US vs UK health continued...
I was talking to a couple of Americans about the health debate yesterday. One said that as the US system is run for profit, there are far too many tests being offered. He gave me the example of his 95 year old uncle who's living in a home and had a fall. The home then rang his son and said they needed to perform 10 tests, each costing $x. He said that his own parents are in their 80s and each see 7 consultants about various ailments. The other said that one reason that the NHS costs so much less than the American healthcare system is that it offers very little preventative care. She claimed that the NHS offers breast screening to women aged 50 and over, whereas in the US, screening starts at the age of 38. She said this is the reason why a far higher percentage of women die from breast cancer in the UK than in the US. I do not know whether this is true. Do you?
posted by Whispering Walls at 7:28 am
3 Comments:
NHS-registered women patients in the UK have breast-cancer screening as soon as they reach their 50th birthday. Where there is family history of the disease, this begins sooner (around the 40 mark).
Haven't seen any stats about UK breast cancer mortality; but would imagine that postcode lottery effect muddles the picture.
Hi Phidelm - thanks for that - I'll change what I wrote from 55 to 50. You may be right re post codes.
No idea but I'd rather live in a country where they don't ask you who your insurers are before they will treat you!
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