General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSpaniards Say No to Privatized Healthcare
http://www.popularresistance.org/spaniards-say-no-to-privatized-healthcare/
The Spanish healthcare system was ranked seventh best in the world by the World Health Organization in 2000. But last year, Spain appeared to be well on its way to adopting a healthcare system more akin to the one used in the United States, which ranked 37th
In October 2012, Ignacio González, the leader of Madrids regional government, put forward a plan to privatize six hospitals and 10 percent of the citys health centers. Critics feared the plan was the first step toward privatization of hospitals in other regions.
But after a wave of strikes by medical providers, as well as lawsuits and a popular referendum, Spanish unions and citizens have won a decisive victory in the battle for public healthcare. On January 27, the Popular Party (PP), Spains center-right ruling party, canceled the planned privatization of Madrids hospitals.
Shortly after the plan was announced in 2012, a coalition of unions called the first general strike in Madrids healthcare sector. The white wavea reference to the medical smocks that strikers worequickly spread to the rest of the country as healthcare workers in 15 cities supported Madrid by staging a sympathy strike. This was followed by a popular referendum in May 2013, which resulted in more than a million people going on record to oppose privatization.
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)See Holland for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_Netherlands
In the UK none of our general practitioners work for the NHS : they are paid to do work on behalf of the NHS. Similarly the NHS pays for the use , on occasions, of some private hospitals that being economically more efficient.
iandhr
(6,852 posts)In France every French citizen pays a 200 euro a year free for the government insurance (called Social Security) which doesn't cover everything but does cover a large portion.
What Social Security doesn't pay for you use private issuance to cover the remainder.
eridani
(51,907 posts)--for the private insurance that covers the 30% copay.
malthaussen
(17,642 posts)At least, they can in Spain.
-- Mal
Javaman
(62,998 posts)when ACA eventually becomes single payer (yes, I believe that) the right wing will have no power over peoples health and an avenue to brain wash people.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)water distribution
military
schools
healthcare.
Republicans are shilling for all 4. Fuckers!
Raksha
(7,167 posts)Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)mountain grammy
(27,152 posts)if it would succeed? Call me crazy, but I think it actually would.
TBF
(33,948 posts)I can only imagine what would happen to the voting machines if that were up for vote.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)The media pretends that these alternate health care systems do not exist.
But because of Canada's close proximity they have found it necessary to create false stories about the Canadian system.
Funny how the truth has gotten through to the American people anyway.
Aristus
(68,052 posts)It's wonderful to see medical providers striking in favor of national health care, instead of against it.
'Profits Before Patients' is a policy that brings shame to the American medical profession.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)TBF
(33,948 posts)they already have the real thing.
Sarah Ibarruri
(21,043 posts)I'm glad the Spanish don't take things sitting down. The culprits are the members of the Partido Popular (similar to the GOP but in truth not as horrific as the GOP, which is scary to me since they are an offshoot of the fascist government under long-dead fascist dictator Francisco Franco. So what's scary is what that says about the GOP.
Dr. Coates: We have been hearing about many protests against austerity in Europe, in Spain, in Madrid. What is the justification used by the government to move to privatize the public system?
Dr. Sanchez Bayle: The government says that its the crisis and that there is no money, but its a lie. They have allocated 215,695 million pesetas to bail out the banks, and with these measures they say that they will save 7,000 million pesetas in health care. What they want to do is to use the excuse of the crisis to privatize health care, to put it in private hands in order to make a profit on the health of the people.
Dr. Coates: What is your view of this demand for austerity?
Dr. Sanchez Bayle: I have already said that they want to take away peoples rights in favor of the banks and private businesses.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/12/13/defending-public-healthcare-in-madrid/
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)They are precisely Fascist.
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini