Let's outsource our healthcare system to a country proven to do it better & cheaper than us

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Is that not American corporate enterprise? Let's just turn over the whole damn system over to Canada, France, Sweden, whomever. It works for IT support, it works for shoe manufacturers, it works for data input, it works for cars, why would it not work for healthcare?

Just trying to follow the path laid down by American corporations for the last thirty years. Who am I to argue with success?

[Thothmes]

1. probably not a bad idea, what is the price of a round trip

airline ticket to Sweden these days.

[Schema Thing]

2. Actually, if we had half an .oz of sense, we'd make a deal with Cuba

to train doctors and teach us how to deliver quality healthcare on the cheap.

[leftstreet]

3. K&R

[glitch]

4. Ha, that's turning it around on them.

Too bad they won't allow themselves to hear it, not until you make it something that profits them, that is. And you lay that out very, very simply.

[ejpoeta]

5. it sure is funny how the big healthcare companies don't want to compete with a public option.

they know it would be cheaper and they'd lose. It's like the big chain grocery/big box stores around here. when they want to go into a town they shout to the mountaintops about competition being good for everyone!! then, when they get their way and all the small businesses shrivel up and die, and then another big box store wants to come in, they cry about how the big box store will stifle them! it happened here with tops (grocery store) and the super walmart. i had to laugh. but it's true. the health insurance companies don't want to have to compete with a public option, because they would have to actually get their costs down while providing actual coverage. i am upset at what i am hearing about what is going on and short of going all single payer, i think having a public option that is truly a public option is the only way.

[FatDave]

6. For a certain type, their core convictions are maleable to what suits them in a given moment.

In addition to the examples you cite, consider the republicans' various stands on the filibuster and election law. I have a feeling that if John Boehner ever found himself poor he'd be crying that food stamps were a God-given right.

[ejpoeta]

8. i have a feeling there are a lot of people who would have that reaction.....

some like my family members, would be mad because they don't qualify. i think that slipping through the cracks would incite them further, thinking that some illegal immigrant or welfare mom was taking THEIR help. but the fact is that in order to get anything you pretty much have to be to a point where you are almost living in a cardboard box. i know... i've been there. i would LOVE these guys to live like the rest of us. frankly, i feel that most of our reps need to go. they aren't working for us. i have only seen a couple who are actually there to represent US and not their corporate sponsors.

[Faryn Balyncd]

7. K&R -- Let's outsource our BANKING system to Canada, while we're at it...

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE4981X220081009

[Delphinus]

9. Hey -

great idea!!

[cali]

10. well, outsourcing hasn't been a big success

and I kinda wish folks would stop comparing small population counries to the U.S. I support single payer. I'm all for looking at how other countries deliver it, but we're going to have to translate it to a country with a massively larger population.

[Festivito]

12. Yes it has been a success for the CEO's that outsource.

And, that's all that matters. And, we can deliver it state by state, so as to not be massively bigger, instead we'd be smaller if not equally sized.

[Clintonista2]

13. I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you Cali, but...

under a single payer system, wouldn't a larger population translate into more tax dollars for healthcare anyways? Plus, it seems to me that the density of population would be something to look at rather than the size of population. Much of the U.S's population is clustered, thus it would be easier to provide care to large groups of people. In contrast, a country like Canada has its population spread out greatly, so making sure everyone has good care would be more challenging.

[Vidar]

11. Cuba would be happy to help, with a little encouragement.