Romney Praises Israel's Socialized Medical System

[ClydeR]

JERUSALEM — Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney offered praise for the Israeli health care system today — a medical plan that has been socialized since its founding in 1948.

Romney, who championed the Massachusetts health care mandate, but is an opponent of the federal mandate passed by President Barack Obama, marveled at how little Israel spends on health care relative to the United States.

"When our health care costs are completely out of control. Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the GDP in Israel? 8 percent. You spend 8 percent of GDP on health care. And you’re a pretty healthy nation," Romney told donors at a fundraiser at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, speaking of a health care system that is compulsory for Israelis and funded by the government. "We spend 18 percent of our GDP on health care. 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, let me compare that with the size of our military. Our military budget is 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of GDP. We have to find ways, not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to finally manage our health care costs."

More... (http://www.buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/romney-praises-israels-socialized-health-care-sys)

Does this count as a gaffe?

[Atlanteax]

Rights of the Insured under the National Health Insurance Law

-—Every Israeli citizen is entitled to health care services under the National Health Insurance Law.

—Every resident has a right to register as a member of an HMO of his/her choice, free of any preconditions or limitations stemming from his/her age or the state of his/her health.

—Every resident has a right to receive, via the HMO of which he or she is a member, all of the services included in the medical services basket, subject to medical discretion, and at a reasonable quality level, within a reasonable period of time and at a reasonable distance from his/her home.

—Each member has a right to receive the health services while preserving the member’s dignity, privacy and medical confidentiality.

—Every Israeli resident has the right to transfer from one HMO to another.

—Each member has a right to select the service providers, such as doctors, caregivers, therapists, hospitals and institutes, from within a list of service providers who have entered into an agreement with the HMO to which the member belongs, and within the arrangements in place for the selection of the service providers, and which the HMO publishes from time to time.

—Each member has a right to know which hospitals and institutes, and other service providers, are included in the agreement with the HMO, and what are the selection processes at the HMO.

—Each member has a right to see and to receive a copy of the HMO regulations.

—Each resident has a right to receive from the HMO complete information concerning the payment arrangements in place in the HMO for health services as well as the HMO’s plans offered for additional health services (CIP).

—Each member has a right to complain with the Public Inquiries commissioner at the medical institute that treated the member, to the person in charge of investigating member complaints at the HMO of which s/he is a member, or to the complaints commissioner for the national health insurance law in the Ministry of Health.

—Each member has a right to file suit at the district labor court.

Well now... particularly these:

1) Each member has a right to select the service providers, such as doctors, caregivers, therapists, hospitals and institutes, from within a list of service providers who have entered into an agreement with the HMO to which the member belongs, and within the arrangements in place for the selection of the service providers, and which the HMO publishes from time to time.

2) Each member has a right to know which hospitals and institutes, and other service providers, are included in the agreement with the HMO, and what are the selection processes at the HMO.

3) Each resident has a right to receive from the HMO complete information concerning the payment arrangements in place in the HMO for health services as well as the HMO’s plans offered for additional health services (CIP).

These sounds like HMOs *COMPETE* with other HMOs to provide services.

The only thing "Socialized" about Israel's system is that everyone has access to health care ... via a HMO of their choice.

.

Good luck at getting HMOs to 'compete' here in the U.S. with how politicians are more interested in 'protecting' their local state's championed 'HMO'.

[ClydeR]

These sounds like HMOs *COMPETE* with other HMOs to provide services.

The only thing "Socialized" about Israel's system is that everyone has access to health care ... via a HMO of their choice.

Plus the government pays for all of it, and every Israeli is mandated to participate. You forgot to mention that part. It's definitely socialized. No question about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Israel

[Androidpk]

Yeah but does Israeli healthcare provide free gasmasks for everyone?

[Latrinsorm]

Too soon...

[Androidpk]

Too soon...

I'm not talking about the holocaust if that's what you're referring to.

[TheEschaton]

Well now... particularly these:

1) Each member has a right to select the service providers, such as doctors, caregivers, therapists, hospitals and institutes, from within a list of service providers who have entered into an agreement with the HMO to which the member belongs, and within the arrangements in place for the selection of the service providers, and which the HMO publishes from time to time.

2) Each member has a right to know which hospitals and institutes, and other service providers, are included in the agreement with the HMO, and what are the selection processes at the HMO.

3) Each resident has a right to receive from the HMO complete information concerning the payment arrangements in place in the HMO for health services as well as the HMO’s plans offered for additional health services (CIP).

These sounds like HMOs *COMPETE* with other HMOs to provide services.

The only thing "Socialized" about Israel's system is that everyone has access to health care ... via a HMO of their choice.

.

Good luck at getting HMOs to 'compete' here in the U.S. with how politicians are more interested in 'protecting' their local state's championed 'HMO'.

So you're defending the Israeli system which isn't all that different from the one Obama implemented, by saying "they're allowed to compete but our HMOs will never compete because we lived in a fractured political system." So then you agree Obama's plan is fine, it's just a politics which allow businesses to lobby and spread money about which corrupts it? Kind of like Citizens United removing the fetters from corporate political spending?

OH LOOK A PAGE BREAKING DOWN HEALTH CARE LOBBYING: Health Care Lobbying Broken Down (http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=H03)

Seems like companies give to more Republicans, but give more on average to individual Democrats.

[Atlanteax]

There is a huge difference between the Israeli system and the U.S. system.

One is efficient and cost-effective due to competition within the healthcare industry ... one gets mucked up to heck by politicians, resulting in a system where taxpayers pay more for less care.

Care to guess which is which?

[ClydeR]

There is a huge difference between the Israeli system and the U.S. system.

One is efficient and cost-effective due to competition within the healthcare industry ... one gets mucked up to heck by politicians, resulting in a system where taxpayers pay more for less care.

Care to guess which is which?

Why would you want us to guess? Just post a link to a reputable source stating which is more competitive. If you can, that is.

[Valthissa]

Israel has a system that includes rationing and supplemental insurance. I think that is inevitable in a government run health care system.

Before we sold our UAV division, we had a joint venture with IAI. As part of that arrangement we picked up about half a dozen people in Tel-Aviv on our payroll. One of the conditions IAI imposed is that we paid the supplemental insurance for all of our employees. This is identical to my experience in both the UK and Germany.

These systems seem to provide good basic care wih rationing for more exotic treatments. Based on our experience, the second tier is a typical benefit given to professionals.

C

[ClydeR]

UAV

Do you make those robot bombers we use in Pakistan?

[Valthissa]

Do you make those robot bombers we use in Pakistan?

a little yes, a little no.

We sold our UAV product line in 2009.

We deliver product to General Atomics (but it's considered a cots item, so nothing special).

C

[ClydeR]

a little yes, a little no.

We sold our UAV product line in 2009.

We deliver product to General Atomics (but it's considered a cots item, so nothing special).

C

Would they be good for deer hunting or varmint (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ZTIbr8MuY) hunting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nM2CohUGDs)?

[Atlanteax]

Would they be good for deer hunting or varmint (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ZTIbr8MuY) hunting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nM2CohUGDs)?

I dunno why Romney refer to varmint hunting in the first place.

I do not think he has any affinity for guns and is probably uncomfortable around them. He knows some people are pro-gun and others are no-no-no-zero-gun-tolerance. So he tries for a middle-of-the-road with guns for infrequent 'varmint hunting' ... which only makes him look like a pussy, aside from not being able to take a solid position on it.

[ClydeR]

I dunno why Romney refer to varmint hunting in the first place.

I do not think he has any affinity for guns and is probably uncomfortable around them. He knows some people are pro-gun and others are no-no-no-zero-gun-tolerance. So he tries for a middle-of-the-road with guns for infrequent 'varmint hunting' ... which only makes him look like a pussy, aside from not being able to take a solid position on it.

Romney mentioned varmints out of desperation. He had bragged at a campaign event that he could be trusted on the Second Amendment because he had been a lifelong hunter. When Mike Huckabee pointed out that Romney had never obtained a hunting license and the press asked Romney about it, Romney gave the comically vacillating answer you see at the links in my earlier post. To summarize Romney's answer, he said he never needed a license because he only hunted varmints. When asked how many times he had been varmint hunting, the lifelong hunter replied, "more than two."