Letter to the editor: French health care works

Nicely Put!

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• Posted by jamescastle on November 18, 2009 at 1:16 a.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

Life expectancy is not a good measure of the quality of a healthcare system because it is affected by far too many extraneous variables.

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• Posted by connerm on November 18, 2009 at 2:41 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

You know what is a good measure of a healthcare system? How many people have died in that country. I would bet my life savings that more people have died in France than the United States of America.

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• Posted by pantheon on November 18, 2009 at 2:54 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

Thanks for your opinion.

Some thoughts though,

1. Our country's life expectancy is largely affected by the high infant mortality rate and obesity.
   
2. Awesome logic. (a) There's no one dying on the streets of Paris. Therefore the citizens of Paris must have a great health care system. (b) Ambulance sirens = availability of immediate care?
3. You lost all of your credibility at "I can’t say I closely examine every new headline on health care..." when you are writing an opinion piece on the matter.
   
4. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704431804574539581994054014.html

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• Posted by MLJayhawk on November 18, 2009 at 3:02 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

Take out homicide and accidental deaths and the US is #1 in life expectancy!! Yes-a-mesh! Too many cars!

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• Posted by connerm on November 18, 2009 at 5:31 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

I was recently in New York City. There were so many ambulances there. And I didn't see anyone die. I also didn't see any evidence of America having bad health care. I didn't see any lines in the hospitals. Granted, I didn't visit any hospitals. But that's beside the point. God Bless America.

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• Posted by JConnor on November 18, 2009 at 5:38 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

Wait, I just read the column. The life expectancy we're competing for is missing by three whole years? Oh boy, the last three years of my life! How will I ever complete my magnum opus without those three years? Why would I even want those three years, really? What am I going to do with three extra years of crippling medical bills?

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• Posted by pantheon on November 18, 2009 at 5:46 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

Well I'm glad I got at least a few comments on my letter, and even more glad that all responses were fairly sensible and not terribly accusatory or demeaning. I’ll respond to the first few I read…

P.S. After many months in Europe, don’t even get me started on gun control and public transportation policy in America!

As to your later points: First, three years?! I would “bet my life savings”, you’ve accomplished quite a bit in the last three years - at least in your eyes; enough to make you realize that three years is a valuable chunk of time to do something with your life. And it’s us, the Americans without insurance, that are stuck with crippling medical bills, not the French. Leave the sensible critiquing to MLJayhawk, please…

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• Posted by nmallen on November 18, 2009 at 6:25 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

-----MLJayhawk: Your comment argument easily shoots many holes in my argument, but given the restrictive length requirements of letters to the editor, and the lack of availability of quality research materials here in my small Paris flat, I thought it best to write a letter that would spark a debate, rather than to prove my point. To address your criticisms: 1. True, and France’s life expectancy is very affected by extremely high rates of smoking. And, since you probably have more data at your fingertips, what are the reasons for high infant mortality rate in the US? Is one of them lack of access to healthcare? 2. I think I hit on this above 3. noted, and I’m glad we agree that this is an OPINION piece. 4. Thank you for linking me to this article, I enjoyed reading it. I will admit that I reside on the left wing of the political spectrum, but I firmly believe that reform of many problems in America require debate from the right and left, and experts such as Dr. Flier who intelligently discuss the issues without liberal/conservative bias. The point I aim to make with my letter is that the healthcare system is very effective in France, the people on average live longer, it costs far less per person than in the United States, and everyone is covered. Clearly there are valuable things to learn from the French healthcare system here. MLJayhawk, do you have a model of a better healthcare system or a recommendation for the reform of the American one?...or do you simply aim to critique my writing?

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• Posted by nmallen on November 18, 2009 at 6:26 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

France cheats at many things, including soccer. How can we trust their health care statistics? What if they cheat on those too?

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• Posted by JConnor on November 18, 2009 at 7:04 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

I'm sorry you took my "argument" seriously. But for clarity's sake, I was talking about from the point at which both countries were formed. The joke here is that France is much older than America. I can draw you a diagram if you like, I'm good with visual aids. Also, I believe you may have misread my three years of crippling medical debt, I meant here in the greatest country in America, the USA. Although I do take issue with your assertion that three years of my life from any point in its course is equal to any three others. I really think saying "The last three years" while I'm in college is a bit different than saying "The years between age 78 and 81" For example, I will not be going to Bonnaroo when I am 78, 79, 80, or 81. First, because I don't think Radiohead will still be together, and second BECAUSE I WILL BE FREAKING OLD AS HELL.

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• Posted by pantheon on November 18, 2009 at 10:15 p.m.
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Letter to the editor: French health care works

Honestly and on a more serious note here: I wouldn't be surprised if more people have died in America. France is older, but America is much larger. More people have lived on the Earth in the past 50 years than all of the rest of human history combined, I'll warrant!

Karma Police, arrest this man!

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• Posted by connerm on November 18, 2009 at 11:15 p.m.
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