France, Japan and Australia rated best and the United States worst in new rankings focusing on preventable deaths due to treatable conditions in 19 leading industrialized nations, researchers said on Tuesday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22554235/

Now, how is it the GOP nominees can say with a straight face that the US has the best healthcare on the planet?

Our friends in France are big on nuclear power, an excellent way to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

Oui Oui Monsieur Sarkozy!

Frenchy Herb
You want fries with that?

People live longer over there because they have universal health care. Just watch the movie Sicko to see what I mean. What do we do here. Say a prayer because that's all anyone can afford. I wouldn't mind living in France. I would be a hell of a lot better off......

I gave you a hole big enough to drive a truck through Herb, so let's hear that right-wing crap.

Aw, don't worry Aok.

I'm with you on a lot of it, now that the French are our pals and not tipping off Saddam with our Intel.

Chirac was a real piece of work. This Sarkozy guy is not nearly so anti-American. As a direct consequence of the French elections this past year, I'm now fine with fine French wine.

Adieu, monsieur et merci beaucoup'

Herb

Herb has culture? Who knew?

Culture? It's just the yogurt talking. Or is it mold?

Sie sind sehr nett.
Ich danke dafur.
Auf wiedersehen,

Herb

From the online translator:

"They are very nice.
I thank dafur.
On see again,

Herb"

That's the most sense you've ever made.

Maybe it's his bottle of "Blue Nun" talking?

After reading the story, I had an urge to find out some more about "The Commonwealth Fund," which was the group responsible for funding the research. Reading through some of the group's web page, it appears to be a think tank that advocates more government involvement in providing health insurance. They explicitly say that they are for people who are covered under private plans, such as those provided by employers, having the right to stay covered under those plans. However, like many think tanks, there is a chicken-and-egg issue that I can't figure out: was this group really created with an "agnostic" attitude towards their issue (healthcare), or was the group created under the presumption that the government needs to provide health insurance, and their research is then intended to back up these presumptions. In other words, is this group an academic research group or is it ideologically driven?

Interesting article. I'm not surprised we did so poorly though. As the article disclosed, no one is saying the quality of health care people receive is poor in the US, only that a significant number of people aren't receiving it in the first place. So it sort of takes the debate back to where it's always been; the question focuses on whether health care should be an entitlement provided or guaranteed by the government, or something you purchase voluntarily in the private sector.

I agree that something needs to be done about access to health care in this country. But at the same time, I know that a more capitalistic society such as ours will always have economic winners and losers. It just becomes a question of how sweet it is at the top (high taxes vs. low taxes), and how bitter it is at the bottom (basic needs like food and shelter guaranteed vs. the 'don't work- don't eat' mentality). This is the part we continue to debate, as I think it is healthy to do in America.

I would like to see a "default" health care plan available to all Americans. This would ensure that someone who needed medical treatment could get it, without being burdened with insurmountable medical bills, and likely filing for bankruptcy. I would allow people with private insurance policies to keep their coverage if they wanted to. I would encourage people to demand that their employer provide private coverage, because the "default" coverage would not be intended to be superior to the private companies. This would encourage the private sector to provide more affordable health care, but not leave anyone who needed care out in the cold.

Some of my conservative friends criticize my opinion on this, and say it's not the responsibility of the tax payer to take care of everyone's health care. Honestly, my opinion on this is really not based on sympathy. It's based on a desire for order in the system. The problem is that we already do pay for other people's medical treatment. If someone goes into an emergency room with an emergency condition, the law in all 50 states requires some sort of stabilizing care to be given. If this person lies about their identity, or simply cannot pay the potentially staggering bills when they come, the hospital ends up absorbing the cost of the treatment. So, the hospital charges really high prices for even simple things like gauze and band-aids. So in the end, the average citizen pays for it anyway through higher medical costs, which translates to higher insurance premiums. My idea for a default plan would simply organize the current state of chaos when it comes to health care for the uninsured. The only other alternative would be to not require that stabilizing care be given to anyone who needs it in an emergency room, which I think would be inhumane. I would also like to see American citizens be able to buy prescription drugs from Canada, and some sort of cap on the cost of drugs in the US. My opinion on this is not personally motivated; I've personally always had top-notch insurance coverage, since I was a child. It's just about creating some order to the system.

Shane, your conservative friends are wrong and you are right. I agree 100% with you on what you just wrote. I've always had top notch coverage as well. I'm lucky. Every year my employer provides every employee a breakdown of what YOU cost to the company. My insurance coverage for health and dental was just shy of $6000/yr, which covers just me! I'm lucky that I don't pay a single penny for this benefit because my employer feels it's important to retain good people.

There should be a default plan available for all, and those that have private insurance through an employer or have the jack to pay extra for top notch coverage, should continue to have that choice available to them. Drugs should be able to be imported as well. American consumers should be able to buy Canadian drugs if they want, it's a free country isn't it?

Herb, that's the most sense you've ever made.

That's an OXYMORON.

Interesting how people have no problem with the concept of basic public education - something important that every child should receive, with no regard to income, residence, etc - yet people choke on the idea of doing the same thing for basic health coverage. How is access to basic education any different than access to basic health care?