From: Fred G. Mackey on
Eeyore wrote:
>
> Rudy Canoza wrote:
>
>
>>Fred G. Mackey wrote:
>>
>>>Eeyore wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>You can pay more for 'private' care in the UK too if you want to.
>>>>Either by electing to have an additional insurance policy or by paying on
>>
>>an >>ad-hoc basis. It's simply not compulsory and most ppl go with the normal
>>
>>>>provision most of the time.
>>
>>>But the ones who can afford it, do get private insurance. That's
>>>telling, isn't it?
>>
>>The most telling thing was back in the early 1990s,
>>when the premier of Quebec, Robert Bourassa, came to
>>the U.S. for cancer treatment. At that time, and maybe
>>still, Canada *prohibited* its citizens from having
>>supplemental health insurance. They took their
>>egalitarianism to an absurd extent, wanting rich and
>>poor, governors and governed, to die before getting
>>treatment.
>
>
> That sounds bizarre.

Not really.

> Sure about it ?
>

I've read that he did so as well.

> Graham
>
>
From: Eeyore on


Joe the Aroma wrote:

> "Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > Joe the Aroma wrote:
> >> "Eeyore" wrote:
> >> > "Bill Bonde ( 'Hi ho' )" wrote:
> >> >> Eeyore wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Are Boeing's pork-barrel military contracts a subsidy ?
> >> >>
> >> >> Boeing's military contracts are in its military aircraft division.
> >> >
> >> > Obfuscation.
> >> >
> >> > I'll take that as a "Yes, military contracts are a (hidden) subsidy".
> >> >
> >> > Graham
> >>
> >> Errr, no.
> >
> > Errr, yes.
> >
> > Graham
>
> Well, I suppose it's a matter of opinion, but I wouldn't call military
> contracts in and of themselves to be subsidies. Is every public/private
> contract a subsidy?

Military contracts have a long history of being very 'profitable' for
contractors.

Graham


From: Eeyore on


"Matthew T. Russotto" wrote:

> Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >Here's a classic example. It's all but the same chemical but the new version
> >gets a new period of patent protection which inflates profits for the drug
> >company and costs for the patient.
> >
> >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escitalopram
>
> From that article:
>
> "However preclinical as well as various clinical studies have shown
> differentiated effects of citalopram and escitalopram"

Damn subtle ones maybe !

Graham

From: Eeyore on


"Fred G. Mackey" wrote:

> Eeyore wrote:
> > John Mara wrote:
> >>Fred G. Mackey wrote:
> >>
> >>>But the ones who can afford it, do get private insurance. That's
> >>>telling, isn't it?
> >>
> >>Those who can afford BMWs get them instead of Toyotas. If someone wants
> >>luxury health care let them pay for it.
> >
> > Indeed. It's their choice after all. If you want gold-plated hospitals you can
> > pay for them, otherwise you don't have to.
>
>
> Are they paying for gold-plated hospitals?

They get nicely furnished private rooms and so on. That alone must be expensive.


> Or are they just paying to make sure they don't end up with inordinate wait times
> for medical procedures?

It is a way of queue-jumping if you feel you need it. I only wish I could say there
was never any waiting for treatment on the NHS. Serious conditions do get priority
of course.

Graham

From: Bill Bonde ( 'Hi ho' ) on


Eeyore wrote:
>
> "Bill Bonde ( 'Hi ho' )" wrote:
>
> > Eeyore wrote:
> > >
> > > The US system easily doubles or trebles the cost of equivalent care.
> >
> > Really? So it's no big deal to get an MRI in the UK?
>
> Well no AFAIK. I've never needed one Why would it be ?
>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3610753.stm
#begin quote
The government is to pay for new mobile MRI scanners in a bid to cut NHS
waiting times in England.

The machines will be used to carry out an extra 80,000 scans a year,
boosting NHS capacity by 10%.

MRI scans are used to diagnose a range of medical problems, including
cancer, heart disease and epilepsy.

Health Secretary John Reid has invited bids from the private sector to
supply the new machines and staff to operate them from this summer.

A report published in 2002 found over half a million people were waiting
in England and Wales for a MRI scan.

The Audit Commission said a lack of machines and staff was to blame.

Last year, the Royal College of Radiologists warned that cancer patients
were dying unnecessarily partly because of a shortage of MRI scanners.
#end quote


http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070513170347AAiJ7z9
#begin quote
If the waiting time for a MRI @ the local NHS is longer than 15 weeks,
can I go to another centre instead?
#end quote

Keep in mind that in the US, you are in the ER and you need an MRI, they
just take you over to get one.