US health care is one of the main reasons I would never live there. It scares the shit out of me, quite frankly.
Some neighbours of mine moved down here from the UK several years ago. They became naturalised Australians, both had good jobs, then decided to have kids. They went through the public health care system, the birth went off without a hitch at the local hospital, room privided for the duration of the uneventful stay, and everyone went home happy.
A normal birth sequence in Australia.
Cost?
Nothing.
Even coming from the socialised UK system, they were amazed.
Nationalised health care should be the norm. It's one of the things that governments can and should do properly, instead of trying to fight never ending wars and attempting to control the economy. Hell, even Cuba can do that properly. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either misinformed or just bullshitting.
so tell me something master Chuck...why is that Australian children have to come to the United States for some treatments like those supported by the worthy "Operation Oz Kids"?
The treatments did not exist in Australia, and their Australian coverage did not cover the costs here, which were $500,000 american for 33 months of treatment.
(I have deleted the names of the children since it would not be right to have their names on LPSG)
Operation OzKids is a Fund of the American Australian Association was established in 2003 to assist Australian children needing urgent and specific medical treatment in the USA, which is unavailable to them in Australia.
The Fund was established at the behest of individuals who witnessed the life struggle of late (name redacted), a young Australian boy who was suffering from leukemia and was in need of another bone marrow transplant. His family had come to the United States to enable him to receive medical treatment here. (Name redacted) passed away April 15, 2003 following a 33-month battle with childhood leukemia, specifically, acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The (name redacted) family’s Australian medical coverage and government assistance did not cover the massive expenses incurred by (name redacted) treatment in the United States. To cover their medical costs, which were in excess of $500,000, the family sold their house and business, exhausted all of their resources, and borrowed money from family and friends.
The Association’s Fund, ‘OperationOzKidsUSA.org’ is now assisting (name redacted) a six year old Australian boy receiving treatment in New York for a rare form of cancer; he has been diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma in July 2004. Fundraising efforts in Australia have assisted (name redacted) and his family to come to the United States for treatment in New York City. In Australia contributions may be made to The (name redacted) Fund which is a tax deductible charity in Australia.
Of course Chuck since NAtionalizd Medicine works so fantastically everywhere, let us look at some of the problems in Australia.
The key problems with the health system are:
·the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
·many Australians cannot access health care when and where they need it
·a chronic shortage of doctors, nurses and other health professionals
·insufficient focus on prevention and primary care
·the inefficient allocation of resources caused by the current State/ Commonwealth funding structure.
About AHCRA
---
A health workforce for the 21st centuryThe willingness of doctors and other health professionals to work extended hours has diminished as the health workforce ages, as the proportion of women in the health workforce increases, and as individuals seek to balance work and family life.
11 Work, social and educational aspirations of health professionals and their families influence decisions about where to live and practise, and their criteria may not easily be met outside metropolitan areas.
These and other factors have led to problems in the supply and distribution of the health workforce (
Box 3).
11,
12 There are serious shortages of general practitioners, dentists, nurses and some key allied health workers. Shortages are more significant in outer metropolitan, rural and remote regions, especially in Indigenous communities, and in particular areas of care, such as mental health, aged care, and disability care. Overseas-trained doctors now make up 25% of the medical workforce compared with 19% a decade ago.
13
The Australian Health Ministers’ Conference developed the National Health Workforce Strategic Framework in 2004 to address these issues, but its implementation has faltered because of lack of national leadership and lack of integration across health and education bureaucracies, governments, and public and private training sectors.
14
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My family has several dear friends in Australia who we adore. Strangely, three of them have/had cancer and they all came here for their treatment.
you of course neglect to mention that "The Australian government has introduced a number of incentives to encourage adults to take out private hospital insurance."
and of course this gem:
Poor services
State governments are responsible for managing
hospitals and
community health care centres. Services across the country have been routinely criticised for lengthy waiting times in emergency rooms and for non-life threatening operations[
citation needed]. Poor standards at New South Wales hospitals were highlighted after Jana Horska had a miscarriage in an emergency room toilet at
Sydney's
Royal North Shore Hospital. In October 2008, many hospitals in
New South Wales were threatened with closure from non-payment of bills for necessary medical supplies.
[9]
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shocking to see you rear your head in a thread and then use it to extoll an anti-american theme.
big surprise that.
still waiting for your answer in the ISrael thread by the way, which you of course ignored.