Posted on 10/15/2009 3:52:53 PM PDT by honestabe010
The Swiss health care system has several important properties that I (and many others) have been advocating should be incorporated into any reform of the US health care system. One major advantage of the Swiss system is that employer-provided health care does not receive any special tax breaks, whereas the US system is built on these tax breaks. As a result, only a rather a small fraction of Swiss health care is obtained through employment. Mainly, Swiss families buy health care on their own, so that, unlike in the US, their health insurance does not reduce their incentives to change jobs because job changes do not endanger their health coverage. Unfortunately, probably due to union pressure, Congress is not planning to eliminate this tax break for employer-provided health care. Indeed, many Congressmen want to increase the pressure on employers to provide health care to their employees.
The Swiss system includes a mandate that everyone buys a minimum amount of health care coverage. This solves the American problem where over 40 million persons have no health care coverage. If uninsured persons get sick-fortunately this is not frequent since they are mainly young-that raises the cost to everyone else since the uninsured typically seek treatment for any illnesses at hospital emergency rooms. The health care reform bills in Congress do include various coverage mandates, although they are not as straightforward or as desirable as the Swiss mandates.
The Swiss system typically has much larger co-payment rates than the US does for anyone seeking medical care or buying drugs. By shifting more of the cost to individuals and away from insurance companies, the Swiss give individuals greater incentives to economize on their health care spending since health care is more expensive to them...
(Excerpt) Read more at thewoodwardreport.com ...
No more tax breaks, zee vill pay more or velse
For a look at what is really going on in the Swiss system see John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taking-another-look-at-swiss-health-care/.
A doctor strike, big premium increases, poor distribution of resources, waiting lists, shortages.
What’s the doctor to patient ratio? That usually is the primary reason foreign nations have arguably better healthcare systems. France is a good example. It has roughly twice as many doctors per capita.
Paying more taxes is a good idea? How marxist indeed. Let's make health insurance even more unaffordable!
If you want to be fair about tax policy, why not exempt the cost of premiums for any health policy from income tax?
Actually, the biggest problems with our healthcare system exist where the government has gotten involved.
BINGO.....GET the GOVERNMENT OUT OF HEALTHCARE (and insurance).
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ALREADY HAS THE BEST HEALTH CARE ON THE PLANET. NO ONE IN THIS COUNTRY, ILLEGAL OR NOT, IS EVER REFUSED TREATMENT.
My caps lock is stressed!!!!
That would be too logical.
Well I do like their rules for becoming a citizen. I wish we would adopt them here.
Tempest in a teapot. No SwissCare here but Hussein Style CastroCare - when in hospital - after waiting several years for an emergency operation - be sure to tell your relatives to bring you clean sheets.
The Swiss are admirable in many ways but I don’t think we need to copy their health care system.
They are a small, wealthy country with an homogeneous culture...we are a large, bankrupt and fractured country. Getting the guv out of healthcare is the best solution.
The number of uninsured is 9 million, a substantial difference. 42 million is used as the number by those attempting to persuade Americans into throwing away the current system.
The number of uninsured is 9 million, a substantial difference. 42 million is used as the number by those attempting to persuade Americans into throwing away the current system. We are going to spend 2 trillion dollars to give health care to 9 million who don't have any. ONLY IN AMERICA, and every other socialist country.
Listen, keep your facts to yourself. I want my free health care!
Duh, that would actually put people in charge of their own health care. That is not the goal here!
Unfunded mandates on the part of government to “solve” problems are the cause of most of our personal heartaches.
I keep telling the moonbats at work the “real” reason for gov’t healthcare is mandatory drug testing for all. Creates second thoughts right away.
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