US Adverts on National Healthcare

So you think if everything else remains equal, the cost for drugs for the rest of the world will remain the same if the US adopts a system that removes out of pocket payment for drugs? 

no, I think the drug companies don't make quite as big a profit

I am not sure why you would want to repeat that with a more general drug benefit.

What exactly do you think I want?

no, I think the drug companies don't make quite as big a profit

Hopefully you're right, and hopefully the politicians bad mouthing the NHS are being genuine in their protestations and aren't being encouraged by Tory leadership.

What exactly do you think I want?

By "you" I meant a generalized plural "you" as opposed to you in particular.

Another Republican Congressman caught lying about the NHS:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/17/768431/-Medically-Necessary

From the above link:

We fact-checked that. At least 63 percent of hip replacements performed in Canada last year and two-thirds of those done in England were on patients age 65 or older.

But it neglects to point out that in some cases those patients have had to wait 2 or 3 years for the replacement.

Have a primary reference or a neutral secondary reference for that, Paul?

Study last year in Ontario:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2384274

80% of participants had their surgery within a year of them deciding to have the operation with the median wait of 6 months.  It also points out that the only priority is given to people with more severe symptoms, and it is not based on age, sex, or occupation.

Have a primary reference or a neutral secondary reference for that, Paul?

It's purely an "anecdote", but when the NHS replaced my mother's hip at age 77, she didn't wait 3 months yet alone 3 years.

It's purely an "anecdote", but when the NHS replaced my mother's hip at age 77, she didn't wait 3 months yet alone 3 years.

My gran (age 78) was put on an NHS waiting list for a hip replacement in September 2008 and was told it would only be a 12-week wait. In the end she had to wait until February, but it was nothing like a 2-3 year wait. In fact, she's actually now had three hip operations this year because although the first one was a success, the hip ended up dislocating and had to be put right again... twice (her own fault though...it dislocated because she didn't do her exercises properly after the first op which meant that there was little/no muscle there to hold the hip in place and it kept slipping out ).

my uncle in the US had to wait almost 4 months to get his knee replacement.  it happens everywhere. 

Again anectdotal, but recent experience with a couple of family members would suggest 6-8 weeks wait where I live. Regardless, it's not all that relevant to the link Giantaxe posted - what Roy Blunt said was that he wouldn't get a new hip in the UK or Canada simply due to his age, which is complete rubbish.

You are always going to have wait times for non-emergency surgery because not have a wait would mean you have far too much slack and waste in the system where you will end up having higher qualified and paid professionals sat around waiting for something to come in.

Have a primary reference or a neutral secondary reference for that, Paul?

Well, I'm sure that my telling you I knew somebody who had to wait that long (in Lincolnshire, about 15 or 16 years ago) would be dismissed as hearsay.   So:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3749801.stm
http://www.privatehealth.co.uk/news/december-2006/wait-hip-replacement/

Although it does seem that average waiting times have been coming down over the last two or three years:

http://www.drfosterhealth.co.uk/features/hip-and-knee-replacement.aspx

Well, I'm sure that my telling you I knew somebody who had to wait that long (in Lincolnshire, about 15 or 16 years ago) would be dismissed as hearsay.   

Which just really shows that you should check your facts before you present something as the truth. There have been huge reforms in the health service since Labour took over.  Whether you like to admit that or not.

I found this article interesting:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/244716/Study_UK_Health_Care_Flawed_Canadian_Wait_Times_Highest_and_Dutch_Care_Scores_Best

I feel that the US system needs reform, but not at lightning speed where it's just pushed through without anyone knowing what's in the bill (ala 'stimulus' ). This is a huge deal that will impact all of our lives, and it needs to be designed carefully. We would do well to spend time researching the very best models of healthcare in the world and seeing how we can apply that to our country.

Which just really shows that you should check your facts before you present something as the truth. There have been huge reforms in the health service since Labour took over.  Whether you like to admit that or not.

I acknowledged that from those reports it appears that the average waiting time has been falling over the last two or three years.  That doesn't change the fact that some people have waited two to three years.