Socialised medicine

One of the things I was most interested in about life in Australia was their socialised medicine plan (note the AU spelling). I wanted to see if the medical care suffered in this system, and what the effect was on society as a whole when good health care was available to everyone. This week, I got my chance to see the system up close. I lost my voice last weekend, so I went to the doctor on Tuesday. I called the doctor of my choice and got an appointment for the next day--no wait, contrary to the claims of those against such a system. The doctor advised a gargle for a few days, but also gave me a prescription for an antibiotic only to be filled if the gargle didn't work (which it did). That's it. Mine was a very simple case, but from what I've seen the past six months, and what I experienced this week, count me in. Yes, the taxes are higher, but I believe it is worth it, and I hardly ever go to the doctor. The idea is prevention: get yourself healthy and you'll live a longer, healthier life. With socialised medicine, everyone has access, not just those with the money. If we all pitch in now, everyone can live a healthier life, which in turn benefits all. In fact, that leads me to my next post...