– I hear from my conservative friends, and read in portions of the U.S. press, about how terrible socialized medicine is; the long waits, the shabby service and the absence of advanced medical technologies.
– I’ve interacted some with the health care system in New Zealand and that hasn’t been my finding at all.
– And, watching Michael Moore’s movie, Sicko, has convinced me that it is probably not the case in Canada, Britain or France as well.
– A friend of mine who moved to Exeter in Britain last year has writen on her Blog about about her experiences of the British system and I thought it sounded pretty good.
– Now, here’s an article from Mother Jones about a family that’s just spent 18 months in Amsterdam and their take on it is positive as well.
– Sounds like there might be a pattern here, eh?
– I personally think that the big corporate world has captured the American medical system in its net and has turned it into a system for the generation of profit rather than a system that puts our health first. Â I also think that the more these folks can convince us (the American public) that socialized medicine is a terrible evil, the longer that can continue to avoid losing their cash-cow.
– Think I’m cynical?  Read on.
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So what does Russell Shorto think of Dutch healthcare after spending 18 months in Amsterdam?
My nonscientific analysis — culled from my own experience and that of other expats whom I’ve badgered — translates into a clear endorsement. My friend Colin Campbell, an American writer, has been in the Netherlands for four years with his wife and their two children. “Over the course of four years, four human beings end up going to a lot of different doctors,” he said. “The amazing thing is that virtually every experience has been more pleasant than in the U.S. There you have the bureaucracy, the endless forms, the fear of malpractice suits. Here you just go in and see your doctor. It shows that it doesn’t have to be complicated. I wish every single U.S. congressman could come to Amsterdam and live here for a while and see what happens medically.”
More… ➡
The article referenced within this article is very much worth a read as well. You can see it here: ➡
Tags: Healthcare