click the image to view high-res map. I've added some country names but not all.Monday, August 06, 2007
Map of countries with Universal Healthcare
I am sure you all have seen Michael Moore's documentary about the Health care in America, Sicko. The fundamental premise of the movie is about the benefits of Universal Health care and the drawbacks of our current health care system. Below is a chart that shows countries with Universal Health care available. To name a few: UK, France, Canada ...
click the image to view high-res map. I've added some country names but not all.
click the image to view high-res map. I've added some country names but not all.
34 comments:
That's a very interesting map. I liked the movie sicko by the way. Very good movie. I do not always agree with everything Michael Moore says and does. But he does know how to explains his views in a very funny and snappy fashion.
Wonderful map! Thank you for sharing it with us! *HUGS*
That is a very interesting map. It is interesting to note that the most richest country in the world has absolutely no universal health care compared to say a Brazil or Venezuela. Most importantly a country that has substantial aging population with the baby boomers retiring.
France probably had the best healthcare system in the world but it is collapsing now due to the fact that people abused it so much.
well universal healthcare doesnt mean good healthcare but it was informative nevertheless
I am happy you gave us a chance to see the map. I like Michael Moore as he touches raw nerves in Washington all the time. I think any country that spends trillions on war should provide free health care and a free education to all citizens.
hypnos - this map gives a visual idea of how many countries have free healthcare. I saw the movie too and loved it. Michael Moore was on CNN too blasting the media, very interesting watch mate.
angela - you're welcome
sai - I agree, that the most richest countries have no free health care. That said, it gives you an insight on perhaps how they became rich.
marie - I am glad that they have the best system out there .. people in Europe live more than people in the US, life expectancy.
aditi- in France and Canada it is very good. Overhere, if you cut off your fingers, you loose them (no insurance) .. however in Europe, they reattach them. Tell me that's not good.
Abraham - You're welcome and hope the map gives you an idea of what other countries are doing and what we don't see in the media. War spending is for personal reasons actually (sadly) .. they are getting rich due to this war.
i found the movie to be very disturbing... based on the fact that my mother has to deal w/ this crap. i used to be on an HMO, finally our office changed to a PPO. HMOs are terrible, terrible, vile creatures.
it makes me sick to see what they're doing to ppl... but nothing is done about it. too bad ppl get money in their pocket and look the other way... one day these that do this will get theirs.
PNG has basically no Health System because of mis-management and corruption.
Australia 's health system also has difficulties with waiting list for surgery, dental etc. We also have a terrible lack of doctors which has lead to getting doctors from overseas who don't have the same training standards as here. we also have the aging population crisis about to loom!!!
one thing i like about ur blog its very interesting...every post is a must read...thanks
Nice post...but,is this chart incomplete?
SG
I am Canadian living in the US for the last two years. Canada often complains of wait times and shortages of doctors. I have had to wait much longer in the US for basic health care needs including ultrasounds when pregnant with my son.
Universal health care although has set backs and could always be improved is MUCH better than allowing the sick, the poor and students suffer with substandard care.
My two cents anyway :)
Hm...the NHS in the UK is notorious. A friend of ours died of pneumonia becuase they stuck him in a room lying down and didn't give him oxygen or attention for a day. By the time he got a bed, he was too far gone.
A cousin of mine nearly died of salmonella because the doctor said basically, "Take one of these and call me in the morning."
It's free and it's crap. Lots of Brits travel abroad and pay money for good treatment.
In the US, there are free hospitals, free clinics, free doctors in specially equipped trailers that go round to the poor neighbourhoods...
Also, if you have no health insurance, the doctor's office will charge a lower rate. If you are old, Medicare takes care of bills, as they did with my Gran's doctor visits for years, and then this year when she spent some weeks in hospital, then needed home care, and finally hospice care.
Think of all the UK taxpayers who pay hgh taxes and on top of that dish out for private healthcare. Even the NHS, for a top up fee, sends patients to other European countries for treatment.
So overall, when we lived in the US we didn't pay high taxes, and we didn't have health insurance, but we saved on doctor's bills because we didn't need to go so often. Here in the UK we have no choice but to pay for poor services we don't use.
India is among them! Yippee!
um naief - For me, it made me angry on how the US govt. works against its people isntead of working for them. The man is always sticking it to us. I realized how corrupt the healthcare indsutry is. I hate HMOs, they are in the business of robbing people of their money and lives.
jules - I agree, mis-management is a huge thing. I guess people don't know how to manage or they simply don't care. I understand being on waiting list for surgeries. Now people who have acutal insurances, can they go to private hospitals? here in the US, if you don't have insurance, you don't have surgery, let alone be on the waiting list.
crow - thank you for reading :)
sag_nik - the chart .. well I myself added names to the countries, and towards the end it was getting crowded. But the color legend is all complete.
hummm my country, portugal has some universal heath care...!!! not bad...!
interesting post!!!
thaks gfor sahring!!
Hello There!
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to my little blog! It's always great to meet new people in this blog world!
I'm glad you found your way, whatever way it was.. :)
A Desi in the States is reading my blog! Hah! The Desis are just taking over my blog. lol. You just happen to be like 3 Desis based in the US and reads my blog. Every other Desi is mostly based in India. Funny!
Well, I have not seen this movie and I am planning to. I've been paying attention to this universal health care debate. I see both sides.
I won't win fans but if people want universal health care then these same individuals will have to be ok with the government knowing more personal things about you. It has and will come with it. I can see the government withholding certain services based on the administration in office (which it does already anyhow..).
If people argue I have a right to my body to do as I please, whether to get fat, lose weight, abortion, get plastic surgery...then you have to be wary of the government issuing universal health care.
The people who need it most are going to be the ones succeptible to what the government says with their body. They'll be the ones who have to get universal health care because they won't have the money to get private insurance. Is it fair that the person who needs it most due to money have to be subjected to the restrictions placed by a conservative regime?
Yes we can argue that we can place restrictions on what the government can do but really can we? Look what has happened with this administration.
It's tough. I see the need for it but I see the far worse and I think most people don't see the bigger picture and the destination that we're going towards with the road that we are paving.
My take on this issue...
I think I'll just wait until Sicko comes out on Dvd and borrow it from my brother. That way I get to watch it for free.
As high of a rate doctor's charge, they should at least make house calls.
I plan to see "Sicko", too.
Nabeel,
There's a related thematic map in the August National Geographic Mag showing maternity leave/pay/benefits for mothers around the world. The US gets abyssmal marks in this, as well.
-erd
chelle - Hmm @ wait times. Trust me, the wait time in an ER, here in the US is 3 hours minimum. And most of the time it is more than 3 hours (and that is with insurance) .. it's just ridiculous.
Olivia - Thanks for such an insightful comment. I am sorry to hear that your friend passed away. But see that would fall under mismanagement/treatment. My grandfather passed away couple of years ago due to medical faults, and he had insurance. Doctors here are covered under mal practice insurance, and that actually covers them when they mistreat a patient (usually because doctors don't listen and are in such a hurry as they over book their schedules)
Medicare is the only good thing in the US health care system. And hmm @ high taxes, how high are they compared to US? I am sure the difference is not that huge. We pay taxes for nothing here .. all is going to the war .. at least you guys pay taxes for a good cause and your tax money helps you in the end :)
soul@body - I am glad that you have an option of free health care :)
Interesting map. I enjoy visiting your blog, it always brings surprises.
I dream of a world with cheaper healthcare. But in a world that our government fails in a huge way, like FEMA. I am a bit worried about how an universal health care system will be created and run. I am just glad Moore is trying to put the issue into the light of debate.
Interesting map. And I am yet to watch Sicko!
Health care needs to be (i) affordable to all & (ii) accessible to all...
Its a pity that in many countries its neither
Interesting...
Hope you're fine there.
Take dcare
i change the title of my blog...no longer albirex niigata world...thanks for posting quick a number of comments on my blog
and Australia :)
Keshi.
I'm proud to live in a country with universal healthcare but as technology advances and more lives can be extended we are forced to make some tough decisions. If we can save everyone do we have to save everyone? Do we keep people on machines for years and years in a coma? I guess I'm thinking of Terry Shiavo...
In any case we have to remember the health care system is only as good as the society it serves (and serves it). We could always use more nurses and paramedics and that's the sad part about our "brain drain" here. Wait times are also a little tough to stomach. It's not all peaches and cream. I haven't seen Sicko yet but I'm curious to see what kind of picture it paints of our health care system.
Just because we have universal health care doesn't mean we don't need to take care of ourselves and others. For example, we always need more blood in Canada. In the summer especially with so many farm, road and boat accidents there's not enough to go around but if you donate blood you can save 3 lives with a single donation!
In the US you can get paid to give blood but in Canada healthcare is universal so I suppose blood is considered free to give because it's free to take...if available.
I think it's interesting what Sai said about the richest country having no universal health care.
I have not seen the movie yet.But I do believe in universal health care.Its really sad that the richest country in the world does not take care of the sick.
Of course I live in the wrong place again.
aviana - thanks for the insightful comment and am glad that you visited Sugarlips' and my cosmos. Although your statement sounds logical, but if given those right, people abuse it. For example, if everyone is allowed abortion, then many teenagers would go through it just so that they don't want their parents to know, or are not ready for a child. Islam has a strict guideline about abortions. If the mother's health is in danger, one can abort. If a child is being bought to a diseased environment, yes then too and well many other cases, but definitely not CASUAL abortion, that many teenagers want these days.
scott craft - I agree, they should definitely make house calls, give the high rate and such. And in Europe doctors make house calls all the time.
pink ginger - thank you for coming to our blog :)
camplin - wish our dreams come true. Yes I agree, the government has failed us many times. Hope that with the new government things would be better.
radha - I agree, if not make it free, then make it affordable .. thank you for the comment.
sirbarrett - I am glad that you are proud and you should be. And well if the government gives it's people something to be happy, then people always pay them back with something from their heart, and in your case, blood donations, keeping their country as it was their own. Thanks for such an insightful comment.
starry nights - Yes, it is true. The richest countries don't have free healthcare. Makes one wonder, how they became rich.
Enjoyed looking at the map, have you seen "Sicko" yet? I saw it a few weeks ago...he makes a good case for reformed health care in the US.
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