House Proceeding 05-21-09 on May 21st, 2009 :: 2:40:55 to 2:43:05
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2:40:51 to 2:41:12( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: the average citizen trying to get health care? i yield to -- mr. mcdermott: let figure out of that. when we looked at that in 1993, we could save $140 billion by going to a single payer system. the administrative cost in that

2:40:55 to 2:43:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jim McDermott

2:41:13 to 2:41:33( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: system are totally out of control. give you another way to look at it. to think about it. france has been judged to have the best health care system in the world. by the world health organization. they spend one half as much per person as we spend in the united states.

2:41:34 to 2:41:54( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: and they have one doctor for every 430 people, and in the united states we have one doctor for every 1,230 people. you can't tell me that the french are that much smarter than us. that they can figure out howo get the best health care system -- we are rated 37th when you

2:41:55 to 2:42:15( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: look at infant mortality and maternal mortality and longevity and morbidity for hypertension and for diabetes and all these other things, we are not in the best health care system in the world. in spite of what we are spending. mr. ellison: are we number one in any particular aspect? mr. mcdermott: in

2:42:16 to 2:42:36( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: we spend. my view is there's plenty of money in this system if we were more efficient and had more primary care physicians. i put in a bill that would make medical school in public medical schools free. and exchange for that a medical student coming out would serve four years in primary care in

2:42:37 to 2:42:57( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: underserved areas or inner city areas where people are underserved, whether it's in the urban area or rural area, and we would take the debt students, that would cut down the cost of medical care in this country. we could do some things that would be very -- real game changers if we were to change.

2:42:58 to 2:43:05( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: right now most medical students go through and go into a specialty because they have to pay off their debts. and we can stop there.