Comments on: Against universal health care: Romania’s disastrous example http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/ A fresh look at the thorns between the USA and the EU Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:33:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Karl T http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-195 Karl T Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:51:14 +0000 http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-195 For the government to provide healthvare would be an aweful idea. People dont realize that if that is the plan then we would have to pay for it anyway through taxes. And if that wasn't so then they would cut funding in other important areas like welfare or school funding. Also for the government to provide healthcare nothing would be done well. Think about how many government services that the government has right now that dont run nearly as smoothly as we had ever hoped. Such as the U.S. income tax system when they first provided It collected just one percent from the highest income citizens. A few years back the government made a tax siplification guide which was over 1000 pages long. Every trip to the doctors office would become a political battle the government would not look into every case wich they shpud although its nearly impossible to do so. For example if someone wanted a breast reduction surgery for the reason of looks, the person who needs the same surgery for back prblems would be denied. What about a hysterectomy for fibroid problems? What about a nose job to fix a septum problem caused in an accident? All would be denied for the reason of it being an "Elective Surgery" People wont decide not to go to the doctor for little things such a a cold or a sprained finger. They will figure, "Hey I'm already paying for it why not." Doctors would have to spend time on more patients with minor problems and people with critical problems would have to wait. Doctors will have poor flexibility and patients will recieve poor care. Also wages would probobally be lowered and may prevnt those who would evntually become a doctor. Noone is going to go to school for 8 years and want to reciev mediocre pay. Healthy people who hardly ever have to go into the docor will have to pay for people who abuse their bodies. Smokers, overeaters,people who dont excercise, and even drug users will be people who you will potentially be supporting. The entire health care industry would be worthless countless people would be tossed aside. There would be a long and arduous task of patient record creation and new database construction wich would aslo cost large sums of time and money. For the government to provide healthvare would be an aweful idea. People dont realize that if that is the plan then we would have to pay for it anyway through taxes. And if that wasn’t so then they would cut funding in other important areas like welfare or school funding. Also for the government to provide healthcare nothing would be done well. Think about how many government services that the government has right now that dont run nearly as smoothly as we had ever hoped. Such as the U.S. income tax system when they first provided It collected just one percent from the highest income citizens. A few years back the government made a tax siplification guide which was over 1000 pages long. Every trip to the doctors office would become a political battle the government would not look into every case wich they shpud although its nearly impossible to do so. For example if someone wanted a breast reduction surgery for the reason of looks, the person who needs the same surgery for back prblems would be denied. What about a hysterectomy for fibroid problems? What about a nose job to fix a septum problem caused in an accident? All would be denied for the reason of it being an “Elective Surgery” People wont decide not to go to the doctor for little things such a a cold or a sprained finger. They will figure, “Hey I’m already paying for it why not.” Doctors would have to spend time on more patients with minor problems and people with critical problems would have to wait. Doctors will have poor flexibility and patients will recieve poor care. Also wages would probobally be lowered and may prevnt those who would evntually become a doctor. Noone is going to go to school for 8 years and want to reciev mediocre pay. Healthy people who hardly ever have to go into the docor will have to pay for people who abuse their bodies. Smokers, overeaters,people who dont excercise, and even drug users will be people who you will potentially be supporting. The entire health care industry would be worthless countless people would be tossed aside. There would be a long and arduous task of patient record creation and new database construction wich would aslo cost large sums of time and money.

]]> By: Ubu http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-167 Ubu Thu, 20 Dec 2007 07:41:56 +0000 http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-167 I don't think is fair to make the Romanian health care system an example of the failure of socialized medicine. Some of you maybe don't know, but Romania is still recovering from the most destructive dictatorship in Europe, one disturbingly similar with North Korea. After the 1989 revolution, the communist economy collapsed and about 35% of the GDP melted away (keep in mind, that Romania was already the poorest country in Europe except Albania). Until recently, Romania was spending about 2%-3% out of a budget of around 20 billions of euros on health care. Take into account that the economic collapse was so destructive, Romania was the first country to have more pensioners than employed. This year, for the first time, the budget (around 40 billions euros now) sets aside 6% for health care. For the last approximately 40 years, the infrastructure was extremely neglected (no hospitals built, no new ambulances, etc), and only recently the system had enough money to start repairing the hospitals or invest in new equipment. But Romania is still unable to pay its doctors and nurses at levels comparable with other Central European nations so a lot of them (usually the best trained and most talented) choose to leave. If any of you think is possible to set up an efficient health care system with a budget of several billion euros, for a country of 21 million with 25% of its people living below poverty line, with 35% of the population surviving on subsistence farming, you must be nuts. I don’t think is fair to make the Romanian health care system an example of the failure of socialized medicine. Some of you maybe don’t know, but Romania is still recovering from the most destructive dictatorship in Europe, one disturbingly similar with North Korea. After the 1989 revolution, the communist economy collapsed and about 35% of the GDP melted away (keep in mind, that Romania was already the poorest country in Europe except Albania). Until recently, Romania was spending about 2%-3% out of a budget of around 20 billions of euros on health care. Take into account that the economic collapse was so destructive, Romania was the first country to have more pensioners than employed. This year, for the first time, the budget (around 40 billions euros now) sets aside 6% for health care. For the last approximately 40 years, the infrastructure was extremely neglected (no hospitals built, no new ambulances, etc), and only recently the system had enough money to start repairing the hospitals or invest in new equipment. But Romania is still unable to pay its doctors and nurses at levels comparable with other Central European nations so a lot of them (usually the best trained and most talented) choose to leave. If any of you think is possible to set up an efficient health care system with a budget of several billion euros, for a country of 21 million with 25% of its people living below poverty line, with 35% of the population surviving on subsistence farming, you must be nuts.

]]> By: universal health http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-166 universal health Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:15:57 +0000 http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-166 hi, New hopeful Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton says that if elected, she will deliver on a new universal healthcare system. The problem is, she doesn't have a plan. hi,
New hopeful Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton says that if elected, she will deliver on a new universal healthcare system. The problem is, she doesn’t have a plan.

]]> By: Paul http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-165 Paul Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:18:11 +0000 http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-165 Be careful comparing infant mortality statistics across countries. Very few countries even attempt to keep Be careful comparing infant mortality statistics across countries. Very few countries even attempt to keep

]]> By: Russ http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-164 Russ Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:23:01 +0000 http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2007/12/18/against-universal-health-care-romanias-disastrous-example/#comment-164 If only Hungary had it as bad as Romania does. They're imploding, too. Think a month's delay for hernia surgery, unless you can pay a very hefty bribe to the hospital to bump it up. (real case going on with family, right now) If only Hungary had it as bad as Romania does.
They’re imploding, too.

Think a month’s delay for hernia surgery, unless you can pay a very hefty bribe to the hospital to bump it up.
(real case going on with family, right now)

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