Back in 2008 I sought out a copy of the IBM report which looked at why the health systems around the world were heading for an economic meltdown.
In the summary (click on the cover to see the full report) the core issues are laid out.
The crux of the report was that the current health care (the “sickness” approach) is broken and cannot be repaired by throwing more money or more expensive treatments or bigger and bigger hospitals and more staff at the system to get a better result.
The simple economics of an aging population that will live longer (mostly kept alive longer) and a following population that has a lower tax base is already reflected in both the constantly escalating health budget with no improvement in how satisfied people are with the result; and the greater and greater share of government budgets being allocated to health care.
Now, while IBM’s business agenda in this report is to use technology better and more intensively (this simply keeps a dying system alive a bit longer) the assessment of the alarming state of heath systems around the world is terrifying.
The fact that the forecast for Ontario’s health budget to reach 50% of government spending by 2011 should have been a wakeup call to anyone reading this report.
I have just checked the latest figures (as at 20 July 2010) and the health budget for this year is 46% of the budget and seems likely to rise by 7% per year.
And, Ontario says healthcare could eat up 70% of its budget in 12 years
Here in Australia, the deal is just as bad
What bothers me most is the clear indication that for governments and health officials it is just business as usual.
The fact that the continuing support for a model that just cannot work is sheer madness seems to escape the policy makers (and we could speculate on why for some time).
The solution?
As we have been saying for years; the choice is simple:
wait until you have something diagnosed and pray that there is a solution available; or
stack the odds in your favour with the strongest defences possible for your body.
Pete's Ramblings 