Compare and contrast the healthcare systems discussed in Frontline's Sick Around the World documentary. Explain which system has done the best job of balancing private interests and public good and why.
Frontline’s documentary Sick Around the World really opened my eyes to other options the U.S. could implement into its own health care system. Although many in the U.S. oppose health care reform (myself included before seeing this documentary), there are many issues that other nations and countries have addressed very successfully that the American citizens may want to look at a bit closer. It appears the life expectancy of citizens of the nations that the have introduced universal health care exceeds those of the U.S. Could that have anything to do with the fact 46 million Americans without insurance, and even some of those that do have it, probably put off health maintenance or going to the doctor because they are unable to afford it? God forbid people do go to the doctor and find they have anything from migraines to cancer. If they do have insurance, their rates could possibly go up when it comes time to renew their policy. If they lose their insurance, it’s very likely the new carrier will determine their condition to be “pre-existing” and not cover any costs associated with that condition. The same rings true for those who lack insurance. If they do go to the doctor, any condition they seek treatment for can, and most likely will, be considered “pre-existing” to any future insurer. The insurance company will then either charge a higher premium or refuse to cover any future costs relating to that ailment. This does not seem to be an issue or cause for any concern in many other countries. There are many not-for-profit insurance carriers, doctors, and hospitals in countries such as Taiwan, Japan, and Switzerland. If they are allowed to make a profit, it is from non-basic services. They are not permitted to weed out the young and healthy from the old and frail. In fact, some nations have even recognized that people tend to become ill when they lose their jobs. This makes perfect sense considering once someone loses a job, stress levels increase due to increased pressure to find a new job, learn that new job, and still pay all the ongoing bills. Rather than canceling their medical coverage, that person is able to maintain adequate coverage through a publicly funded health care plan until they find new employment and sign up for that employers plan. I also found it intriguing how medical professionals, such as doctors, do not accrue increasing debt throughout their schooling. They actually receive a free education or one with minimal costs. That way, when doctors start practicing, they can offer affordable treatment and don’t have charge astronomical fees because they don’t have to pay off $200,000 of scholastic debt. The doctors can afford to become salaried employees and some seem to actually be very happy about the whole situation, which in turn, also seems to reflect in the better care they provide for their patients. So let’s get this straight. Low to no tuition at all produces doctors that don’t have insane academic debt to repay. This makes it so they can offer affordable health care to their patients. At the same time, the government has pulled together and made it so every citizen has health care coverage by making it so the insurance providers charge a flat or fair rate the people can afford. So now the people are getting the (preventative) health care they need and in turn, their citizens are living longer. Genius! The system that seems to have done the best job of balancing private interests and the public good seems to have been captured by Taiwan. They’ve done this while making it so the doctors and insurance providers still stay in business. Taiwan has taken the best concepts from many other countries with universal health care and created a system that makes it so none of their citizens are medically neglected.
With the documentary video “Sick Around The world,” I personally have learned a lot about the way other countries view and have health care. It amazes me that so many people are fully covered in other countries and that health care for their citizens is a right and nothing less of that. One country that stood out to me as far as how they came up with the idea to find what kind of a healthcare system they wanted was Taiwan. I was completely shock that they had just come up with their healthcare system and I was extremely impressed with the fact that they had spent so much time carefully evaluating and analyzing all flaws and the positive ways that other countries had practiced their health care system. I kind of liked their motto a lot, “the tread of the previous car is the teacher of the following car.” The Taiwanese had created their own process of making a healthcare system of their own. There mentality was to avoid mistakes that other countries had made or other countries were currently suffering from. With the Taiwanese looking at over 10 countries, cutting and pasting their ideal healthcare system; it took those over ten years to do this. In the end I feel that Taiwan has a more ideal healthcare system. America can learn from this. Yes, I think we all know that America is far from anything like universal healthcare system, but I think if America just did some investigation and looked at other healthcare system and took the necessary time; then I think America would find something that would work and fit all of its citizens. I’m not necessarily saying that America should all of a sudden adopt a universal health care plan, but what I am saying is that it’s time to do something. Even though it took the Taiwanese over a decade to do so and I’m not saying their healthcare system is perfect (no healthcare systems seems to be flawless so far), but all we’re doing in comparison is just sitting around and arguing about it. There’s no real solution and more time keeps passing by.
Watching the documentary "Sick Around the World" in class have made me realize alot about the different ways different countries run their health systems. Which was very interesting and i believe that the US should gather all the ideas in the world and put them and master them to make the US have the worlds best health system because seeing that video I personally like the way those countries run their health system plus people have longer lives and healthier they have no medical bills to stress about whether they lose their jobs or not, medical is available regardless. I like the way Thiwan thought about the health system they actually studied other countries health systems and learnt from it and made theirs better than the rest and i believe the united states should do the same as will.
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Frontline’s documentary Sick Around the World really opened my eyes to other options the U.S. could implement into its own health care system. Although many in the U.S. oppose health care reform (myself included before seeing this documentary), there are many issues that other nations and countries have addressed very successfully that the American citizens may want to look at a bit closer.
It appears the life expectancy of citizens of the nations that the have introduced universal health care exceeds those of the U.S. Could that have anything to do with the fact 46 million Americans without insurance, and even some of those that do have it, probably put off health maintenance or going to the doctor because they are unable to afford it? God forbid people do go to the doctor and find they have anything from migraines to cancer. If they do have insurance, their rates could possibly go up when it comes time to renew their policy. If they lose their insurance, it’s very likely the new carrier will determine their condition to be “pre-existing” and not cover any costs associated with that condition. The same rings true for those who lack insurance. If they do go to the doctor, any condition they seek treatment for can, and most likely will, be considered “pre-existing” to any future insurer. The insurance company will then either charge a higher premium or refuse to cover any future costs relating to that ailment.
This does not seem to be an issue or cause for any concern in many other countries. There are many not-for-profit insurance carriers, doctors, and hospitals in countries such as Taiwan, Japan, and Switzerland. If they are allowed to make a profit, it is from non-basic services. They are not permitted to weed out the young and healthy from the old and frail.
In fact, some nations have even recognized that people tend to become ill when they lose their jobs. This makes perfect sense considering once someone loses a job, stress levels increase due to increased pressure to find a new job, learn that new job, and still pay all the ongoing bills. Rather than canceling their medical coverage, that person is able to maintain adequate coverage through a publicly funded health care plan until they find new employment and sign up for that employers plan.
I also found it intriguing how medical professionals, such as doctors, do not accrue increasing debt throughout their schooling. They actually receive a free education or one with minimal costs. That way, when doctors start practicing, they can offer affordable treatment and don’t have charge astronomical fees because they don’t have to pay off $200,000 of scholastic debt. The doctors can afford to become salaried employees and some seem to actually be very happy about the whole situation, which in turn, also seems to reflect in the better care they provide for their patients.
So let’s get this straight. Low to no tuition at all produces doctors that don’t have insane academic debt to repay. This makes it so they can offer affordable health care to their patients. At the same time, the government has pulled together and made it so every citizen has health care coverage by making it so the insurance providers charge a flat or fair rate the people can afford. So now the people are getting the (preventative) health care they need and in turn, their citizens are living longer. Genius!
The system that seems to have done the best job of balancing private interests and the public good seems to have been captured by Taiwan. They’ve done this while making it so the doctors and insurance providers still stay in business. Taiwan has taken the best concepts from many other countries with universal health care and created a system that makes it so none of their citizens are medically neglected.
With the documentary video “Sick Around The world,” I personally have learned a lot about the way other countries view and have health care. It amazes me that so many people are fully covered in other countries and that health care for their citizens is a right and nothing less of that. One country that stood out to me as far as how they came up with the idea to find what kind of a healthcare system they wanted was Taiwan. I was completely shock that they had just come up with their healthcare system and I was extremely impressed with the fact that they had spent so much time carefully evaluating and analyzing all flaws and the positive ways that other countries had practiced their health care system. I kind of liked their motto a lot, “the tread of the previous car is the teacher of the following car.”
The Taiwanese had created their own process of making a healthcare system of their own. There mentality was to avoid mistakes that other countries had made or other countries were currently suffering from. With the Taiwanese looking at over 10 countries, cutting and pasting their ideal healthcare system; it took those over ten years to do this. In the end I feel that Taiwan has a more ideal healthcare system. America can learn from this. Yes, I think we all know that America is far from anything like universal healthcare system, but I think if America just did some investigation and looked at other healthcare system and took the necessary time; then I think America would find something that would work and fit all of its citizens. I’m not necessarily saying that America should all of a sudden adopt a universal health care plan, but what I am saying is that it’s time to do something. Even though it took the Taiwanese over a decade to do so and I’m not saying their healthcare system is perfect (no healthcare systems seems to be flawless so far), but all we’re doing in comparison is just sitting around and arguing about it. There’s no real solution and more time keeps passing by.
Watching the documentary "Sick Around the World" in class have made me realize alot about the different ways different countries run their health systems. Which was very interesting and i believe that the US should gather all the ideas in the world and put them and master them to make the US have the worlds best health system because seeing that video I personally like the way those countries run their health system plus people have longer lives and healthier they have no medical bills to stress about whether they lose their jobs or not, medical is available regardless. I like the way Thiwan thought about the health system they actually studied other countries health systems and learnt from it and made theirs better than the rest and i believe the united states should do the same as will.
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