Really retard? The reasons patients travel for treatment vary. Many medical tourists from the United States are seeking treatment at a quarter or sometimes even a 10th of the cost at home. From Canada, it is often people who are frustrated by long waiting times. From Great Britain, the patient can't wait for treatment by the National Health Service but also can't afford to see a physician in private practice.
The ignorance that is prevelant among most people discussing health care is amazing. The level of ignorance in oktiri on the issue is so profound that there is almost no way of solving some of the problems when you are dealing with "experts" who actually know nothing about the subject. American health care system has numerous problems. However, it is by far the best system in the world. Unless of course you listen to Michael Moore.
The Canadian system works well I find, but it is an expensive program to run (See: Cad. taxation system). The waiting times are a problem though. My dad was on a 3 month waiting list for a knee surgery, but luckily kept calling around and got in within 3 weeks of being told he needed it.
I suggest you read up on japan's system, they routinely turn people away from receiving emergency care, I've never heard of this happening in the US. In fact, out here in CA, they are can't refuse to give you medical treatment.
EMTALA is a Federal reg that mandates that no one can be refused emergency medical care nationally, not just in CA. Re Japan: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1446917/14_hospital_refusals_accident_victim.html?cat=5
How about the World Health Organization? http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html ... or the University of Maine http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S. HCweb.pdf By the way, it's ironic that you misspelt prevalent in the same sentence you called someone ignorant!
Only a DR or someone related to a DR could think the American health care system is less corrupt than Madoff.
The health care system in the US maybe the best in the world but the population is one of the sickest in the world. In fact the stats show that even the richest people in the US are sicker than the poorest in the rest of the western world. The US heatlh care system is also the most expensive in the world per capita. There are millions of people who are uninsured. This large segment of population have no where to turn when something happens to them and that's a pretty desperate situation to be in. People living with that kind of hidden worry for their health affect the rest of the population like it or not. As the richest and supposidely the most developed nation in the world it's time for the US to reform the heatlh care system so that this BASIC HUMAN NEED is taken care of for everyone. Maybe half private and half state owned system is a way to go. Those, who still think that the free market based health care system is the best way to go, wake up!
Unless you determine "best" as being the most responsive to those with health insurance, then those links show that the US is NOT the best. Also of note, is the US is the only country in the developed world, with the exception of South Africa, that does not provide health care for all of its citizens.