Snake bite, 1 day in hospital, $143,000 bill.

Yep, at 17% of GDP, we spend more on health care than any other country on earth. Twice as much as most of the other developed countries. Even the big spenders like Switzerland only spend 11%. The thrifty Taiwanese spend 7%. Both of the countries have better health care than the US. Pay less, get more.

So the argument that health care costs so much for people that can pay because they have to make up for the people that don't pay doesn't make sense. Even taking that into account, health care costs should be about half what they are to match other developed nations.

Thus the reason I don't understand the pro status quo mentality from roughly half the population. The system is broke people, why do we want to keep it? If you watch the CNN interview of the people who implemented Taiwan's low cost/high quality health care system, they point out that when they were looking for another country to emulate that they held up the US as the way to definitely not run a health care system. Health care reform is not perfect, but at least it's a step. In many ways, it's a copy of the Swiss system that does work. They have lower health care costs and a higher standard of care.

No, Miller used less vials for one, and Trydal was at the hospital for 2 days. The $100K amount precedent has already been set.

"However, note that even if he got royally screwed on the AV by the hospital (say $3,000 a vial which I've heard of) that's still $70,000 for everything else."

Not $100,000 more vials. The reporting does seem to be inconsistent.

The news story says "Trydal was admitted to the hospital and given four doses of antivenom over a 24-hour period."

The hospital response to the news story says "The patient required 10 units of the antivenom and a night in the Intensive Care Unit".

Maybe a dose consists of more than 1 vial.

Regardless, they both agree he was only in the hospital for 1 day unless I missed it and somewhere else it says that he was in their for 2.

.. But what you fail to miss completely in your rant is the number 1 reason why our system is more expensive and is the number 1 reason why americans have worse outcomes.... do you even know?

it "modifiable risk factors".... obesity, smoking, sedentary behavoirs, drug use, alcohol, non-compliance, etc. etc. but lets ignore all that.

Just for the record...

Smaller children should always be taken to the hospital. Their smaller bodies are less able to handle the toxins (and humans dont have natural anti-bodies).

Likewise bites on the upper body (usually the hands and arms), which is closer to the heart, respistory system and especially brain, should also warrant extra precaution of hospital visit and stay.

Capture the snake if you can (dead or alive), so that it can be identified....if you cant identify it yourself. Else try to make a mental note of colors and markings, rattler tails, and head shape, which will help in identification. Some snakes venom is more harmful than others and it is important to identify the snake, for the purposes of determining proper course of action/treatment. This cannot be stressed enough. There are different anti-venoms for different types of venom.

You can lose fingers if bit on them.

This has been a public service announcement.

Because those factors don't exist in other countries, right?

taiwan doesn't have better healthcare than the USA.
first hand experience being born there.

Taiwan also has about the population of NY on the size of long island.

not to mention many of the older folks prefer alternative medicine to western/scientific medicine

Do they exist in the same levels with the same population?

Many of those risk factors lead to cancer. Many other countries with lower health care costs are higher on the cancer list than the US.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/da...rate-drops

Im attracted to the possible cost savings of a universal health care system.....however I am also hesitant to increase the power of government (especially inserting it directly into health decisions) and infringement upon liberty.

6 others out of 58. Weren't you just accosting Elmer for saying 10% was "many"?

Keep in mind that the 2 you keep talking about (Switzerland and Germany) are 20 and 16 respectively.

And those 6 still have lower cost/high quality health care than us. So it seems those factors are not apropos in a discussion of cost. They are red herrings.

Do they exist in the same levels with the same population?

Some are more and some are less. I fail to see where you're going with this.