[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 44 (Thursday, March 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H3340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     DISPELLING A HEALTH CARE MYTH

  (Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission 
to address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as we begin in 
this Congress a potentially transformational debate on the future of 
health care, I think it is time that we start dispelling some of the 
myths about American health care. So let's start with this one.
  If I told you that the country which spent the most money on health 
care also ranked among the highest in wait times for care, opponents of 
health care reform would scream, ``Well, that is what you get with 
socialized medicine.'' The sad fact is that I'm describing our own 
health care system. A recent study published in Business Week showed 
that amongst the six top industrialized nations, the U.S. ranked fifth 
in medical wait times. We ranked behind New Zealand, Britain, Germany 
and Australia. In addition, 26 percent of Americans reported going to 
the ER for treatment because they couldn't get in to see their doctor, 
and ER wait times for heart attack patients has nearly doubled in the 
last 5 years.
  So when you hear these anecdotes about people waiting for care in 
other countries that guarantee health care, know the facts. Americans 
wait longer.

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