Free Republic

Sweden, a country famous for a welfare state that has actually been trimmed back substantially in recent years, is experiencing a phenomenon unlikely to bring cheer to those Americans who think the answer to Obamacare's problems is more government involvement in medicine. Tired of long waits and inadequate care, Swedes increasingly purchase private health insurance policies to gain access to the care the state can't provide. -snip Why the growth? From The Local: "It's quicker to get a colleague back to work if you have an operation in two weeks' time rather than having to wait for a year," privately insured Anna Norlander...

TOKYO: Johns Hopkins Hospital, taking advantage of Japan's dissatisfaction with public health care, has launched a clinic in Tokyo that will charge as much as ¥2 million, or $17,000, for a three-day medical checkup. The Tokyo Midtown Medical Center, which opened March 30 in the city's tallest office tower, is a venture involving the Baltimore-based Hopkins along with Mitsui Fudosan and Resorttrust. The clinic is the latest of seven overseas projects since 2006 for Hopkins, which has topped U.S. News & World Report's ranking of American hospitals the past 16 years. Medical care for an aging population is absorbing more...