In an international survey, Americans were least-satisfied with their health-care system

[marmar]

from MarketWatch:



Americans down on the U.S. health-care system
Dutch rate theirs most favorably of 10 industrialized nations
By Kristen Gerencher, MarketWatch



SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- International comparisons of health-care systems can be tricky to tease out, but the Dutch appear most satisfied with their system and Americans the least satisfied, according to a new survey of 10 industrialized countries.

The Dutch system was most popular with its citizens while adults in the U.S. were itching for national reform the most, according to Harris Interactive, which cited three separate data sets.

A third of Americans said they believe the U.S. system "has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it," while only 9% in the Netherlands hold such a sentiment about their health-care system. Twelve percent of Spaniards favored a complete overhaul, compared with 15% in France, 17% in New Zealand, 18% in Australia and 20% in Italy.

People in the Netherlands also were most likely to say their health-care system works well and needs only minor changes, with 42% holding that view vs. 29% who said so in France. About a quarter of participants in Canada, New Zealand and Australia were fairly satisfied with their health care. The U.S. and Italy were least likely to want minimal changes, with only 12% and 11% supporting just minor tweaks, respectively.

Americans are fed up with the headaches in their system, but that's generally not due to the quality of care they receive, said Uwe Reinhardt, professor of economic and public affairs at Princeton University. Had the survey asked participants about their most recent hospital stay, for example, the U.S. likely would've scored higher, he said.

"What Americans are upset about is the unbelievable hassle of having to select health insurance, maybe not getting it ... losing insurance when they lose their job," Reinhardt said. "The American citizen is massively insecure."

Doctors and nurses routinely hear demoralizing news that U.S. medicine is inferior "when the real problem is the way we finance health care and the hassle of claiming insurance," he said. ....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/americans-rate-us-health-care-system/story.aspx?guid=%7B86F29D04%2DFC2D%2D466F%2DADF6%2D2435468CE406%7D

[izquierdista]

1. I complained about my shoes....

.....until I met a man who had no feet.

I think all the Europeans' complaints are about their shoes.

[underpants]

2. This isn't fair-they didn't go poll the Canadians standing in line for surgery

I read it on the internets