Sometimes we get so caught up in the minutia of DC politics ...and the diaries that go there...we become distracted from the finish line. We find ourselves signing petitions galore, firing off emails to legislators who don’t read them, and donating to a multitude of progressively (pun intended) darker horses going down some distant stretch.
But this article in Sunday’s SF Chronicle pulled me back to the goal of meaningful healthcare reform for America and Americans. It focused on where we need to go....how and why...instead of focusing on the multitude of political why-nots and the personalities. I hope some of you find it as meaningful as I did.
The article: "Lessons on health care from Europe: Dutch, Swiss , German systems show it can work" starts off:
As Congress struggles to reform U.S. health care, critics point to Canada and Britain as the poster children of what could happen here with a "government takeover" of health coverage.
But three other wealthy nations - the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany - offer much closer parallels, as well as lessons.
Health care systems in the three nations more closely resemble the U.S. system of insurance-based coverage. Holland and Switzerland rely exclusively on private insurance, and all three rely on private doctors. The three European nations deliver universal coverage and world-class quality at a fraction of what Americans spend.
Don't forget to click on the image that has some good statistics!