Why people in the US are so satisfied with their health care system

[Becky72]

Bob Somerby tells us why:

But why are those people so satisfied? Could it be because they’ve never heard this?

Total spending on health care, per person, 2007:
United States: $7290
Switzerland: $4417
France: $3601
United Kingdom: $2992
Average of OECD developed nations: $2964
Italy: $2686
Japan: $2581


People are happy with their current insurance for a fairly obvious reason: They don’t know how badly they’re being looted!

http://dailyhowler.com/dh082109.shtml

[cap]

1. I'll tell you why:

USA, USA, USA!!!

[enlightenment]

2. Yep. An unwavering belief in American Exceptionalism.

*sigh*

[Junkdrawer]

3. Yep. As I've been saying, the two biggest reasons we don't have single payer....

are the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

[stray cat]

4. My employer pays most of my insurance cost - I have a 20 copay and no deductible

for almost everything. However, if I go to the ER and do not get admitted its $100 copay - otherwise its free. I have a good deal. I care about health care reform because I know others don't have it as well and because you can always lose a good health care insurance or go over a lifetime deductible. Some of us do have it pretty good currently and we will pay more perhaps for health care reform -

[BuelahWitch]

10. Mine used to be that way

Haven't had insurance that good since I worked for Verizon Wireless in 2002. Maybe it's because I'm too old and fat, or else the employers I've worked with since are too cheap, but my paycheck premiums went from $10 at VW to $70 at one of the larger employers in Lawrence. You might think $140 a month isn't that bad for healthcare, but when your wages are low and you're supporting yourself it takes a nasty bite out of it. And my dental was even worse...

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. You'd love my plan then

12 dollars copay with private practice physician
3 dollars \ medication
455 year for the whole family
50 copay for ER, I have yet to get that one charged by the by... and non existent if I went to "in system" ER

What is my system?

Government run, TRICARE... and I hope folks get this, at least in theory.

[stray cat]

5. Some of us actually have almost free health care via good programs at work

so - no we are not stupid except for maybe being willing to pay more for good reform that is less vulnerable long term and treats other people well.

[Selatius]

9. Well, one thing about the debate that bothers me is the notion of "free" care.

Nothing is ever free. Universal health care is about as free as me using the interstate. The money came from taxes or some other source, not to mention the amount of gasoline it takes to run the car. Your employer is ethical or compassionate enough to even bother finding such a good plan. You are lucky. Most employers don't give a crap about such things and go for sub-par coverage, and many more don't offer it because they cite costs. Wal-Mart is a good example of that. Their plan is very good...if you can afford the deductibles, co-pays, and premiums on top of it all.

[jtrockville]

6. People are happy with their CARE (doctors), not their INSURANCE.

[stray cat]

7. You also forget Americans who have Medicare and Medicaid - they tend to want to keep it

and wrongly are afraid reform will take away a pretty good thing.

[Selatius]

8. I add to what Somersby says by also saying they don't know how good some others have it.

If they knew how good some others actually have it in countries like France or the UK, they would be wondering why their own country, often boasted to be the wealthiest in the world, cannot meet or even exceed their level of care or even coverage.

[BuelahWitch]

11. I don't think alot of people ARE satisfied

The media is giving the spotlight to the loud mouths who hate Obama (and lets face it, that's what it all boils down to, right?). People I talk to who aren't necessarily lefties find their medical costs abhorrent. An older lady I work with has a really large deductible that she says is really hard to meet, but it's better than nothing because she has had so many health problems in the past year. But she is not satisfied by any means.

[moondust]

12. Narcissism.

If they were aware enough of the rest of the world to know how bad they have it they would also know that single payer is the only way to go and the whole thing would have been done years ago.

[Xipe Totec]

13. Who says I is? n/t

[tabasco]

14. The pukes have fucked up the country so bad,

who cares if they live or die?

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Because folks do not know better, and propaganda works