Dec 17 2007
Public Health vs Private Health
Americans don’t often get to hear the realities of public health care in other parts of the world, even with the recent debate on universal health care.
Pajamas media reported today that according to UNICEF Romania holds the leading position in child mortality rates, and mothers’ birth-related deaths in the developing world. The costs of universal health care in Romania range from lives lost to underground cash economies where bribing doctors and nurses is the rule without guarantee of good care:
In some hospitals, patients are required to bring their own cotton pads or needles, food is mostly provided by caring relatives, rooms are overcrowded, hygiene is poor. The daily bribe for a nurse is around $40, a surgeon might ask you for $500 or more to perform an intervention. Although employees pay 6.5% of their income and employers another 6% to the public health insurance, the Romanian health care system is grossly underfinanced. While other European countries spend 7-8% of their GDP for health care, Romania only dedicates 3.5% of a much lower GDP ($257 billion).
Not surprisingly, Romanians see the only solution in the private sector:
In this grim picture, the only hope comes from the growing privatization of the medical sector. Although still chaotic and fragmented, the private market is growing faster than in neighboring Bulgaria or Hungary, where public services are better and thus the need for private alternatives less stringent.
Interesting how in one part of the world we see the solution in universal health care, and in Romania some see the solution in private health care. I guess when it comes to death or life situations humans prefer to pay and have some assurance of good care, than not pay at all and play Russian roulette with their lives.
It certainly reminds us that when talking about health care cost is not the only issue, and quality of care, and industry regulation also play a critical roles.
26 responses so far
I agree that the discussion of private versus public is only a small part of the equation. If America decided to go with a public health care system, how long before fiscal ‘conservatives’ stripped the coverage of anything useful in the guise of saving money? And how long before the morality police removed everything even remotely having to do with sex (including, probably, dental care)?
I think public a health care system is necessary, especially if we could have one with high quality. In my opinion, the cost for doctors and medicines is too expensive.
Its funny how everyone from around the world comes to america for their health care. Rationing like they do in many other countries is not what America needs. Keep it privatized.
Let’s face it… if the crooked pharma companies stopped raping health systems private and or public we’d never have this issue.
Public health care is lacking key cancer treatments, especially in the UK… yet, pro-creation with IVF is given the go ahead… where’s the logic in that in an overpopulated country?
this is such a touchy subject. public, private, it is going to be what it is going to be. maybe next they will make dental insurance public.
Health care costs and quality of care are the two main issues here. But here’s the bottom line there is no assurance that the care you will receive will be satisfactory. I say satisfactory because the number of deaths in hospitals due to mistakes is astronomical. A word of advice if your planning on getting surgery of any type be sure to write in BOLD LETTERS and ARROWS where they are to cut. Jasper Hotels | Kindersley Hotels
I can confirm what you wrote here because i am a Romanian. Last year i suffered a surgical intervention in one of the best Romanian hospitals, in Bucharest (capital city) and the “tax” i payed to the doctors+nurses+other Hospital staff ( 3 doctors performed the operation ) was around 1500 Euro in only one week. The salary a doctor gets here is around 1200 Euro / month (top doctors) but their income is around 10.000 -15.000 Euro/month. You would be surprised to see what cars they drive, what homes they live in and where they children learn ( only abroad i mean ). On the other hand, the medical insurance i pay each month to the public system is around 10 Euro. I am a happy case, cos i can afford to “get” some money fast in such cases, but most people can’t do that, so they die in hospitals though they suffer of minor problems.
On the other side, it is impossible to have a healthy public health system when you pay so little for this.
Well, after this episode i signed a contract with the biggest health insurance company in Vienna (Grawe) and now i know that when i need a intervention i can get the best only for 1.000 Euro / year. A lot of Romanians adopted such strategies in order to live safe. So, in this part of the world, we know that when you rely on a public health care, you must save for bribes and prey a lot. So, believe me when i say that every public health care system will eventually turn doctors into heartless businessmen.
I thought about Public Health vs Private Health | Skepticum and found this post. Thanks for sharing!
Interesting! This is my favorite post about Public Health vs Private Health | Skepticum.
When the patient was my father’s body wounds
I really enjoyed your post, I just bookmarked this one and do you mind if I tweet your blog post out to my followers on twitter? I think they would also enjoy the blog post. Keep it up!
Thanks
Le streaming (de l’anglais stream, « courant »), lecture en flux ou lecture en continu, aussi appelé lecture directe, lecture en transit, diffusion en mode …
Thank you for sharing. This site is constantly monitored and I share with my friends
I thought about Public Health vs Private Health | Skepticum and found this post. Thanks for sharing!
I like it so much, http://www.amcharts.com/forum/profile.php?id=68894 Cheapest coach handbags, >:)),
Romania is not the only country like this. The US gets a lot of nurses from the Philippines, however the conditions of healthcare in the Philippines is just as bad as you described in Romania.
Well, I’m from Romania, and I must say that I’m very disappointed regarding my country’s government…
Thank You Admin.Good Subject.
investieren
In America we already pay for socialized medical and Dental care, it comes out of our paychecks every week it’s called medicare but we cannot use it until we retire.
Dental care is important and maybe it’s time to look at a way to help those who do not have insurance.
Public or private well i have been in public and the system stinks unless you are critical and brought in by ambulance on the other hand the private system is good if you use it otherswise it can send you broke. so i turned to natural wellness solutions and have not even been to see a doctor for the flu since to find out more go to http://www.wellnessrich.com
Regards Jason
I thought about Public Health vs Private Health | Skepticum and found this post. Thanks for sharing!
Great website. Thanks so much for all of the tutorials, tricks, and help!
Public healthcare is a failure of a system in my opinion The implementation into The United States is a terrible idea the reason why is because basicly the goverment is shoving their healthcare for a cheap price which is more expensive if you factor in the taxes. Making other health insurance companies go out of business because they cant offer there service for such a cheap price.
You might presume that Im being foolish.
Really I only like the system of Middle East(Like Saudi Arabia and UAE) of complete public medical system as no one has to pay for the services nor for the medicines and the same is in U.K’s NHS system. Unlike U.S which has a Insurance system and is still not as effective as it sounds, the people who have medical insurance always used to complain about it.
accredited ultrasound technician schools in virginia…
[...]Public Health vs Private Health | Skepticum[...]…