The point of social health is to set a standard of access to health care that no-one is denied. I do not have a problem with a wealthy society making that distinction and bearing the consequences of implementing it. I have experienced the Australian and American systems of health. Both have their pros and cons - both are superior in some areas and inferior in others. Despite what ideological extremes claim, neither will cause the end of the world.

With all that being said, this article is typical mass media drivvle that does nothing to address the issues over the arguments between private vs public health systems.

From the article;

PATIENTS in the wealthiest areas are collecting a dramatically higher share of the $280 million in Medicare safety net payments than people in low-income areas.

The safety net scheme, designed to help families cover high medical bills, has benefited residents in Wentworth, covering well-off eastern suburbs of Sydney, at more than 10 times the rate of those in low-income areas such as Throsby, south of Wollongong.

That style of writing is supposed to touch my outrage bone . I think these are the reports that the Herald got the figures from. Neither the article or figures add much to the debate. Researchers will probably like the data to do trending though.

Health Services

Health services can be broken down into two areas;

• Preventative
• Catastrophic

Health is unusual in that family, social, cultural and even economic health are influenced by the health of an individual. So there are advantages to group responses and collective action on health. This is born out by the number of charities and social support groups which focus on a single issue in health. Alcoholics Anonymous is a good example of the latter.

The two forms of health services also respond best to different economic models. The catastrophic form of health care is best with an insurance model. While the preventative model is best with a user-pays system.

One of the inefficiencies in the American model of health care is that all aspects of it are covered by insurance. Even minor check ups that cost no more than $50 USD. As a result the insurance company's administration has to process large numbers of small claims. Administration costs for health in the US is much higher than in social health countries .

Preventative health care is most efficient when the skills and regulations required for it are minimised - essentially it should be a commodity business where health outlets compete on price and quality.

Barriers to this in Australia's case are the AMA running a closed shop where doctors are required to deliver commodity health services. This monopoly will need to be broken by government regulation to expand the definition of qualified health workers in the area of preventative medicine.

The states are the best level to run health. As an example, the problems of Peter Beattie in Queensland insulate the other states from the same problems. This would not be the case in a federally run system.

cam

My shoulder has been giving me pain for the last three weeks or so; and after surfing with it amongst the rough and tumble of the Californian swell I finally gave in and had it check out. This is an x-ray of it.

I need to get an MRI next but there is a bone chip in there from an Aussie Rules injury when I was about sixteen, there is also a spur, which might be the issue. Then again given where I was weak it also might be a torn labrum/labrial (sp?) which is bad since it requires surgery. Which is not cool.

As an aside this will be my second interface with the US medical system and to be truthful it makes me nervous. I far prefer the Australian system where I know I will be taken care of. In the US I am more dependent on the insurance my employer has, rather than a collective health pool or my own insurance. It is fine if you don't have much wrong with you, but I am aging, and this is where I would not be in the least bit concerned if the US adopted an Australian or West European system (like France's) as health care. I don't see it happening though.

I dealt with the US health system in detail when I first came to America and inconveniently broke my leg playing Aussie Rules for the New York Magpies in Cincinnati. My insurance at that time was through an Australian insurer. I did not transition to US health care until later. I recall it was a fight to get the insurance company to pay - but ultimately they did.

For my shoulder the X-Ray was covered, but the MRI is optional and has to be approved by the insurance company, in this Aetna. I suspect I am going to be out of pocket one way or another before the shoulder is fixed and back to fully functioning status.

Update: I damaged the shoulder doing incline presses at gym.

Update II: 1/4 x-post