This is when you know reform is needed:

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

The Economist praises the Swedish health care system over the American on issues of incentives.

Article linked here:

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13899647

Also....an image worth keeping in mind for defenders of the broken system:



Now, there's something wrong with this picture. See if you can tell me what it is.....

X-posted from my own LJ.

Comments

[redheadrat.livejournal.com]

The thing is that I've had it with all the metrics.

The view on healthcare should be comprehensive and should come from observation of large samples of real people over some period of time.

Back in 1987 in USSR I got my shots in school, during 1st grade Russian language class. All the students got lined up and marched to nurses' office. Everyone got the required shots (copies of med records were held in school) using multiple use steam sterilized syringes. Same way the medical care was for dental checkups (there was a dental office in school) and just regular checkups. This is how to achieve 100% immunization rate simply, cheaply and effectively. I was lucky, this region was rich, but not hospitable (like Alaska), so in order to keep the population anywhere close to being in working condition, the medical system was setup pretty well and upto the spec; in other areas it was a disaster everywhere except the reports.

[weswilson]

The view on healthcare should be comprehensive and should come from observation of large samples of real people over some period of time.

What do you think I've been presenting here? That is what a metric is... a way to measure. If you can't find a way to measure, then you can't say one system is any better or worse than another.