Trump: Australia has better healthcare system than US

[smilesammich 10,727]

this was so great. 

 

 

[OriZ 3,157]

 

Are there any Australians who can comment on their healthcare system? 

 

I don't know about it so I can't comment.

 

I can, however, relate to Sanders' comment on Canada's. I like it a hell of a lot better. Far more people get preventative care done, and in a province like Alberta, we have universal and our tax rate is ridiculously small. At 96k I'm taxed at 10% flat.

Omg I wish. We pay 15% right off the top(7.5% + 7.5% for SS since we're self employed) and then on the taxable for income tax it's much higher than 10%. Thennnn we also pay taxes on the business as well as personally(income tax) to the state of VT as well. Effectively, when you add it all up it comes out higher than 30%, and would be much higher if not for deductions. You'd think we were working for them, not the other way around and certainly not for ourselves.

 

 

President Trump has always showed signs he is in favor of a single payer system, so this doesn't surprise me.  I am not sure if I agree with him on that as in most cases this type of system is unsustainable, and the Federal government doesn't have a good track record relative to running a universal healthcare system (can you say VA).  From what I have seen, single payer/universal healthcare is really good for people that don't get sick and just do maintenance, but when things do take a turn south, wait times increase dramatically.

I agree with you and with Iamx that it is good in situations where people want to prevent illnesses. When we first signed up with BCBS I was talking to my doc cause I was used to getting routine bloodwork done every 6 months in Israel where it cost me not a single dime and have come to find out it was really hard to make them cover that here. My response was well no wonder so many people get sick, they can't afford to stay on top of things before they become an issue. I think routine/preventive work is incredibly important. I still do what I need to do and pay what I need to pay but it's a shame there are many people who go years without knowing their most basic levels of even the simplest labs, for example.

 

 

Like this example.  I think ERs and simple stuff is pretty good from a wait time standpoint, but God forbid you are an 18 year old needing a stem cell treatment to actually stay alive. 

 

https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2016/04/23/plea-from-dying-teen-please-help.html

 

Also, specialist wait times in Canada have increased to their largest values in 2016.

 

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/healthcare-wait-times-hit-20-weeks-in-2016-report-1.3171718

 

I am not saying that HC in Canada is good or bad, just that it is really different to apply this type of system to the US.  Personally, I like to think of this in a business sense, generally in business, we are very much against monopolies, but for some reason we will accept them in the health care business.

The issue I have here is healthcare should not be a business, and it shouldn't be for profit. Just like police and fire stations are not. It's about your safety, security and wellbeing - whether it be physical, mental, financial security(your ability to care for your family if you get sick) etc.

Edited May 6, 2017 by OriZ

[CaliCat 3,957]

 

I guess the next thing President Trump can say is that Australia has a better immigration policy?

 

 

I am surprised the so-called president didn't praise the Russian healthcare system.