Necessary medical insurance system restructuring

Happy New Year. Thank you again this year. The end of last year, since the reunion Dutch acquaintance and his wife and the first time in a year, I tried to ask about the health care system of Europe. According to them, the Netherlands, the past, was a high-welfare state, now it is completely different, the health care system but are not such as can be very proud, and was saying. In fact, one in between people who are economically afford, rather than in the Netherlands or Europe, Thailand, Singapore, India and Malaysia, to be subject to medical care to stay in a country that is promoting medical tourism options and it has been established as is that. In these countries, doctors and health care workers who received training in the US and Europe is, has worked at the hospital for foreigners, we are poised medical care is received on the basis of the US treatment guidelines. Recently, in Japan the need for review of the social security system and medical insurance system has been recognized. This is also the same in the United States, in particular, ahead of the presidential election, medical insurance system has become one of the issue. In the United States of physician for professional journal (Ann Intern Med January 1, 2008), "in order to achieve an efficient health care system, the United States or we can learn from what other countries" is paper that It was initially published. (Original title "Achieving a High-Performance Health Care System with Universal Access: What the United States Can Learn from Other Countries" Ann Intern Med 2008; 148 55-75) In Japan there is a national health insurance system, but only in part to cover the public health insurance, such as Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, largely rely on private insurance system. Currently, 250 million people, which corresponds to 84.2 percent of the US population but will not subscribe to some sort of medical insurance, is 47 million people, which corresponds to 15.8% has become uninsured. Among the major developed countries, the only country which introduced market principles and economic rationalism in the medical field is the United States. In medicine biology research, but is the United States which runs the top in many areas, it does not seem to be in a state that many of the people subject to equally appropriate medical care. Let's look at the specific data. US Canada France Germany Japan Infant mortality rate (per 1000 births) 6.8 5.3 3.6 3.9 2.8 Average life expectancy 77.8 80.2 80.3 79 82 The number of doctors (1000 people per population) 2.4 2.2 3.4 3.4 2 MRI volume (per million population) 26.6 5.5 3.2 7.1 40.1 Medical expenditures (per capita $) 6401 3326 3374 3287 2358 Looking at this data, Japan, compared to other major European countries, despite the small doctor number and less health care costs, the infant mortality rate is the lowest, you can see that the longest average life span. (It should be noted that, since the different aggregation method of statistics by country, there is also a thing that can not be a simple comparison.) However, in the current Japan, especially in the obstetrics and pediatrics, it is a well-known fact of the medical field has been exhausted. As shown in this paper, in the current state of medical statistics, Japan is the most excellent results in developed countries. However, in this state, the medical field to collapse, it will be considered a matter of time. As soon as possible, it will probably require a review of the system. For example, for the lifestyle diseases that can be prevented by self-management, it will be required measures to put the emphasis on prevention than treatment. Health guidance in the area or workplace, is desired enhancement, such as public sports facilities. Alternatively, supplements and health food of the purchase cost, gym membership costs, such as expenses that were used in self-care, self-medication, it would be good to the deductible of the income tax. (Although it is necessary to verify the cost-effective.) In the current tax system, the use of medical expenses, self-pay worth more than a certain amount are income deduction. On the other hand, so as not to get sick, go to the gym, for example, by use of the supplement and health food, for the people who invest in their own health maintenance, it does not that the costs are deducted. In other words, people who are allowed to stand for the metabolic syndrome, in such as smokers, the disease occurs and progression by leaving the state, eventually public medical expenses is turned on, income tax is deductible for the self-pay amount , it is a mechanism that. Now though, the more cause if can fire a traffic accident, said the premium is lowered, it has become a strange structure. As a review of the system, (already introduced in some of the private insurance) increase in medical insurance for smokers, such as the significant tax increase of tobacco tax (already introduced in the United States and Europe) can say for granted. (At present, medical expenses paid for non-smokers, has been used to treat smokers sick. In the current tobacco tax, it is the amount that is not trivial at all. ) While ensuring the safe and secure medical care by the public insurance system, it is thought that there is a need to institutionalize also incentives for preventive medicine by promoting self-care.