Cross-National Insurance Contrasts in Amusing 1-minute Videos
Two entertaining YouTube shorts highlight how the US lags on health insurance. Unaffordable premiums if you lose your job, and outrageous cost-sharing to give birth.
April 10, 2024
POV Losing Your Job in the US vs France
YouTube Short
Roya @royaventurera
March 29, 2024
[American accent] “Does this mean I lose my health care too? … You’re lucky you’re insured, you can actually continue your coverage through a program called Cobra, on average it’s about $700 every month … That’s almost my entire unemployment benefit! …
[French accent] what happens to my health care? Don’t worry your health care is not tied to employment in France …
Cost of Giving Birth Around the World vs US
YouTube Short
Roya @royaventurera
March 30, 2024
France? gratuit [free], Spain … Mexico … Brazil … all free
US? about 2-3 thousand dollars … if you do have insurance, otherwise could be 10-30-100 thousand … highest maternal mortality of any developed nation …
Comment by: Jim Kahn
These little dialogues bring a smile to my face (if not raucous laughter). I appreciate that, despite our dire insurance situation and my determination to reform the system.
The videos also remind us that all we need to do is adopt proven approaches to health insurance from other low (and middle!) income countries.
- A) Look around, outside our borders.
- B) Imitate.
Such an easy recipe.
About the Commentator, Jim Kahn
Jim (James G.) Kahn, MD, MPH (editor) is an Emeritus Professor of Health Policy, Epidemiology, and Global Health at the University of California, San Francisco. His work focuses on the cost and effectiveness of prevention and treatment interventions in low and middle income countries, and on single payer economics in the U.S. He has studied, advocated, and educated on single payer since the 1994 campaign for Prop 186 in California, including two years as chair of Physicians for a National Health Program California.
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