U.S.Health Insurance $12,888/yr

[frostyone]

The miracle of privatization.

according to a nationwide survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation realeased to-day: U.S. dollars

On average, health insurance for a family cost $10,880 this year,

proportion of employers providing health insurance continued its steady decline, falling to 60 percent

Family coverage under a "preferred provider organization," cost an average of $11,090,

Health maintenance organizations, $10,456 for a family,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/14/AR2005091400693_pf.html
_____

"preferred provider organization, Health maintenance organizations = you get treated where you're told. by a doctor chosen by someone else.

And if you change jobs? well...

But hey, could be worse.
Could be universal health care.

[Just Doug1]

It could be a bit of political spin, but here is some interesting counterpoint.

http://www.ncpa.org/ea/eajf92/eajf92g.htm

[Twan]

If someone were to calculate what the average Canadian pays in taxes to support health care, plus employer contributions to coverage, I'd be willing to bet that it's cheaper in the U.S.

[Quintin]

If someone were to calculate what the average Canadian pays in taxes to support health care, plus employer contributions to coverage, I'd be willing to bet that it's cheaper in the U.S.
However here in Canada even low income families and and no income have coverage.

[frostyone]

" I'd be willing to bet that it's cheaper in the U.S."

You'd lose your bet.

The World Health Organization produced an extensive report in 2000.
to quote a Unniversity of Maine study of the report:

"The United States has by far the most expensive health care system in the world"

One reason is that it is incredibly inefficient.
It is estimated that 19-24% is spent on adminstrative costs.
For profit hospital adminstrative costs are higher,,approaching 34%.
(New England Journal of Medicine)

The U.S. fares very poorly by any other standard.
Infant mortality higher, lower life expectancy etc, etc.
http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf

Here's another comparision
Although the United States spends fifty percent more on each cancer patient, Canada fares slightly better statistically in the overall figures:

Canadian and American health care systems compared
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_and_American_health_care_systems_compared

Health care in Canada
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Canada

[frostyone]

"It could be a bit of political spin"

Yeah.

"The National Center for Policy Analysis is a
"communications and research foundation dedicated to providing free market solutions to today's public policy problems ... [and] prides itself on aggressively marketing its products for maximum impact "

Their latest study is Global Warming is good for you.

It's funded primarily by right wing foundations and oil interests.

O of them The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation gave them a grant to study medicare.

The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation :
supports the organizations and individuals that promote the deregulation of business, the rollback of virtually all social welfare programs, and the privitization of government services.

[frostyone]

Sorry for multiple post.
I hate writi ng long ones.

One factor rarely mentioned is freedom of choice,

There's not a lot of freedom of choice under many U.S. plans.
You must go to an authorized hospital ( not your choice)
Be looked at by an authorized doctor ( again not your choice)
Who will choose from an "approved" list of treatments.
Approved by an insurer that is, whose interests are in saving money.

If you're laid off, you lose your insurance. Tough.

Try changing jobs if you, or one of your kids, has a medical problem.

You'll find you'll lose your old coverage, and the new insurer will call it a pre-existing condition.
Hence not covered. Too bad for you.

The rantings of the right wing in U,S. about universal health care, how there isn't any choice etc, are just that.. rantings.

The majority of Canadians have far more choice , and our doctors have more choice for treatmenst than in U.S. under their "managed" health care.