Healthcare Reform in … five, four, three, two, one.

We are counting down to a Christmas Eve vote on the healthcare bill that’s in front of Senate right now. Familiarize yourself with the details with an article from the Wall Street Journal that looks at specific changes some democrats included, new taxes that will be implemented, and other included provisions.

If you are more of a visual learner and are interested in the three (most likely) alternatives to our current healthcare system check out "Healthcare Napkins" for insight into the core issues of the complex debate.

How knowledgeable are you on the proposed bill? Share your insights in the comment section.  

Throughout the healthcare debate I’ve heard a lot about the French healthcare system and the British system and occasionally someone will throw Germany in there too. In September one of my good friends visited from England and we had the chance to chat about her personal experiences with healthcare back home. Helen wasn’t all that satisfied with the British system, in fact, she wasn’t happy with it at all. Obviously, no system can be perfect, but it did get me thinking...beyond broad generalizations how do other countries handle healthcare?

France’s La Couverture Maladie Universelle                                                  

Described in detail Medical News Today has a basic run down of how the French healthcare system works. Dr. Yann Meunier reviews medical training in France and how it differs from the United States on KevinMD.com. And finally, an interesting comparison here.  

Britain’s National Health Service

Time get’s a few opinionated digs in, in this article, but if you can read through it with a discretionary eye it is a good overview of the NHS. Here are two quick opinion pieces that summarize some pros and cons on CBS.  And here’s one more article that goes into further detail about NHS from a site hosted in Europe.

And to bring it all full circle (well almost) here’s an article out of the UK about the German healthcare system. 

If you had to pick a country to live in based solely on healthcare, where would you go? (Not limited to the countries mentioned in this post.)

They’ve got their list and they’re checking it twice…meaningful use is still on everyone’s mind. CHIME just completed a survey of 176 of their member CIOs on their “ability to implement the standards recommended by the HIT Standards Committee in time to meet currently established deadlines.” Most of the CIOs admitted that they are concerned. In the words of David Muntz, Senior VP and CIO at Baylor Health Care System in Dallas: “Early attempts at standardization were not rousing successes. It’s hard to believe that we will be able to adapt to new standards in time to qualify for the rewards from the stimulus. I’m hopeful we’ll be there before the penalties are levied.” (from CHIME summary).

Over at HealthcareITnews.com the CIOs from Sharp HealthCare, Brigham & Women’s, and Shriners Hospitals for Children discuss what meaningful use means to them and their hospitals: CIOs Discuss Meaningful Use.

 Those three sound like they are ready and waiting for their incentives.

How prepared are you?