Sunday Night we screened the PBS documentary, Sick Around the World, featuring Washington Post correspondent T.R. Reid. It was an enlightening presentation of the failures of the U.S. Health Care System and the solutions offered by five other capitalist democracies: the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, and Switzerland.

The quality of the health care systems (in terms of life expectancy and infant mortality rate), the amount of coverage, the types of coverage (basic, integrative, alternative, etc.), efficiency of delivery (wait times, access), were compared along with the cost of health care in these countries. It was suggested that the United States could certainly learn a lesson, or two, from these universal coverage systems. A review of the health care systems presented can be found here. And for those who’d like a second look at the film. The film’s critical analysis of these health systems was certainly was a good way to kick off a week of discussion on the changing landscape of global healthcare systems, and where we should be headed in the future!

Author T.R. Reid