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Orange Blooded [2092]
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We're #1, except in healthcare...
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Apr 13, 2024, 11:45 PM
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The US has the world's largest economy. We're the most diverse and most innovative. We have the world's highest per capita earnings. We have enormous wealth. We have the largest houses, the largest vehicles. We eat the largest meals. We have so many natural attractions in our lakes, oceans, gulfs, mountains, and parks. We have the most diverse religious profile, and huge mega-churches and high attendance. We offer opportunities for all men and women of different races. We've expanded basic human rights for black people, for women, for gays, and we're still expanding rights. We're the destination for so many of the world's immigrants. We have religious, speech, and gun rights that are the envy of so many in the world. We have the world's greatest financial markets, and the greatest tech hubs, and the world's greatest cities, too. We have sports that is far and away the best. We have an entertainment & music industry that is second to none. We have Universities that are the best in the world. We have a gentle safety net that helps people without turning them to mush, via Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. We have capitalism as our engine, with just enough regulation to help keep things between the lines in most situations. We also have the world's most powerful military, and we've conquered Soviet Communism, German Fascism, and Japanese Imperialism. And we were so good to Germany and Japan, even after we conquered them, we allowed them to govern themselves and didn't permanently rule over them.
Much as we fight each other internally in the political realm, the US is still the best place in the world to be, and I'm #### proud to be an American.
But in healthcare & health, we really suck. We need to do something to address this, folks. And you don't have to be a Republican or a Democrat to understand that. This is the one area where I think the US really lags behind the rest of the developed world. We pay so much, and we don't get our money's worth.
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022
In most health stastistics, the US shows big problems. This is something we need to work on, both parties, to fix.
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Orange Blooded [4025]
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Re: We're #1, except in healthcare...
Apr 13, 2024, 11:48 PM
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The US has the world's largest economy. We're the most diverse and most innovative. We have the world's highest per capita earnings. We have enormous wealth. We have the largest houses, the largest vehicles. We eat the largest meals. We have so many natural attractions in our lakes, oceans, gulfs, mountains, and parks. We have the most diverse religious profile, and huge mega-churches and high attendance. We offer opportunities for all men and women of different races. We've expanded basic human rights for black people, for women, for gays, and we're still expanding rights. We're the destination for so many of the world's immigrants. We have religious, speech, and gun rights that are the envy of so many in the world. We have the world's greatest financial markets, and the greatest tech hubs, and the world's greatest cities, too. We have sports that is far and away the best. We have an entertainment & music industry that is second to none. We have Universities that are the best in the world. We have a gentle safety net that helps people without turning them to mush, via Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. We have capitalism as our engine, with just enough regulation to help keep things between the lines in most situations. We also have the world's most powerful military, and we've conquered Soviet Communism, German Fascism, and Japanese Imperialism. And we were so good to Germany and Japan, even after we conquered them, we allowed them to govern themselves and didn't permanently rule over them. Much as we fight each other internally in the political realm, the US is still the best place in the world to be, and I'm #### proud to be an American. But in healthcare & health, we really suck. We need to do something to address this, folks. And you don't have to be a Republican or a Democrat to understand that. This is the one area where I think the US really lags behind the rest of the developed world. We pay so much, and we don't get our money's worth. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022In most health stastistics, the US shows big problems. This is something we need to work on, both parties, to fix.
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Orange Blooded [4025]
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It's got nothing to do with the system
Apr 13, 2024, 11:51 PM
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And everything to do with the fact that 1/3 of American’s stuff their faces with twinkies while another 3rd are on drugs
And the last 3rd are paying for it all
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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What would you do to fix it?....
Apr 13, 2024, 11:54 PM
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I think there needs to be a re-think of what it means to be an American, the richest country in the world, and why we should ever have people be financially unable to afford healthcare. That's an immoral thing for our society to allow.
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Heisman Winner [138051]
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Do you think it's just happenstance that countries in, say, Europe,
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Apr 14, 2024, 2:07 AM
[ in reply to It's got nothing to do with the system ] |
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have far healthier diets than we do? That would mean one of two things is true:
1. They're better or smarter people than Americans who make better food choices because they know that Twinkie-stuffing is bad
2. The system, largely enabled by government programs, is set up for that
Curious to hear your take on this. Which culture actually cares about the health of its population?
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Orange Blooded [4025]
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Re: Do you think it's just happenstance that countries in, say, Europe,
Apr 14, 2024, 7:57 AM
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That's a complex question and I've wondered that. I don't know why, because the US is a melting pot and pretty much every demographic is getting fatter. Here is my guess:
In the US though we have unparalleled access to convenience stores, fast food restaurants, and the grocery store chip/cookie/ice cream aisles.
I just don't see that same proliferation and access in other parts of the world.
Historically though, before 1950 or so obesity had been the luxury/curse of rich people.
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CU Guru [1584]
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Re: We're #1, except in healthcare...
Apr 14, 2024, 12:02 AM
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I didn’t read your post but want to ask you this question.
If our health care is so bad, why do none of our leaders go to other countries for health care?
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110%er [7220]
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It's awesome if you're rich af.***
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Apr 14, 2024, 12:15 AM
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CU Guru [1584]
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Re: It's awesome if you're rich af.***
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Apr 14, 2024, 12:22 AM
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Correct.
Civil servants should not be rich a f. and using our money for any healthcare plan that is not offered through Obamacare.
They made this system and they should be mandated to use it.
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110%er [7220]
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So let's keep going
Apr 14, 2024, 12:32 AM
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If the people who decide what US health care looks like aren't rich af and aren't given a cushy plan paid for by the taxpayers, what do you think they change?
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CU Guru [1584]
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Re: So let's keep going
Apr 14, 2024, 12:38 AM
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Nothing.
That’s the problem.
Why should our representatives be the people who decide what healthcare looks like in the US? Do you want someone in DC to dictate to you what healthcare you can have while they are able to have the healthcare they want?
If Obamacare is so good, why did none of our senators sign up for it
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110%er [7220]
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Wait, what do you think members of Congess choose for their own plan?
Apr 14, 2024, 1:01 AM
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They get a gold level Obama obamacare plan and tax payers pay for the vast majority of it plus they get free services through the office of the attending physician.
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CU Guru [1584]
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Re: Wait, what do you think members of Congess choose for their own plan?
Apr 14, 2024, 1:06 AM
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They are not on any form of public healthcare system.
I’m not saying that it’s not offered and available to them.
Message was edited by: klimpzun®
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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CU Guru [1584]
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Re: Read my post****
Apr 14, 2024, 12:39 AM
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It’s too long.
Like our tax code.
Make a point or not.
I made mine.
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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Dude, I already made my point....
Apr 14, 2024, 8:50 AM
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We're the best at many things, but healthcare is not one of them. And I backed it up with a lot of stats in the link I provided.
But sure, you do you. Don't read what others says and just pretend you know something.
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Oculus Spirit [97794]
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Our leaders have better Healthcare than the Americans they serve.
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Apr 14, 2024, 7:53 AM
[ in reply to Re: We're #1, except in healthcare... ] |
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That's why.
When Trump got covid he also received monoclonal antibodies before any other Americans even had access to them. Walter Reed has a blank check to treat President's.
Joe Biden would be mumbling at walls and eating through a straw, or worse, if he wasn't President.
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Oculus Spirit [97794]
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2 big things would help. You failed to mention Americans are also among the
Apr 14, 2024, 7:19 AM
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World's most obese. Americans need more Healthcare than most other countries, which is the biggest part of the problem.
End government farm subsidies to farmers who grow caebohydrate crops. Also an overhaul of patent laws would help on the medication side of things.
Two things I would do. The US government spends about $10+ billion a year making sugars cheaper, then spends another 60 billion+ treating diabetes, not to mention all the other health problems that come from diabetes.
I would either end those subsidies altogether, or shift them to meat, dairy, fruits and vegatables.
Obesity is America's #1 health problem IMO because it leads to or contributes to so many others. It is a disease of the poor in the US because government subsidies make carbohydrate foods the cheapest food. It used to be that fat cats and the rich were fat because sugar and carbohydrates were so expensive.
Anyway this is my completely non-political answer. Socializing medicine won't fix the problem in the long run. This would also make farming in the US more competitive, which is sorely needed. Farmers would hate me necessarily but that's OK. It will help them long term to not be on the gubment teat.
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All-TigerNet [12595]
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Re: 2 big things would help. You failed to mention Americans are also among the
Apr 14, 2024, 8:07 AM
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Agree with that. Americans eat too much, eat the wrong foods, and as a whole don't exercise enough to be remotely fit.
If tomorrow the government took complete control over the distribution of health care and paid for it through very high taxes, yes it has to be paid for, I suspect outcomes would not be appreciably different than they are now.
Do veterans receiving their health care through the VA have marvelous outcomes? No, they don't. Why is that? Many vets are overweight, smoke and drink to excess.
We can throw all the money in the world to better enhance access to healthcare in the US, but without fundamental changes in the way we collectively treat our bodies, we will still lag behind many of our peer nations.
Putting a bunch of bureaucrats in control of medicine is a sure fire way to screw it up even more.
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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We already have bureaucrats in charge of medicine....
Apr 14, 2024, 9:11 AM
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Who do you think decides whether to pay your bills and how much?
We need to look at the example of numerous (dozens) of other countries that do it better than the US. They all have a much stronger government footprint. They pay less. They don't go bankrupt because of a sickness or accident. And they have better health outcomes.
We can keep private ownership of things like doctors offices & hospitals. But we MUST have a stronger government involvement in our healthcare to make it better.
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All-TigerNet [12595]
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Re: We already have bureaucrats in charge of medicine....
Apr 14, 2024, 9:40 AM
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I have more than a passing knowledge of how the system works and doesn't work.
Check out the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale used by the government to dole out dollars for physician services. That's a great example of the government at work.
It was also special when the Feds leaned in hard for electronic medical records, with punishment for not complying, yet leaving it up to the physician practices and hospitals to purchase this expensive equipment, which now has health care providers spending 40-50% of their time with their heads in a computer rather than being engaged with the patient.Good stuff!
If we're gonna go down the road of the government running health care even more than is done now, than EVERYONE should have taxable skin in the game as in Scandinavia. No freeloaders there.
The ineptitude of the Federal Government's role in healthcare must be experienced directly in order to fully "appreciate" it.
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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The countries of Scandinavia do it well...
Apr 14, 2024, 10:29 AM
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Norway, Denmark, Sweden....these are countries with good health outcomes relative to the US, and much less cost.
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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I agree with you about obesity....
Apr 14, 2024, 8:59 AM
[ in reply to 2 big things would help. You failed to mention Americans are also among the ] |
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And I do not want to "socialize" medicine. I think it's perfectly OK to have for profit providers, insurers, and hospitals that are privately owned.
And I didn't specifically mention obesity, because it was already in the link I provded. We have over 40% of adults in this country that are obese vs places like Japan, which is at around 4%.
But just targeting carbohydrates & diet, while helpful, isn't going to fix our problem.
It's a travesty that there are something on the order of 25-30 million Americans who have no insurance at all, and there are many others that have insurance, but it doesn't pay enough. We should look at a more efficient system like systems that have been done over and over around the world.
I think we can keep private insurance. But we need better and more effective regulations wrapped around it to make our health insurance component better, and to ultimately cover our entire population. If everyone was in the game, we could not only have full UHC, but we could save money, too.
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Oculus Spirit [97794]
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I'm not targeting diet, I'm targeting a very specific governemnt program
Apr 14, 2024, 10:09 AM
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that in turn directly impacts our diet. Did you know Americans are the ONLY country in the world where sugar is added to BREAD. Yes, BREAD. Heck, beef freaking jerky. Look at the label. We add sugar to that.
Making grains, corn, sugar, rice, wheat, potatoes, making all of that more expensive will change what we eat. Do you know what fast food companies consider to be the most important ingredient in a hamburger? Do you know what is their most profitable ingredient in a hamburger? I know I think of the beef when I think of a hamburger, most do. But the most important part of that burger to the fast food company, is the BUN. It's the cheapest ingredient per calorie as well.
Here, look at this list of foods for people wanting to eat "cheaply". Look at the top 10-20 ingredients. Look at the bottom 10-20 ingredients. This is a list of what foods to eat to get fat, and eventually diabetes. And the top 10 or so foods are all complex carbohydrates, and all are subsidized by our tax dollars. And corn is left off of this list for some reason. It's up there as well, dirt cheap. $4.36 for a bushel of corn which averages 72 ears of corn at 90 calories per ear. Math that out, it may be the cheapest.
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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I don't disagree with you....
Apr 14, 2024, 10:26 AM
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As a society, we eat crap food that's high calorie and low nutrients.
But you're only targeting part of the issue.
We need a better health insurance system that brings everyone into the system, and that controls cost. By the way, the ACA has been successfully implemented without increasing healthcare costs to gdp ratio. But it was only a partial solution, too.
We need to target healthier foods, a more physically active childhood, and a true UHC system that wraps around all of it.
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All-TigerNet [13169]
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Maybe all those countries could provide healthcare to us for fighting their
Apr 14, 2024, 8:02 AM
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wars.
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110%er [6155]
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A big problem with healthcare is the insurance industry, not healthcare itself.
Apr 14, 2024, 8:32 AM
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For example, I have sleep apnea and was prescribed a CPAP. I pay lots of money for insurance. I go to get the CPAP and they tell me it's $1600 for the machine and all the accessories based on my insurance. So I asked them what If I just give you a wad of $100s? They say, we can give it to you for $1000 even. Prescriptions are even worse.
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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Lack of price transparency is a problem in our "system".***
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Apr 14, 2024, 8:59 AM
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All-TigerNet [12595]
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Re: Lack of price transparency is a problem in our "system".***
Apr 14, 2024, 9:42 AM
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Now on that, I absolutely agree. Competition on pricing is a good thing. There is essentially no competition on price from one hospital or another or one physician or another in the same geographic area.
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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I agree...
Apr 14, 2024, 10:28 AM
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Did you see the study where the group tried to "price shop" for a pregnancy & baby delivery? It was all over the place, the prices they were quoted, assuming the provdiers/hospitals could even quote something to begin with. We have an insane system.
And there has to be a stronger government footprint before we begin to deal with fixing it.
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110%er [5697]
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Re: We're #1, except in healthcare...
Apr 14, 2024, 9:44 AM
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What you lefties are asking is 'why isn't socialism working' and if not, then we need more.
The question is not 'why is our big huge bureaucracy not doing better' it is why are our citizens so ignorant?
We need to get back to PSAs - remember the anti-littering PSAs in the 1970s? Young people need to be hammered every day with dozens of messages about eating fresh foods that did not come out of a factory. They need to be told to 'eat what grows.'
I'm talking about a comprehensive marketing campaign on all fronts: TV, social media, schools, etc.
In concert with that, the most 'fat and happy' and unhealthy segments of our population need education. Nothing gets fixed with a populous that is getting dumber over time.
Instead of paying medical bills to fix the fatty stuffing his face on Twinkies, pay his gym membership so he avoids getting sick/disabled and is a source of tax revenue instead of a sink.
If people had to grow/find/prepare their own food, everything would be better. We, as a nation, are spoiled and think stuffing our faces should be immediate, whenever we want it, and should be an entertainment event every time we eat.
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Orange Blooded [2092]
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I agree on diet/nutrition & obesity....
Apr 14, 2024, 9:51 AM
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That will help alot. It's only a partial solution though.
We need to look at health insurance systems in other parts of the world, and how they're able to get their entire population insured through either public or private means, while we are not.
Other countries, with a much stronger government footprint than the US, all are able to achieve UHC, while we still have people going bankrupt because of sickness or accidents.
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