Quote:Hmm, as far as doing better, that depends on who you are. If your younger and healthier, they are better. If you are older and need a relatively mundane procedure but are above the age cut off, America is great. I had a 70+ year old Canadian come for a procedure a few years ago and was paying cash. I was very curious as to why so I asked her. The Canadian Government had decided she was to old at the low 70's and didn't qualify for it. This despite the fact that she was in great health otherwise, and the procedure was relatively low risk, and would undoubtedly extend her life. So she came down to Florida and had it done for cash.

 

But then you get on the flipside where you are giving demented 96 year old hip replacements (for the 3 or 4th time) cause they keep jumping out of bed. I guarantee Australia isn't doing that. I have heard it quoted many times that something like 2/3rds of the cost of our care is in the last year of life. You wouldn't get most of that care in other countries.

 

Does it save them money? Most certainly. Should we do it? Its not an American trait to tell people to just go off to the wood shed and die. Its why there is so much talk about death panels etc. I honestly think our culture is more responsible for the cost than anything else. When people get Cancer in the US, they don't just get their affairs in order, they ask what can I do to beat this? So until just letting folks die becomes culturally acceptable, you won't won't just cut our costs. Medicare tries and just cuts the cost anyway and it doesn't work, cause more people get old and sick than ever before.

 

So its a double whammy IMO, we have a culture that is both more unhealthy on average, and more unwilling to ride off into the sunset. Combined with our leading role in medical research and development you get the highest cost system in the world. Add in some good ol fashioned greed and middle men, and it becomes even worse.  Its just not a black and white thing.