out there who take only private-paying patients. If you are poor or uneducated and don't have a high-paying job, you are stuck with Medicaid or poor insurance policies that don't cover much.
I would also like to make a comment about the last post and the compensation tables you posted. I would like to know if the person/persons who designed these tables were smoking crack or what because their numbers are Waaaaay out of line. For example, I believe a case manager/care coordinator was listed as making 91,000.00 per year. I worked at Floyd and made less than 50,000.00. I didn't complain about my salary - I thought I was compensated very well - but I also made less than what I made as a staff nurse. I was making about five dollars less per hour than what I made when I worked O.B. (including my night shift differential). So I do have to question the figures that you put out there.
At any rate, I am glad that people are finally getting to the point where they are feeling that something needs to be done about the system.
As far as doctor salaries go, $5.00 an hour is too much for some of the ones I know and a million dollars an hour isn't enough for others!
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