Lets Follow Taiwan

It has been so enlightening to learn about how other major nations manage what the U.S. views as an impossible feat: health care. It is still a wonder to me how our country is so behind compared to the other developed countries in providing a basic necessity to our citizens. I say we follow Taiwan and take the best parts of other health care models while reducing the problems.

There are glaring problems with the U.S. system, namely large GDP spending, high administrative costs, and discriminatory coverage. If I were able to simply pick traits from other health care systems, I would use Britain's single payor system to begin with. I would take Japan's idea of fixed costs for procedures, but use less extreme prices to avoid putting hospitals in debt. I like Germany's idea of covering for unconventional treatments such as spas or dance class. I think that Switzerland's $750 monthly premium is reasonably, seeing that they are the only country that is not in major debt from premiums that are far too low. I absolutely love Taiwan's up to date "smart card" that not only assists in the payment of services but actually flags over-users. In general, the idea of not having to use a gatekeeper or referral system seems to appease more citizens while significantly reducing wait time for patients.

The more videos that I watch pertaining to health care reform, the more I wonder why so many in the U.S. are completely opposed to making the health care market anything but a free market. America does not profit off of libraries, police stations, Medicare, and other social offerings...so why health coverage? Universal health care would be a far stretch from socialism in the same regard, it would be be basic human right. After watching the videos and seeing how Switzerland, once like the U.S., changed, I believe that we can too. Maybe private insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies have too much of a stronghold on our legislators and the greed needs to stop like it did in Switzerland. I certainly took the message away from Frontline's video that reform IS possible as evidenced by all other developed countries embracing a non-profit health care system.