Happy Days...

We've spent a lot of time recently discussing the problems inherent in existing nationalized medical schemes, and questioning whether we really want a "universal care" system here. One reason that UC proponents give that our existing system is somehow "broken" is that "the majority of people are dissatisfied with the status quo."

Certainly a reasonable hypothesis, but unfortunately far off the mark:

"National Research Corporation (NASDAQ:NRCI) released today a first-ever National Health Satisfaction Index which rates the quality of healthcare consumers received during their last hospital, emergency room or clinic visit. The Index indicates that 70 percent of Americans surveyed, rate the quality of healthcare they received during their last visit as either, “very good” or “excellent.”

Any Presidential candidate receiving 70% of the vote would be declared a winner by a landslide, so these numbers are quite encouraging to those of us skeptical about the conventional wisdom. Perhaps even more encouraging is that, even with (or perhaps specifically because of) the recent S-CHIP kerfluffle, the Index shows that "Americans have become more satisfied with their healthcare over the last three years."

There are a whole lot of other interesting statistics, with breakdowns by age, household status, even location. Very interesting stuff.

[Hat tip: Jeff Beck]