Disqus - Latest Comments for devio

Re: On Health Care

devio — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:01:37 -0000

Would you mind answering my question that I wrote in my comment below?

Re: On Health Care

devio — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:00:48 -0000

Hey Phil... Would you mind replying to my response? I would like to know what you have to say to what I wrote in my other comment.

Re: On Health Care

devio — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:39:37 -0000

I understand you Phil. What I want to ask you is this: Based on what I've written about the danish healthcare (not canadian or the UK-NHS) system, are you afraid of it? Are you afraid of having limited choices within a universal healthcare system? Do you think that my choices are limited? Am I a sheep?

Re: On Health Care

devio — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:06:19 -0000

I can't argue with that. Innovation is usually made in individual companies like Novo Nordic/Nordisk, Lundbeck etc. I can't find information about any individual clinical trials, but there are specialized centers where clinical trials are being conducted.

Re: On Health Care

devio — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:29:16 -0000

The amount of information I can get from the site (sundhed.dk) is limited. The general information I've got about my general practitioner is that he has been a doctor for 33 years. He is a member of several health-organisations (not companies) and he also teaches new students in medicin. I trust the credentials of my doctor. The information about him is actually new to me. If he was on the beforementioned list of doctors under supervision I would most definitely change my general practitioner.
Yes, if I search for all general practitioners in my city which is 70, I can pick anyone I want. Lets say that me and my doctor can't work things out and we don't cooperate that well. I can simply go to the list and pick whomever I want.
I don't know if the canadian system has been revamping itself a lot since 1985. It sounds like it hasn't, but the danish system has. I mean, the rules are constantly changing according to the general society. 95% of our population is on the internet, and so I can for example write messages to my doctor or get a refill of my prescription drugs and then pick it up at any pharmacy I may choose. That pharmacy may be located in the other end of the coutry if I'm going there tomorrow. This is pretty new and I can't believe they havn't thought of this before. This is what I mean. The system is evolving all the time to make it work in the 21st. century. That is what the guy talked about with technological development. Its not so much that you have the best equipment, but also that you keep the policies up to date, so that it doesn't lag behind and create huge problems like it has in Canada. Remember, that universal healthcare doesn't mean a system which is like Canada. You can make your universal healthcare like what we have. Let me ask you this question: Does the danish universal healthcare system that I've described to you sound scary?

Re: On Health Care

devio — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:34:01 -0000

Who says that there wont be any kind of innovation? There is lots of research going on even in countries with universal healthcare. I wonder how the guy knows that there isn't any research in Europe, because there is.

Re: On Health Care

devio — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:50:37 -0000

I don't want to comment on part 1 because its just history. Rather I want to comment on part 2 because that is where it gets really funky compared to what Denmark does. Also let me just say that if you don't revamp and continuesly revise policies etc. you'll end with an unsustainable system. However if the US. does like Denmark by continously revising policies etc. then it can be sustainable. Do not compare canadian universal healthcare with universal healthcare systems around the world, because there are massive differences.

The guy says that 17% of the canadian population doesn't have a family doctor. In Denmark (DK), everyone has a family doctor so its 100%. If you're not happy with your doctor, you can simply change your family doctor to whomever you want. It's that simple. In Quebec 29% of the population doesn't have a doctor. In DK everyone has a doctor, even the exchangestudents from the US gets a family doctor automaticly.
The guy continues on talking about getting referrals to see a specialist. In DK its like this:

1. You go to your family doctor and get a referral to a hospital for scanning etc.
2. If the wait for these things is over a month you get sent somewhere else. This could be private hospitals in the region. And guess who pays the private hospitals? The government does. Let me be clear about the private hospital system we've got here in DK. They only treat simple things like broken bones, simple surgical procedures etc. However it is the state-run hospitals that does all the more advanced surgeries and they also teach new students and do research. Private hospitals doesn't have the same kind of obligation.

Let me give you another example: Lets say you need emergency surgery like a tripple bypass for example and if you dont get it in 24 hours you'll die. You get in front. It is stated by law that people who need emergency surgery cuts the line.

Queue jumping: No need! Lets say you have braintumour and the danish hospitals can give you a date next month hence it surpasses the one month maximum waiting period. Then you have a right by law to get the necessary care somewhere else like for example Germany. The government then sends you to Germany to get the necessary care that you need. Guess who pays for it? Guess... The danish healthcaresystem. I just checked the waiting period for treatment of braincancer: Some hospitals in Denmark has zero waitingperiod and some places has maximum of two weeks waiting period. In essence its kinda like this: They money follows the patient for the care that he/she needs.

The guy says: "You cannot find out how good your doctor is" As a matter of fact I can do just that. I can see if my doctor has had any kind of malpractice or is under supervision. The site also mentions which doctors have lost their medicallicense. If you're interested in reading about them, and if you know danish of course, you can read about it here: https://arkiv.sst.dk/ds09/S...

If you want to create universal healthcare in the US. you don't have to follow Canadas example. You don't have to!

Re: On Health Care

devio — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:42:00 -0000

Would you please enlighten me?

Re: On Health Care

devio — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:20:52 -0000

The system is broken in the US, yes! Now you got the chance to revamp it once and for all. By doing the whole universal healthcare you can eliminate so many problems for so many people. Yes, it is more expensive in some ways. Americans might have to pay more in taxes. Just think about it for a minute. The UHC isn't perfect and it never will be, but you eliminate ONE thing once and for all: Profiteering! There are no private healthcare plans where companies earn money. Its gone!
I know my comment goes beyond the things that you're saying, but this is how our system works in Denmark. We pay the highest income tax in the world! I pay 38% - 48% according to how much I earn a year. What I pay helps everyone in my country. Heck, I even pay for american exchangestudents at our universities. The second they land in this country they get a healthcard which states which doctor they have. Don't try to bring up the whole "the government chooses your doctor"-thing. If you're not happy with your doctor, you can go change it! You can even do that from the internet and no one will ask you why you've done so.

Why are you americans so afraid of universal healthcare? Can you please tell me...