But Don't Let Kent Conrad Read This Though!
Or he will happily use this in the committee today, I swear: The New York Times has produced, often on its Prescriptions blog, a few useful summaries of health care systems in other countries. However, today's paper contains an editorial in the guise of news entitled, S wiss Health Care Thrives Without Public Option , which illustrates a point I've been making. The Swiss system, reporter Nelson Schwartz informs us, provides quality, universal coverage, but thankfully avoids being "bureaucratic, socialized medicine." What a relief. The Times then invites us to view the Swiss system as a model for the US: Swiss private insurers are required to offer coverage to all citizens, regardless of age or medical history. And those people, in turn, are obligated to buy health insurance. That is why many academics who have studied the Swiss health care system have pointed to this Alpine nation of about 7.5 million as a model that delivers much of what Washington is aiming to acco...