Scott, it's not the medical profession. It's the business profession. (I used to get in such big arguments with my dad about this. Doctors banding together as some sort of trade guild could have prevented the travesty that has come since. He hated it when I would bring that up.) HMOs have imposed the model of a publicly held business that must show double-digit growth every year to stockholders. Decisions which should be strictly in doctors' hands are made by managers. Costs skyrocket (double digits yearly, as I said). Obstacles are thrown in your path to discourage you from using the medical coverage someone (you or your employer) is getting bled for. The amount of attention you can get when you visit medical facilities is dangerously restricted. It is a monstrously corrupt system with a few huge winners and millions of losers, including to a lesser degree the doctors themselves. Socialized medicine, with all its inevitable ills, would be a step up for most Americans. (For 50 million, it would be an infinite step up, from nothing.)
You're still young enough to have the odds on your side. You're very unlikely to develop cancer, or some other serious ailment for at least 10 more years. After that, you're rolling the dice if you ignore known risks and ugly symptoms.
Yea that is pretty much it.
Healthcare in the USA is unfortunately treated like a business. America has most things right about its structure, but healthcare is in a shit hole. Doctors are approached constantly by pharmaceutical companies, and given "incentives" to promote their own drugs. Hell, in a way, they are like game reviewers, who give somewhat better reviews at the chance for exclusives.
And as we've said before, these health care companies continued to (until two years ago) report record profits, yet at the same time failed to provide proper services to paying customers (some of whom were left bankrupt, while others had to fight such a lengthy battle getting approved, that it was too late by the time coverage was approved)... and these guys have been some of the biggest election contributors of the past twenty years. Surely... surely, there is an obvious link.
European health care is excellent. Healthcare in the middle east is quite stellar. South East Asia, not so good, but that's because of poverty.
Socialized medicine, with all its inevitable ills, would be a step up for most Americans. (For 50 million, it would be an infinite step up, from nothing.
What inevitable ills? I believe all essential healthcare services should be socialized. I mean your fire department, your police department and your postal service is socialized, right? And it is top notch. I know you guys hate USPS, but trust me, I have been sending shipments all over the world for years, and can easily state that USPS is heads and shoulders above the rest -- despite its flaws.
European healthcare is socialized, and most European countries are rated to have the best care. On average there are less wait times, the fees don't end your life, and patients are never refused. The doctors there earn pretty well too.
I have a lot of family in the UK, some of whom moved from Virginia, and they say the difference in health care service is remarkable.
One of our ex staff writers, Slap_Happy was in Thailand for vacation, when he had an appendix emergency. He said it was removed etc, and he was discharged in three days, received first class care, and paid a fraction of what he would have had to pay in the USA.
Again, it isn't like these doctors working in the socialist system aren't earning brilliantly well, or are being forced to work either.
