Dec

30

Different Country – Same Healthcare Issues.

Posted by cameron

December 30, 2007 |

I was reading on BBC’s website some of the outstanding issues in the U.K. The list of issues is oh so familiar. Iraq, The war on terror, energy, global warming, the credit crunch, healthcare, social security pensions, education and so on. If I added immigration to the list you would be excused for thinking this was a U.S. issues list. Of course the U.K. also has immigration issues and large areas of the country don’t even seem British anymore. It seems that we have the same issues both sides of the pond and politicians on both sides seem to have left things until they are really tough problems. Wouldn’t you think that politicians would learn from their mistakes?

It is wrong to wait until there is a crisis before taking action. Businesses plan for various scenarios and if they don’t they go out of business. They constantly work to improve or die. In the governments push to be popular they simply make things worse for everyone down the road, including themselves. Crisis management can be a great skill but it shouldn’t be necessary when everyone knows there is a problem. The quest to be re-elected outweighs everything until the crash happens. Why do they not see this behavior as a problem? Can’t they see the connection between their behavior and the public’s rock bottom confidence in politicians? It’s not just a question of competence or corruption but a willingness to deal with serious issues before they become major crises. In the end our confidence is eroded as much by their ineffectiveness as by the corruption which is also epidemic.

I think it is interesting that the much promoted welfare and national health system of the British is on their own governments list of problems.  All is not well in the land of social healthcare. As an aside, I just received a private health insurance quote for two people pre-Medicare for about $1100 per month. As I look at that number I can’t help thinking “you are joking, right?” Despite that, it is clear that healthcare is an issue whether it is private insurance here or government healthcare for everyone over the pond. The skyrocketing costs are out of control no matter which system is being used. The healthcare systems are under duress and will start to breakdown (or have started to breakdown); it’s just a matter of time. If people can’t afford a product they aren’t going to buy it. As the price goes up more and more people will be driven to operate like the illegals do, just go to the E.R. when things are serious. That will take us in the opposite direction to where we should be going. This is going to breakdown and will have to be reworked to make it viable. It is clear to me that no one has a solution because the costs are out of control and it doesn’t matter whether I don’t earn enough to pay the bill or the government doesn’t have enough to pay the bill. The result is the same.


Comments

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind

<< Post Navigation >>

« « My Favorite Christmas Movies | The Royal Channel » »