Another thing that I find interesting is that in countries with socialized medicine, the governments tend to be more diligent in other areas that affect health. Many toxic chemicals and additives are banned in places where there is socialized medicine, while in the US, we are constantly being fed a steady stream of carcinogens and other harmful substances — in our water supplies, food packaging, certain pesticides and herbicides, GMOs that aren’t labeled, personal care products, etc.
Could it be that since our govt has no incentive to maintain a healthy population — one might argue that some of their biggest contributors ensure that these chemicals remain in our system — we are being exposed to more toxic substances?
Personally, I want a healthcare system (a total society, as a matter of fact) that puts a person’s health as a top priority, not profits. In a for-profit healthcare system, the ideal patient is one who is chronically ill and who needs to take multiple medications and have multiple medical interventions and screenings for life. With the major conflicts of interest inherent in a for-profit system, it’s bound to be the most expensive system leading to the sickest population. And, lo and behold, that’s exactly what we’ve got under the current system relative to other developed nations with socialized medicine.
