Jack, the WHO study is saying that the ranking the US received was not based on an accumulation of pure statistics but biased by the use of a fictional formula. The US should rank much higher based on the stats. This makes me wonder if the WHO has an agenda and can be considered an unbiased source.
I also realize that at least two of those studies were done by organizations with a definite viewpoint but they bring up good points. I am using what I found to try and show how government and the insurance industry have led us to the very unsatisfactory place we are at. Do we really want these same entities to have the right to tax us and probably perpetuate the mess?
Marklart, you bring up a point that relates to a report I read today. I believe it was the US Bureau of Trade. They are claiming that the dramatic run up in prescription costs in this country is due to the fact that countries with UHP are using their bargaining power to get drugs cheaply. The pharmaceutical companies are taking it on the chin in these countries so they charge us more to make up for it. There was even mention of trying to require these other nations to pay a form of reparations to the US.
Jack, I would give you the sources if I knew how. They are all easily available if you go to wikipedia and search for any health care topic you wish. The articles are informative and every study or statement is credited and linked directly to the source. There is a huge amount of information available without a lot of searching. Peter