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Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (18619)	8/5/2010 3:42:59 AM
From: dybdahl	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

"in Sweden you can put up your tent on private property without asking," - "Yikes! " It always sounds wrong when presented in a different context... so I better explain it: Sweden is a country with very low population density. If you travel in Sweden with a tent, and you find a suitable place to put up the tent, you can do that. However, if you have any idea who the area belongs to, you should ask, first. If you ask, you will probably get some tips, maybe even a recommended better location, and access to water - Swedes are extremely friendly and happy to meet new people. If you travel by bicycle, many would let you put up your tent in their back garden... that's how open they are. But, if you don't ask, and have a good reason for that, it is not a big problem. In Sweden, the right is guaranteed by the constitution, and it is seen as a vital part of individual freedom. You can read more about it here: en.wikipedia.org The article doesn't mention Denmark, but in Denmark we have the right to walk on any road, and in almost any forest, as long as we keep on the path, and we have the right to walk along the coast everywhere. It is basically impossible to own a beach here. Even if you buy a fully island, you cannot disallow that people arrive by canoe and use the beach. You can disallow them to go into the island, but as long as they stay on the beach and pay respect to nature and animals, there is nothing the island owner can do. You may go swimming naked, if you want, and the island owner still cannot prevent you from doing that. Few people would care anyway, but that's another issue. Basically, countries that do not provide similar rights, are seen as lacking freedom. I still remember the first time I saw a beach where you had to pay to get access (Rome, Italy). I had never thought about that possibility before, and it was extremely disturbing and frustrating experience, it violated my perception of Italy as a free country, and by principle I rejected to pay so I didn't go to the beach that day. I am sure that my daughter would feel the same, if I took her to such a place. Germans sue each other for many things. I think they have as many lawyers per inhabitant as USA, something that is hard for us Scandinavians to comprehend. We don't sue each other, we talk about it and use standard solutions where terms are set by the law. An employment contract was not required until the 1990s, and are usually still less than a page long.

To: Lane3 who wrote (18619)	8/5/2010 11:43:55 AM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 42652

8 reasons why healthcare costs are rising 1 comment in Health policy and politics by George Lundberg, MD In early June, 2010, MedPage Today posted a survey question asking readers to identify the primary driver of rising healthcare costs. More than 1,200 readers responded by answering: 24%, Increased insurance premiums; 22%, New technology; 22%, Malpractice costs; 12%, Drug costs; 3% Increased physician payment; Other — 16%. I voted “Other.” This survey, like most, misses the main point. It is the decisions of patients and physicians that are the principal drivers of healthcare costs. This survey did not provide that answer to choose. Finger-pointing elsewhere by the responsible individual is typical. These are the main drivers of healthcare costs: 1. Patients with insurance who consider medical care a “freebie” with no cost consequences. 2. Physicians who neither practice evidence-based medicine nor include costs in their decisions. 3. The absence of realistic cost transparency. 4. Decisions driven by the pervasive mystique of “defensive medicine,” which now dictates hugely expensive (and lucrative) “defensive practice standards.” 5. Hospitals that want to fill beds, especially ICU beds, and aggressively market the newest and most expensive technology, beautifully performing tests, and treatments that patients often do not need. 6. Insurance companies that primarily care about making money for their owners and senior executives. 7. Drug companies that successfully push use of their most expensive drugs. 8. The extraordinary success of “American Marketing” as a dominant cultural behavior. Those eight powerful factors are the primary drivers and, unchecked, they will bankrupt our beloved America. George Lundberg is a MedPage Today Editor-at-Large and former editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Originally published in MedPage Today. kevinmd.com