And in the "google and you'll learn something"- on his blog Andrew Sullivan has been discussing health care- he, as a former resident of GB, is very critical of their health care system. Here are some posts from readers about France's, which is currently rated number one in the world. I wasn't aware it wasn't completely socialized. Again, not perfect. But interesting to learn how and what they do:
<<As I understand it, "Sicko" also looks at the French system - which is very different from the NHS and shouldn't be placed under the rubric "socialized medicine."
The French system is a mixed public-private system that covers all residents of France. Social security "charges" paid by employees and employers pay all or part of most health care services. Many people also have a "mutuel," a private insurance company that pays for services beyond what Social Security, aka Secu, pays. (And the unemployed also are covered; if you lose your job you don't lose your health insurance.)
The U.N.'s World Health Organization surveys the health care systems of nations around the world and in its most recent survey named the French system as the best in the world. From my own experience, I concur.
My wife and I have had stays in hospitals, public and private, and have been well satisfied by the quality of care. Hospitals we have stayed in are the equal of the best in the U.S. Fees are far lower than those in the U.S.
Does the French system have problems? Sure. It runs a big deficit each year. And, yes, Social Security charges (which pay health insurance, pension, disability and unemployment insurance) are very high for both employees and employers. Doctors who are under the Secu fee schedule (though they are self-employed) complain the fees are too low. Nurses also complain about low wages. According to the WHO, France spends much less per patient than the U.S. does. If I recall, France's per patient cost is a third less than that of the U.S.>>
AND:
<< I agree with your reader's positive description of the healthcare system in France. A recent commentator in Le Monde argued that, despite the US's anxieties about "socialized medicine," our healthcare system actually shows more evidence of "socialization" than theirs does. As the commentator points out, countless French physicians operate independently out of their own offices, whereas most US physicians, because of the burdens of paperwork, have to work in groups or in hospitals. French citizens have far more liberty in choosing the doctors they would like than most US citizens do.
I was treated for the same minor health problem in France and in the U.S. In France, I walked into the French hospital, spoke with a doctor in a few minutes, received treatment, and was charged $25. In the U.S., I was subjected to a barrage of bureaucracy before I could ever speak with anyone, and I left $600 poorer (after health insurance), on my graduate student's salary. In France, a visiting friend hurt her foot, so we stopped by a hospital. An internist examined her and told her what the problem was. When we tried to pay, she shrugged and said that there would be no bill, as we were from "le pays de la liberté." (This was admittedly before the Bush presidency.) If only U.S. physicians could function with the efficiency, common sense, and independence of their French equivalents.>>