Hmm..maybe we need a FOREIGN option for health care

[kevinbgoode]

Since both the media and the GOP seem to think they are in charge of explaining why there is little need for any effective health care reform, perhaps someone needs to propose an amendment which authorizes the federal government to negotiate and pay a collection of foreign nations to provide health care to American citizens. While this wouldn't be effective in the most emergency situations, it seems to me that the hysteria among the GOP and the "blue dog" Democrats and the insurance companies begging to be allowed to maintain making obscene profits off of the health problems of Americans, that the Congress should just admit that the American health care system is rapidly approaching the non-affordability of a Third World country and we need assistance.

I wonder if someone could put together a flow chart comparing the prices for comparable services in the United States and several foreign countries, and then, in another margin, the cost for airfare and housing for medical attention. It would be quite interesting to figure out that, for example, an American could have a medical situation attended to in Paris (including airfare and housing) as it would cost in the United States.

Now obviously the wingnuts would scream, but we could simply point out that health care providers are scarce in the rural areas of our country anyway, so the time spent in transporting people to a regional medical center in THIS country (along with their always horrendous wait time) might not make it a different proposition. And the taxpayers can justify providing funds for purchasing health care in other countries by pointing out that we have 47 million Americans who have no insurance to pay the skyrocketing costs in the U.S. AND a hundred million more Americans who would, if they are treated in this country WITH their insurance, could face bankruptcy. Bankruptcy would, naturally, continue to feed the mortgage crisis, create more homeless and unemployed, and prevent the nation from recovering from the economic disaster.

Surely it can't be difficult to find people who have already been going to other countries for medical attention because the procedures are so much more inexpensive. If the United States Congress is incapable of recognizing this fact, then perhaps we should push for the FOREIGN option. . .and at least let the poor have a chance to get a nice vacation in a country where taxes are used to pay for services for the people, instead of financing the corporations who never get their hands out of our pockets.

hehehehe....just sayin'. . .

[Jackpine Radical]

1. I believe this sort of thing already happens with certain elective procedures

including plastic surgery (e.g. to reduce skin folds after major weight loss, declared not medically necessary by American insurers), etc. that are 80 or 90% less in foreign countries than here.

[Grey]

2. Lots of 'medical out-sourcing' already happens.

There was a long post about people flying to India for operations & after care (medical vacations), even companies covering the cost so their medical wouldn't go up. Moving elderly parents to other countries for long term care, etc. People buying houses in other countries so their pensions would cover live-in help. It's already happening.