Romney: Socialized Health Care Good For Israel, Not For U.S.

[Lakhota]

By Sahil Kapur

During a trip to Israel, Mitt Romney hailed the nation’s health care system for holding down costs and broadening coverage more effectively than the U.S.

The irony: Israel contains costs by adopting a very centralized, government-run health care system — anathema to Romney’s Republican Party.

“Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the GDP in Israel? Eight percent. You spend eight percent of GDP on health care. You’re a pretty healthy nation,” he said Monday at a breakfast fundraiser, according to the New York Times. “We spend 18 percent of our GDP on health care, 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, compare that with the size of our military — our military which is 4 percent, 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of GDP. We have to find ways — not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to fund and manage our health care costs.”

Israel’s health care system is an instructive exercise in all that rankles American conservatives — replete with government mandates, price controls and centralized payments funded mostly by high taxes.

Reformed in 1995 on the basis of a European model, Israelis are forced to buy insurance from one of several competing not-for-profit plans, which are heavily regulated by the government, according to the journal Health Affairs. The state requires them to cover everyone regardless of health status, and establishes a broad benefits package insurance policies must provide, updated annually by a committee of appointed experts. The government pays the full cost of these policies, mostly through higher taxes. The state also caps the level of annual revenue hospitals can earn from an insurance plan. Care is largely delivered through government-owned facilities; there are private providers, but they tend to charge more.

More: Mitt Romney Hails Israel’s Socialized Health Care System | TPM2012

 

[Lakhota]

So how’s the socialized approach working out?

Quite well. Israel covers all residents and spends 8 percent of its national product on health care; the U.S. currently spends 17.5 percent and has many uninsured. Nor are Israelis resigned to low quality care or long waits that some associate with government-run systems: according to the Jewish Daily Forward, “going by many indexes of health outcomes, the result in terms of quality of care [in Israel] is often better — and definitely cheaper than in the U.S.”

A 2010 study in Health Affairs describes “strong government influence” over its system has been the catalyst for Israel’s low health spending growth since the 1995 reforms.

The Affordable Care Act moves the U.S. a bit closer to an Israel-type system with the use of regulations and mandates to extend coverage, but permits far less government power over health care delivery than Israel. Romney has vowed to repeal the law if elected president.

From the OP link.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

By Sahil Kapur

During a trip to Israel, Mitt Romney hailed the nation’s health care system for holding down costs and broadening coverage more effectively than the U.S.

The irony: Israel contains costs by adopting a very centralized, government-run health care system — anathema to Romney’s Republican Party.

“Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the GDP in Israel? Eight percent. You spend eight percent of GDP on health care. You’re a pretty healthy nation,” he said Monday at a breakfast fundraiser, according to the New York Times. “We spend 18 percent of our GDP on health care, 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, compare that with the size of our military — our military which is 4 percent, 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of GDP. We have to find ways — not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to fund and manage our health care costs.”

Israel’s health care system is an instructive exercise in all that rankles American conservatives — replete with government mandates, price controls and centralized payments funded mostly by high taxes.

Reformed in 1995 on the basis of a European model, Israelis are forced to buy insurance from one of several competing not-for-profit plans, which are heavily regulated by the government, according to the journal Health Affairs. The state requires them to cover everyone regardless of health status, and establishes a broad benefits package insurance policies must provide, updated annually by a committee of appointed experts. The government pays the full cost of these policies, mostly through higher taxes. The state also caps the level of annual revenue hospitals can earn from an insurance plan. Care is largely delivered through government-owned facilities; there are private providers, but they tend to charge more.

More: Mitt Romney Hails Israel’s Socialized Health Care System | TPM2012

Mitt Romney has no idea what his views on health care are. First he supported extending the Massachusetts law to the federal level - even wrote an editorial entitled 'What's the Rush Mr. President' encouraging just that - then he changes his mind when Obama actually gets the law passed.

 

[SniperFire]

'Romney did not the Israel system as a model of reform for the US.'



OP Fail.

 

[Lakhota]

Israel's Health Care Outpaces U.S.

 

[Lakhota]

Romney Praises Israel’s Universal Health Care System, Which Includes Individual Mandate

 

[Ariux]

Romney's in a tough spot. He needs to oppose Obamacare to get Republican support. But, he thinks Obamacare is a good idea.

 

[8537]

It' that superior Jewish culture Mitt's so fond of. They're even good at runnin' banks 'n shit!

 

[Political Junky]

What a pander bear Willard is. Praising the Israeli system of healthcare while vowing to destroy it at home.

 

[Ariux]

Israel's Health Care Outpaces U.S.

I'm not defending the pile of shit that is American medical care. But, Israel doesn't have to deal with hoards of Afros and (not-as-bad) Hispanics, which fuck-up US statistics.

Demographics have more to do with the nature of a country than how much money is spent on this or that.

 

[SniperFire]

 

[candycorn]

Which, again, really makes one wonder why the Governor decided to abandon his campaign 100 days out and go through this horse and pony show 1/2 way around the world....

Can't wait to see how Poland goes for him.

 

[Conservative]

Question for you, Shitting Bull...

Should you pay for health care, based upon your salary? In other words, should two people have the exact same insurance package, yet one pay more per year because he makes more money? Remember, same exact coverage.

 

[there4eyeM]

Well, the original Zionists were socialist, and Israel is probably more so than France that so many hold up as a horrible example.

 

[there4eyeM]

Another question one could ask is, "Should people suffer unnecessarily when health care that could help them exists?"

Guess its a question of personal feelings. Some like people more than they like just money.

 

[Katzndogz]

The way it really works in Israel. Not quite as rosy a picture as liberals would have you believe.

Comparing U.S. and Israeli health care systems

PND: How would you compare the Israel’s health care system to that in the U.S., and what could you see each learning from the other?

SG: Israel has always been committed to health care for everybody. That’s been axiomatic. There’s a very high proportion of dialysis compared to the overall income of the country. The highest number of IVF units in the world per population. Probably the highest number of transplantation units per population. If somebody needs a transplantation in Israel, they’ll raise money in the community, not to let somebody die. Although we’re getting away from socialism more and more, going to a free economy and America’s the model,

OOPS

 

[Lakhota]

The way it really works in Israel. Not quite as rosy a picture as liberals would have you believe.

Comparing U.S. and Israeli health care systems

PND: How would you compare the Israel’s health care system to that in the U.S., and what could you see each learning from the other?

SG: Israel has always been committed to health care for everybody. That’s been axiomatic. There’s a very high proportion of dialysis compared to the overall income of the country. The highest number of IVF units in the world per population. Probably the highest number of transplantation units per population. If somebody needs a transplantation in Israel, they’ll raise money in the community, not to let somebody die. Although we’re getting away from socialism more and more, going to a free economy and America’s the model,

OOPS

PND: Was the primary motivation for coming up with this form of health system to hold down costs?

SG: Every player has different motivations. The major sick fund was rescued financially by the national health insurance bill. But I think there’s a general feeling that health care should be provided for everybody without necessarily tying it to membership in the union or some organization. Everybody agreed in principle that there should be national health insurance. Most western countries now have national health insurance, except the United States.

From your link.

 

[Dot Com]

The way it really works in Israel. Not quite as rosy a picture as liberals would have you believe.

Comparing U.S. and Israeli health care systems

PND: How would you compare the Israel’s health care system to that in the U.S., and what could you see each learning from the other?

SG: Israel has always been committed to health care for everybody. That’s been axiomatic. There’s a very high proportion of dialysis compared to the overall income of the country. The highest number of IVF units in the world per population. Probably the highest number of transplantation units per population. If somebody needs a transplantation in Israel, they’ll raise money in the community, not to let somebody die. Although we’re getting away from socialism more and more, going to a free economy and America’s the model,

OOPS

PND: Was the primary motivation for coming up with this form of health system to hold down costs?

SG: Every player has different motivations. The major sick fund was rescued financially by the national health insurance bill. But I think there’s a general feeling that health care should be provided for everybody without necessarily tying it to membership in the union or some organization. Everybody agreed in principle that there should be national health insurance. Most western countries now have national health insurance, except the United States.

From your link.

ha ha ha ha ha

 

[Greenbeard]

Reformed in 1995 on the basis of a European model, Israelis are forced to buy insurance from one of several competing not-for-profit plans, which are heavily regulated by the government, according to the journal Health Affairs. The state requires them to cover everyone regardless of health status, and establishes a broad benefits package insurance policies must provide, updated annually by a committee of appointed experts.

How could something like that ever work?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNUr__-VZeQ]The Horror.AVI - YouTube[/ame]

 

[GHook93]

So how’s the socialized approach working out?

Quite well. Israel covers all residents and spends 8 percent of its national product on health care; the U.S. currently spends 17.5 percent and has many uninsured. Nor are Israelis resigned to low quality care or long waits that some associate with government-run systems: according to the Jewish Daily Forward, “going by many indexes of health outcomes, the result in terms of quality of care [in Israel] is often better — and definitely cheaper than in the U.S.”

A 2010 study in Health Affairs describes “strong government influence” over its system has been the catalyst for Israel’s low health spending growth since the 1995 reforms.

The Affordable Care Act moves the U.S. a bit closer to an Israel-type system with the use of regulations and mandates to extend coverage, but permits far less government power over health care delivery than Israel. Romney has vowed to repeal the law if elected president.

From the OP link.

You hate Jews and everything about them, so why are you touting their healthcare system to support your agenda?