Healthcare around the world

Healthcare (Insurance) reform is on everyones minds, right now (if you pay attention to news or politics). Tonight on Frontline (PBS) was a fascinating news story by TR Reid comparing (mostly state run) healthcare systems from around the world. “Sick Around The Word” can be watched in full online here. And I highly recommend it if you want to have a better understanding of alternatives around the world. Reid’s preference is definitely a single payer system akin to Taiwan.

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On the American side of the issue, there were 2 really great must-listen episodes of This American Life, digging deeper into the background and hidden economics in the American System. More is Less about why prices keep rising in our system. And Someone Else’s Money which is an incredibly pro-free market argument for NPR.

My own preference is similar to the argument put forth by David Goldhill in Septembers issue of The Atlantic putting the impetus and empowerment on the individual for their own care, making Doctors and procedures costs transparent and insurance more toward catastrophic care as opposed to upkeep care not that dissimilar from auto insurance.