This page includes links relating to the economics and safety of health care, and the issues of single-payer systems vs private-payer systems, primarily in Canada and the USA.
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Directory of health-care economics and safety
Health-care systems: introduction
. . . Advocates of single-payer systems
. . . Advocates of private-payer systems
. . . Comparative studies
. . . Medical malpractice
Health-care systems: introduction
This is a preliminary effort to establish a basis for sudying the economics and safety of health care, and issues of single-payer sytems vs private-payer systems of health-care funding and delivery, primarily in Canada and the USA.
I hasten to add that I have no expertise in the fields of medicine, health-care organization, or economics.
Advocates of single-payer systems
Citizens-for-medical-safety.com: http://www.citizens-for-medical-safety.com/ Citizens For Medical Safety
We fight because our government has failed to protect us. Our healthcare system is crumbling and dangerous. . . .
We need a federally administered not for profit system that covers all medically necessary services. This is true universal health coverage for all Americans regardless of income and it is truly equal in quality for all. . . .
A national healthcare system would institute finance reform, regulation, and should include a "no-fault" insurance system for medical error. Doctors would be held accountable for their actions and compensation for the victims would take place. . . .
PNHP Physicians for a National Health Program: http://www.pnhp.org/index.php
Physicians for a National Health Program is a not-for-profit organization of physicians, medical students, and other health care professionals that support a national health insurance (NHI) program. Specifically, we believe that a single-payer system (where the government finances health care, but keeps the delivery of health care to mostly private control) is the only solution to solving the United States' many health care problems: 43 million citizens with no health insurance, many more with only limited coverage, skyrocketing health insurance premiums, malpractice costs, long-term care issues, and relatively poor health indicators, when compared to similar industrialized nations. . . .
PNHP has already played a critical role in building public awareness of the single payer alternative. We published the first major single payer proposal in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1989. Our plans for quality improvement, financing, and for reforming long-term care, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, sparked discussion and media coverage. . . .
Advocates of private-payer systems
NEJM -- Revisiting the
Canadian Health Care System:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/342/26/2007
The New England
Journal of Medicine
Volume 342:2007-2012, June 29, 2000, Number 26
New Rules Project -
Equity - Canadian Health Care System:
http://www.newrules.org/equity/CNhealthcare.html
Since 1971 all Canadian citizens, regardless of income, employment or health, have enjoyed access to basic health care, whether it’s provided in a hospital, home or clinic. Canada provides this coverage at a fraction of what the United States pays in health care costs. Americans spend 14 percent of their GDP on health care expenditures; Canadians only 9 percent. Yet despite its high cost, the U.S. system fails to insure more than 44 million of its citizens. Some analysts predict that figure will grow to 60 million by 2008.
Canada’s system is a unique blend of local and provincial control with federal enforcement and funding. . . .
As one doctor puts it, "Today a politician in Canada is more likely to get away with canceling Christmas than he is with canceling Canada's health insurance program."
Citizens-for-medical-safety.com: http://www.citizens-for-medical-safety.com/ Citizens For Medical Safety
We fight because our government has failed to protect us. Our healthcare system is crumbling and dangerous. . . .
A national healthcare system would institute finance reform, regulation, and should include a "no-fault" insurance system for medical error. Doctors would be held accountable for their actions and compensation for the victims would take place. . . .
Dr. Ralph Speken, M.D., is involved in this site, and in the one at Homepage below.
Homepage: http://www.med-malpractice.com/ahomepag.htm
The documents of this site describe the death of our son Seth Speken due to malpractice, and worse. He died in one of the nation's leading hospitals, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in the City of New York. There was a concerted attempt to keep the details of how Seth died from us. After great effort in deciphering the chart, we understood just how extreme the negligence of his care was and we sued. The Hospital to defend itself, then countersued. All of this is laid out in this Web Site.
We feel a duty to set forth this story. It is important to show the reader just how great their risk can be in what should be the safe environment of a hospital. . . .
Due to the amount of memory needed to make the images, they had to be compressed using Fractal Imager from Iterated Systems. It is possible to view these frames with either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. However first it is necessary to obtain the free plug-in . . . Fractal Viewer . . . Free Download . . .
This site presents very detailed medical records and chronological details, by the father of Seth, Dr. Ralph Speken, M.D. He is also involved in the site Citizens for Medical Safety above.
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You can e-mail me at waynerp@sympatico.ca