More UHC

This is information I gathered on from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development site. The costs and comparisons I found, and use here, were for inustrialized nations only. And, are for the year 2002.

In the U.S. we pay more for pharmaceuticals, hospital stays and physican visits than in any other industrialized country. For instance, it was found that for a hospital day, in the U.S. the cost was $2,434. While in Canada a hospital day cost $870.

Per capita, the U.S. ranks near the bottom of all industrialized nation for hospital beds available, physicians and nurses, and available technology (MRI/CT). It seems possible that two of the reasons for higher health costs could be greater intensity of care (I do not know the exact meaning of this phrase) in hospitals and the higher frequency of use of MRI/CT technology.

Anytime Universal Health Care is discussed, the cost to tax payers is raised. That is certainly something to be considered. Total health spending in the U.S. in the year 2002, was $1.55 Trillion, or $5,267 per capita. Of that money spent, 46% came from government. The next highest cost per capita is roughly $2,000 dollars less. The major difference of course, is that all other industrialized nations cover the basic health coverage of all it's citizens. In the U.S. over 45 million of our citizens are without coverage of any kind. I found no statistics for costs per patient covered by the government. Nor did I find anything indicating what that money covered. It seems to me that to extend the Medicare program to all would not be that much of a stretch. Especially in light of the billions now being squandered in Iraq.

One other item of note, was this statistic found concerning malpractice. With the big push in many states to cap payments on medical malpractice suits, one would think that the cost had to be in the billions. However, malpractice payments take up .o5% of that money.

With the information available, I have to wonder if the free market is conducive to the better good in as far as medicine is concerned. And, again my question. Why do we not have Universal Health Care in this country?