How good is our Health System?

"Yet would it surprise you to find that a study by the World Health Organization ranked the overall performance of the U.S. health care system 37th in the world?"

Tune in to Nightline (ABC) tonite for what promises to be an interesting look at the "cutting edge" of US Medicine. Perhaps we're only "cutting edge" for those who can afford it? And that's becoming fewer and fewer every day. Check it out.

And from Business Week comes some stats:

• Avg worker today shells out $2412 in premiums for his health insurance. That represents 27% of the total $9068 bill that companies have to pay.


• Ford Motor picks up 90% of the total tab for its active and retired workers,despite trimming some benefits.


• In contrast, Wyndham International has scrapped plans that require no co-pays by employees and now require employees to pay 15-40% of the full cost, up to a max of $2500 or more.


• 65% of companies with 3-199 employees offered health coverage this year, down from 71% in 1999, even as 98% of those firms with more than 200 workers continue to provide coverage.


• The average premium per month families covered by companies now shell out is $200 - up 50% in the last 3 years


• And the worst statistic - 43.6 million Americans have no insurance - up 2.4 million in just one year

Quote of the day:
"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." (as a person who has daymares, I appreciate this quote. :) )
Edgar Allan Poe