Fun Facts About Our Fucked Up Health Care System Part 2

But....but.....we've got the best health care system in the world! I'm sure you've heard various right wingers proclaim that as if it's the gospel truth. We're fed the USA! USA! USA! line so much through the mass media that you may even be inclined to believe it. Start digging into the facts though and it won't take long at all to find gems like these:

Amount spent per capita per person in the US on health care: $6280

Amount spent, on average, per person in the rest of the industrialized world: $2307

Percentage of our economy spent on health care: 16

Percentage spent by Canada, Australia, and England, respectively: 10, 9, 7

Number of uninsured in US: over 46,000,000

Number of uninsured in Canada, Australia, and England: 0

Increase in uninsured since George W. Bush took office: 6,000,000

Percentage of people driven into medical bankruptcy that had health insurance: 68

"Well you lefty commie freak" I can hear some of you saying with that trademark Republican patronizing sneer "All you've proven is that our system is expensive, and you have to be willing to pay the price to achieve the top notch care we have in this country"

You mean top notch like this?

Rank of the quality of health care in the US, according to the World Health Organization: 37th in the world.

Countries raked higher: Canada, Japan, all of Europe.

More countries ranked higher: Malta, Columbia, Morocco, Chile, Dominica

Ranking of US in infant mortality: 42nd in the world, lower than Cuba

Rank of US in life expectancy: 34th in the world, again lower than Cuba

So as you can see, we pay more and get less than a good sized chunk of the rest of the planet.....USA! USA! USA! Why do we put up with this? You can find the answer in a 3rd set of numbers.

2005 profit of Aetna Inc: $1,634,500,000

2005 profit of Wellpoint, Inc.: $2,463,800,000

2005 profit of United Health Group: $3,300,000,000

As you can see, there is no reason for there to be a health care crisis in this country, but don't count on the corporate media to tell you about a problem caused by corporations. That's why we have the drugnazi. You're welcome.

Thanks to the Hightower Lowdown for the heath stats.