What better way to try and torpedo the idea of health reform by creating the highly dubious impression that a) Obama and the Democrats are proposing a European-style health system a.k.a. 'socialized medicine' and b)Then preceding to imply the whole European system is collapsing under its own weight, while America's system is humming along fine by contrast.
This is exactly what the AP succeeds in doing in its latest hit pieceon any reform of the U.S. health care system, which is entitled, "Europe's free health care has a hefty price tag".
This is a real crappy piece of journalism that uses a few select facts out of context, such as, European health care systems often face budgetary challenges, to imply that European's universal health care system is too costly and expensive to implement in the U.S. Take this quote for example:
In Britain, France, Switzerland and elsewhere, public health systems have become political punching bags for opposition parties, costs have skyrocketed and in some cases, patients have needlessly suffered and died.
After reading such a statement, one would expect to find elsewhere some actual cost figures that can be compared to similar stats in the U.S. And one does, when later in the article it is slyly slipped in:
The U.S. already spends the most worldwide on health care. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. spent $7,290 per person in 2007, while Britain spent $2,992 and France spent $3,601.
Having acknowledged to the reader the one fact that undermines the article's entire premise, that European health care is somehow 'expensive' compared to the U.S., the reporter then goes to ignore this fact and put the spotlight on Europe's health care costs once again:
A World Health Organization survey in 2000 found that France had the world's best health system. But that has come at a high price; health budgets have been in the red since 1988.
Note the sleight of hand. After confessing Europe's health care is much less expensive than ours, a little factoid about French budgetary problems is tossed in to create the exact opposite impression.
But my favorite quote from the article is from a Swiss doctor:
"The minute you make health insurance mandatory, people start overusing it," said Dr. Alphonse Crespo, an orthopedic surgeon and research director at Switzerland's Institut Constant de Rebecque. "If I have a cold, I might go see a doctor because I am already paying a health insurance premium."
Apparently, another lesson from Europe's experience is that it is better for people not to have health care coverage at all, because when they are covered, they might actually go see a doctor.
In summary, this article 's thesis is, "The U.S. health care system is a mess, but Europe's is not perfect either, so therefore let's keep the system we have, because it is better to have a lot of uninsured people at higher cost than it is to cover everybody at a lower cost."
At one time in my life I felt bad about not going to journalism school so I could become a reporter. But if this is the type of crappy propaganda I would be expected to write, it is better to stay away from the profession altogether.