NYT editorial: World’s Best Medical Care? "Michael Moore struck a nerve in his new documentary..."

[DeepModem Mom]

World’s Best Medical Care?
Published: August 12, 2007

Many Americans are under the delusion that we have “the best health care system in the world,” as President Bush sees it, or provide the “best medical care in the world,” as Rudolph Giuliani declared last week. That may be true at many top medical centers. But the disturbing truth is that this country lags well behind other advanced nations in delivering timely and effective care.

Michael Moore struck a nerve in his new documentary, “Sicko,” when he extolled the virtues of the government-run health care systems in France, England, Canada and even Cuba while deploring the failures of the largely private insurance system in this country. There is no question that Mr. Moore overstated his case by making foreign systems look almost flawless. But there is a growing body of evidence that, by an array of pertinent yardsticks, the United States is a laggard not a leader in providing good medical care.

Seven years ago, the World Health Organization made the first major effort to rank the health systems of 191 nations. France and Italy took the top two spots; the United States was a dismal 37th. More recently, the highly regarded Commonwealth Fund has pioneered in comparing the United States with other advanced nations through surveys of patients and doctors and analysis of other data. Its latest report, issued in May, ranked the United States last or next-to-last compared with five other nations — Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom — on most measures of performance, including quality of care and access to it. Other comparative studies also put the United States in a relatively bad light....

***

With health care emerging as a major issue in the presidential campaign and in Congress, it will be important to get beyond empty boasts that this country has “the best health care system in the world” and turn instead to fixing its very real defects. The main goal should be to reduce the huge number of uninsured, who are a major reason for our poor standing globally. But there is also plenty of room to improve our coordination of care, our use of computerized records, communications between doctors and patients, and dozens of other factors that impair the quality of care. The world’s most powerful economy should be able to provide a health care system that really is the best.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/opinion/12sun1.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

[babylonsister]

1. Michael Moore-thank you for shining the light!

You too, Mom!

[bahrbearian]

2. The US medical care is based on Raguns trickle down theory.

[xchrom]

3. wingers will discount this -- because it's in the nytimes.

[bvar22]

4. The RICHEST can buy the best HealthCare in the World in the USA.

So why is everybody bitching? :shrug:

[Lugnut]

5. K&R

George and Rudy can say those words but people who have to use this health care system know better. Anyone who hasn't seen Sicko needs to see it.

[Lint Head]

6. Mantra of the Republican rich. Fuck the poor.

[Liberty Belle]

7. I had dinner with 2 Republicans tonight, 1 an ex-Naval officer...

both agreed that every American should be entitled to the same healthcare plan that Congress gives itself!

We are making progress, folks. These people hadn't even seen Sicko yet--though after I discussed it, I think they will.

[Yael]

8. It isn't a question of our health CARE quality and we need to quit repeating this!

That would suggest that our medical personnel are at fault. We need to break people from repeating this fallicy.

It is a question of our health care COVERAGE that is the issue.

Lay the blame where it belongs -- on the healthcare-is-a-profitable-commodity INSURANCE industry.