China plans universal health care

China plans universal health care

www.nytimes.com

China announced that it intended to spend $123 billion by 2011 to establish universal health care for the country's 1.3 billion people.

"take measures within three years to provide basic medical security to all Chinese in urban and rural areas, improve the quality of medical services and make medical services more accessible and affordable for ordinary people."

(visit the link for the full news article)

Bai Zhongen, chairman of the economics department at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management in Beijing, said that establishing universal health care with government-financed insurance would increase general consumer spending. He said the school did a survey in 2007 about the effect of rural health insurance on consumer behavior and "found that in government-sponsored health insurance areas, people are spending more."

"Growing public criticism of soaring medical fees, a lack of access to affordable medical services, poor doctor-patient relationship and low medical insurance coverage compelled the government to launch the new round of reforms," Xinhua reported.

So, is this merely the work of pinko-commie-bastards or is it something else?

Looks like part of the rational is economic, dare I say 'capitialisitc' in that it is an action being taken to increase 'consumer spending'.

It is kind of startling to me that China is now ahead of the USA in terms of health care, humanity, and economics.

Oh well, it was fun to be one of those in the lead while it lasted.

www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 31-8-2009 by Animal]

China must address all social problems in order to maintain the rapid growth towards the worlds super power.

The middle class and rural China need to be appeased in order to prevent any mass uprising or civil unrest. Universal health care is another method to tame the lion.

Originally posted by Animal

China plans universal health care

www.nytimes.com

China announced that it intended to spend $123 billion by 2011 to establish universal health care for the country's 1.3 billion people.

"take measures within three years to provide basic medical security to all Chinese in urban and rural areas, improve the quality of medical services and make medical services more accessible and affordable for ordinary people."

(visit the link for the full news article)

Seems it will be a difficult task for them, but a big step to improving their populations quality of life. I'd like to stay that it's a big step to improve human rights in China, but my guess is it won't be. The government will likely be intrusive in how they treat people, and the people probably won't get their choice of treatment.

I doubt the math will work this way.. but 123 billion for 1.3 billion? Thats almost a billion in medical for each person. But the chinese will probably be a lot more effective at managing the prices, so it will likely turn out more efficient than that.

The report from the Business Roundtable, which represents CEOs of major companies, says America's health care system has become a liability in a global economy.

The Link

Interesting, leaders in business, IE economics think our current system is limiting our ability to be competitive. This is hardly a socialist point of view, this seems purely capitalistic.

From a business perspective, General Motors spends more on health care per automobile than on steel while small business owners are forced to divert hard-earned profits into health coverage for their employees - rather than new business investments.

The Link

Just a taste. You know this is really about so much more than government 'control' or 'socialism', this is about sane policy that lifts a nation up rather than drags it down. We are not even talking about health care, we are talking about insurance.

You need to check your math. 123 billion is not even close to being 1 billion a piece for 1.3 billion people.

Originally posted by Miraj

Originally posted by Animal

China plans universal health care

www.nytimes.com

China announced that it intended to spend $123 billion by 2011 to establish universal health care for the country's 1.3 billion people.

"take measures within three years to provide basic medical security to all Chinese in urban and rural areas, improve the quality of medical services and make medical services more accessible and affordable for ordinary people."

(visit the link for the full news article)

Seems it will be a difficult task for them, but a big step to improving their populations quality of life. I'd like to stay that it's a big step to improve human rights in China, but my guess is it won't be. The government will likely be intrusive in how they treat people, and the people probably won't get their choice of treatment.

I doubt the math will work this way.. but 123 billion for 1.3 billion? Thats almost a billion in medical for each person. But the chinese will probably be a lot more effective at managing the prices, so it will likely turn out more efficient than that.

This is a total joke.

Chinese ``national health care`` will be divided in minimum three classes of health care IMO.

First, party members. Second, average people. Third, if there's money left, minorities.

And of course where are the organs will come from? Religious prisonners of course!

Wow ... this is gonna make them go BROKE!

Most of the people will not need the health care anyway as they are very much into the ancient heeling for centuries.

I guess China will stop the used of natural healing practices in the name of progress.

Is so much to profit from modern medicine.

Just a couple questions....

For starters, how can they do it so cheap? Isn't the US going to need some 1.6 Trillion to make it all work? With only ten percent of the population of China?

Then, I could have sworn that China's healthcare system was called, 'reproduction.' Why 'fix' the ones you have, when you can just make more a lot easier?

When you have a couple billion people, it seems to me that you can afford to let a few go....ya know?

reply to post by KSPigpen

For starters, how can they do it so cheap? Isn't the US going to need some 1.6 Trillion to make it all work? With only ten percent of the population of China?

Because the US is going to pick up the rest of the tab with what they owe China.

reply to post by princeofpeace


I was never good with numbers.

Someone know the math of this, dollars per person?

Originally posted by KSPigpen
Just a couple questions....
For starters, how can they do it so cheap? Isn't the US going to need some 1.6 Trillion to make it all work? With only ten percent of the population of China?

It depends on how they interpret "universal". I doubt they will be able to provide "universal" health care of the standard and comprehensiveness that we know in the west, e.g. the US, UK or France.

To develop an advanced healthcare they will need to invest in training to produce the doctors, nurses, radiographers, midwives, audiologists and the myriad other professions which make healthcare in the west what it is. They will also need to build hospitals, develop primary care structures, public health and Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

I wonder how many Chinese citizens will have access to e.g. a CT scanner with trained personnel and how many people will be able to see a doctor who knows how to refer to such a machine.

Therefore, "universal" in the context of this announcement does not equate to comparable (with the west).

As has been said, China needs to invest in such things and this will burn much of the financial reserves they have accumulated through the rapid development of their export economy. It is not just health, but the wider social care infrastructure, transportation and a whole bunch of other things which needs to be addressed (should I slip in human rights)?

Regards

China can do it so much cheaper becasue they have always been able to squeeze more out of thier buck, so to speak. The Communist party in China really doesn't like the type of BS that our gov't flunkies pull in regards to pet-project spending, earmarks, etc., and generally doesn't tolerate fraud. If a project costs 12million in China, it costs 12 million. Not actually only 6 million and the other half mysteriiously vanishes.

reply to post by Miraj


To put you out your misery, the sum would be

$123,000,000,000/1,300,000,000 people = $94 a person..

Not alot, really... But then, you don't need to treat ALL the people ALL the time. Also, you can get alot for your money in China.

I suppose the devil is int he detail. As said above, it takes alot to make a truly universal health system, but it's a step in the right direction for them.


[edit on 31/8/09 by stumason]

Originally posted by KSPigpen
Just a couple questions....

For starters, how can they do it so cheap? Isn't the US going to need some 1.6 Trillion to make it all work? With only ten percent of the population of China?

Then, I could have sworn that China's healthcare system was called, 'reproduction.' Why 'fix' the ones you have, when you can just make more a lot easier?

When you have a couple billion people, it seems to me that you can afford to let a few go....ya know?

I went to the Paediatrician the other day $350 dollars for 15 minute consultation - same in us dollars roughly - that, right there is what is wrong with health care. That is to have my 3 month old checked over. Woah. Thats around $12,000.00 dollars a day for a standard job - $4.4million dollars a year for a hard worker. That, right there is what is wrong with the health care in Australia, UK, US and everywhere else - no doubt about it.

Blew my mind out the back of my head when I heard that figure - totally unjustifiable beyond sheer unadulterated greed of the highest order.

Originally posted by paraphi

Originally posted by KSPigpen
Just a couple questions....
For starters, how can they do it so cheap? Isn't the US going to need some 1.6 Trillion to make it all work? With only ten percent of the population of China?

It depends on how they interpret "universal". I doubt they will be able to provide "universal" health care of the standard and comprehensiveness that we know in the west, e.g. the US, UK or France.

To develop an advanced healthcare they will need to invest in training to produce the doctors, nurses, radiographers, midwives, audiologists and the myriad other professions which make healthcare in the west what it is. They will also need to build hospitals, develop primary care structures, public health and Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

I wonder how many Chinese citizens will have access to e.g. a CT scanner with trained personnel and how many people will be able to see a doctor who knows how to refer to such a machine.

Therefore, "universal" in the context of this announcement does not equate to comparable (with the west).

As has been said, China needs to invest in such things and this will burn much of the financial reserves they have accumulated through the rapid development of their export economy. It is not just health, but the wider social care infrastructure, transportation and a whole bunch of other things which needs to be addressed (should I slip in human rights)?

Regards

Just to make sure you don't suppose China is some backwards swamp, by 2018 they will have roughly 800,000 middle class citizens of comparable income and living standards to the US middle class - which will have about 150,000 (so long as the US doesn't totally tank) thats 8 Americas stacked side by side - equally.

Originally posted by audas
Just to make sure you don't suppose China is some backwards swamp, by 2018 they will have roughly 800,000 middle class citizens of comparable income and living standards to the US middle class - which will have about 150,000 (so long as the US doesn't totally tank) thats 8 Americas stacked side by side - equally.

"Backwards swamp"??? Your words not mine. I would never argue the statistics, except to question what "middle class" means. In the context of universal healthcare it is an irrelevance how many middle class people there are.

The fact is that current healthcare in China is not comparable with the west and is in fact a long way behind. To get it comparable with the west (and to our understanding of the term "universal") China will have to invest a bit more than $100 per head. They need to develop a whole new healthcare system and that won't be cheap or happen overnight, especially primary care which is practically non-existent.

Escape the few "model" cities like Shanghai or Beijing where the more affluent population can afford decent private heathcare and take a trip into the rural areas where you may well find your local hospital will be rudimentary at best and the training of the medical staff questionable.

Er. Healthcare is not the only area China needs to invest in, but that has already been stated.

Regards