Our system is so focused on profit. Doctors make money, drug companies make money, insurance companies make money.... everyone makes money. EXCEPT the patient. It blew my mind in the videos that every person interviewed in the other countries seemed puzzled by the idea that healthcare could completely drain their savings while in the US it is a fact of life for so many people. The US system has become an uphill race for the medical system to try to make as much money as possible while the patients slide down the hill hoping and praying that they are not trampled by the system or crushed by the others who are falling. So few people can afford to play in this game anymore. I believe the huge rate of uninsured, the lower rate of infant mortality and shorter life expectancy speaks to this issue.
I am ready for the change, but these videos have given me a different perspective. I really think we should consider these other systems. In our program we talk about how an intervention can't be successful unless it is tailored to the population it is supposed to serve. We should create a healthcare system the same way.
I wonder how much the US took into account these other systems when the healthcare overhaul began. Did we even take this into account? I know there is no such thing as perfection, but I would think that like the scientific method we would learn from experiments done by other countries that are so similar to our own. Couldn't we create a system that covered everyone, was affordable, provided excellent care, and still allowed America to live their capitalist lifestyle? Maybe I am seeking perfection.
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