While there are numerous misleading remarks in your post, this one stands out:
None of its false. You've never been to Europe. You've never used their system. How can you possibly expound on an issue where you only have half the info.
. Cost controls stifle innovation.
False. The United States is home to groundbreaking medical research, but so are other countries with much lower cost structures. Any American who's had a hip or knee replacement is standing on French innovation. Deep-brain stimulation to treat depression is a Canadian breakthrough. Many of the wonder drugs promoted endlessly on American television, including Viagra, come from British, Swiss or Japanese labs.
Aside from the foreign innovations/discoveries the guy reports in his article, I know for a fact that Germany was the leader on responses to AIDS and certain cancers. I know that because during the time I worked for an LA councilman we were looking for the most advancements in AIDS treatments. Twenty five percent of his district was gay and it was a big issue among them. I found that Germany had the lead......and during that time, I also found out that they were leading in the development of drugs to fight certain cancers. In fact, the biggest pharm. companies are in Europe, not the US. There is no question that the US is a leader in biotech research but that doesn't mean research has been stifled in Europe and other places.
While it is true you can find particular drugs, tests and devices that didn't originate in the US, half of medical innovation in the world comes from the US. Probably more.
I don't disagree and that won't stop because we reform our health care.
More importantly, essential discoveries like CT scannners, might be invented in other countries but literally cannot be developed and marketed there. The CT is a case in point. Discovered by the Brits, they tried to market it on their own, and failed miserably. Only after EMI licensed the technology to GE did it turn into a viable product that made peoples' lives better.
This is the way it works. The US has the economic and capital structure to ENCOURAGE innovation. These other countries have to innovate IN SPITE of where they're located.
The key to what you say up above is that we have the capital structure because of our greater size and wealth to fund more research than other countries. That too won't change under reform. |
