Myths About National Health Insurance

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Myths About National Health Insurance
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Myth No. 1

• Health Insurance is a right.

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Waiting

• Britain 1 million
• Canada 876 thousand
• New Zealand 90 thousand

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Patients Having To Wait More Than Four Months For
Surgery
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Number of Weeks Patients Wait between Referral by
GP and Treatment, by Specialty, 1993 and 2003
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Myth No. 2

• NHI delivers high quality care

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Patients Seen Annually(Average per physician)
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Patients Spending More than 20 Minutes with Their
Doctor
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Use of High-Tech Medical Procedures( per 100,000
people per year)
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Access to Modern Medical Technology in the U.S.,
Britain and Canada (2000)(Units per million
people)
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Myth No. 3

• Care is determined by need, not ability to pay.

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Private Health Insurance

• New Zealand 1/3 Population
• Australia 1/3 Population
• Britain 7 Million

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Myth No. 4

• Although the U.S. spends more, it doesnt get
  more.

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United States Life Expectancy(Men)
Years
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United States Life Expectancy(Women)
Years
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Percent of the Population Age 15 and Older That
is Obese
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Pregnancy, Childbearing and Abortions among Girls
Ages 15-19(per 1,000)
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Breast Cancer Mortality Ratio(Percent of those
with the disease who die from it)
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Prostrate Cancer Mortality Ratio(Percent of
those with the disease who die from it)
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Percent of Americans Ages 45-64 Reporting Health
as Good
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Percent of Americans 65 Reporting Health as
Good
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Percent of Adults Reporting Fair or Poor Health
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Myth No. 5

• Everyone is treated equally.

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Per Capita Spending on Physician Services in
British Columbia
Vancouver
Vancouver
Peace River
Peace River
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Inequalities in the Use of Physician Services
Among Urban and Rural Patients in British
Columbia(Per capita spending 1993-4)
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Myth No. 6

• Health care delivery is efficient.

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Average Length of Hospital Stay
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Acute Care Beds in Britain

• 15 Empty
• 15 Non-Acute Patients

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Kaiser California vs. NHS Specialists per 100,000
People
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Administrative Costs as a Percent of Medical
Expenditures in the United States
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Myth No. 7

• No discrimination.

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Minorities

• Canada Cree, Inuits
• New Zealand Maoris
• Australia Aborigines

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How the Elderly Evaluate Their Health Care
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Myth No. 8

• Costs are controlled.

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Average Annual Real Growth in Per Capita Health
Spending1960-1998
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Rate of Inflation
Medical Services
All Goods
Cosmetic Surgery
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Myth No. 9

• Spending priorities are determined by medical
  need.

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British National Health Service

• Nonemergency ambulance rides 15,000,000
• Missed physician appointments 10,000,000
• Patients receiving nonmedical
• services 1,500,000

• Annual

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British National Health Service
Annual

• Home alterations 375,000
• Occupational therapy 456,000
• Day care services 260,000
• Homecare/Home help
• Services 578,000

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Myth No. 10

• Problems can be reformed away.