France #1, America #37
September 6, 2007 by Tracee Sioux
Filed under Parenting
In a July issue of Business Week there is a very enlightening analysis of France’s health care system. Journalist Kerry Capell investigated whether we might adapt to their system, which mixes private health coverage and public health coverage and leaves no one uninsured. And they do it for cheaper and with more health benefit than our current system.
Getting sick isn’t a character flaw. In France the philosophy is not the rich pay for the poor, but the healthy help pay for the sick. The sicker and less able to work you are, the less you pay. So cancer patients don’t have to worry about how to pay for chemo and medication. They just worry about getting well.
Interesting points:
- 43.6 MILLION Americans have no health coverage.
- EVERY person in France has health coverage.
- Americans spend $803 out of pocket for coverage.
- French spend $239 out of pocket for coverage.
- The French choose any doctor they want.
- French doctors decide what is medically necessary for patients (as opposed to insurance companies).
- France’s mix of private-public health care came in at number 1 in health care quality in a UN survey, while the US was 37th.
- Infant mortality is 7% here and only 3.9% there.
- The French women live 2 years longer than American women, French men live 4 years longer.
- 65% of French people are satisfied with their health system.
- Only 40% of Americans are satisfied.
- France spends 10.7% of their GDP on health care.
- USA spends 16.5% of the GDP on health care.
If the French can be healthier and spend less money, then obviously the US should attempt something better than 37th place in health care quality.
We need to notify EVERY candidate, Republican and Democrat, that we’re sick of not being able to afford to get sick.
There are 2 bills before congress right now. The Healthy American’s Act gives everyone access to affordable private health coverage that can’t be withdrawn. The United States National Health Insurance Act provides health coverage for every American using the existing Medicare system.
Write your congress person in 5 minutes or less at Congress.org.
Not only is the transformation of our health care the morally right thing to do, it’s the cost-effective and healthy thing to do.
There’s an interesting article in this month’s Cookie about postpartum pelvic floor disorders. The author was inspired to write the article after she had her second child in France and at her 6 wk. pp ob-gyn visit she was sent to physical therapy for incontinence, and found out it was routine in France.
She wondered why, if pelvic floor problems (incontinence, vaginal prolapse) are so common after birth, American health care providers don’t take a proactive approach to fixing them. In the US, women have to go to their doctors complaining of a problem to get help, and they are usually given drugs as a solution, if the doctor even agrees their problem is worth fixing.
Susanna,
I have that incontinence problem. Doing my Kegels – which I imagine is part of their physical therapy – right now.
I’ll tell you why, because in America we don’t value mothers period. In France and every other country, mothers also get time off work, help in the home during the recovery period, medical help post-birth, help with child care issues, etc. Motherhood is a luxery in America. We value it least of all roles one can play in society. So, you pee your pants? You’re not “entitled” to not pee your pants. You should be grateful you’re not shitting your pants!