IN the 90’s the list of socialist countries the left would point to as successful was a lot longer. It included Greece, Spain, Italy , Argentina , Great Britain and more. But large debts, collapsing currency and long hospital waits have lessen that list to the Nordic countries. But now it looks like there are cracks in their system too.
"Cuts to healthcare services, which include everything from free doctor appointments to cancer treatment, have led to the closure of a quarter of state hospitals in the past decade alone.
A recent survey showed that more than half of Danes don’t trust the public health service to offer the right treatment. As a consequence the proportion of the 5.7 million Danish population taking out private health insurance has jumped to 33% from 4% in 2003, according to trade organization Insurance & Pension Denmark.
Other cuts over the past 10 years have led to the closure of a fifth of state schools, while spending per person above 65 years on services such as care homes, cleaning and rehabilitation after illness has dropped by a quarter.
Since the early 2000s, governments have also pushed through unpopular measures to encourage people to work longer.
They include gradually increasing the retirement age to 73 - the highest in the world - in decades to come from 65 currently, phasing out early retirement benefits and cutting unemployment benefits to two years from four."
People are living longer, cuts are necessary. The end.
Oh and i love the part about it being the fact that baby boomers are actually living longer. As the generations after the baby boombers have fewer people does that mean the cuts can be reversed? Can we follow the Norway model then?
PS - i am not for adopting any scandinavian country model whole hog. Not even close
And that’s a good point too. The article mean nothing real… Just arbitrary. Funny how the top ten countries are northern, small populations and almost lily white. I bet you could find parts of Wisconsin just as happy. Lots of Norts there too.
You realize that the elderly typically regress into needing almost full time care at some point, right? Including caretakers who, yes, keep things clean…
Cuts to healthcare services, which include everything from free doctor appointments to cancer treatment, have led to the closure of a quarter of state hospitals in the past decade alone.
A recent survey showed that more than half of Danes don’t trust the public health service to offer the right treatment. As a consequence the proportion of the 5.7 million Danish population taking out private health insurance has jumped to 33% from 4% in 2003, according to trade organization Insurance & Pension Denmark. .
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the truth that all of us here in the US need to hear ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^6
But I was told that a state-run healthcare system would eliminate private insurance? How are these people allowed to purchase private insurance with a socialized healthcare system?
