Do you have any personal experience in what you speak of?
Originally Posted by
5khours
a) you don't get the latest drugs
Depends where you go (What, you mean some hospitals are different than others in Japan!? Crazy talk!").
These guys had everything I needed, including some very new stuff.
Originally Posted by
5khours
b) no or very little medical treatment by ambulance personnel
Can't speak of this for my own medical needs, but the two times I have ridden in an ambulance with other people, the help seemed competent.
Originally Posted by
5khours
c) 8 to a room in hospital
Been to five hospitals as either patient or visitor, and have only seen 4 or 6 per room at most. Not the greatest, but if you want to pay for your own room, you usually can.
Originally Posted by
5khours
d) most procedures are under-priced so the hospitals need to make money and require long stays in order to break even after losing money on operations/procedures, etc.
This is true. Because there is a form of universal health care, the government has tremenous leverage in working out prices with the hospitals for care, and they use that for people's benefit.
All in all, I think there's more harm to the patient in a too short trip to the hospital than there is in a too long trip.
Originally Posted by
5khours
and e) a huge shortage of long term care for the elderly disabled.
True. But not impossible to overcome, and the government paying 90% of home helper costs for truly disabled seniors is a tremendous help.
It may not be sustainable, but in its current state, Japan's health care system serves people a hell of a lot better than America's (which is also unsustainable, current form or Obamacare) does.