Government Printing Office, 2004), p. 192.
thyroid cancer in European countries sug-
gest some underperformance in either
35. Gerard Anderson et al., "It's the Prices Stupid:
early detection or post diagnosis manage-
Why the United States Is So Different from Other
ment in these countries. In contrast, the
Countries," Health Affairs 22, no. 3 (2003): 99.
differences in survivor rates are less pro-
nounced for cancers that are more difficult
36. Oliver Schoffski, "Diffusion of Medicines in
to treat, such as lung cancers.
Europe," paper prepared for the European Feder-
ation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associ-
The United States' advantage holds for other
ations," 2002, cited in Daniel Kessler, "The Effects
cancers, too, including breast, colon, and thyroid
of Pharmaceutical Price Controls on the Cost and
cancer among others. Moreover, the benefits of
Quality of Medical Care: A Review of the Empirical
early detection and treatment go well beyond sur-
Literature," submitted to the U.S. International
vival rates. Even for prostate cancer, early treat-
Trade Commission.
ment can significantly affect quality of life. And
the United States might simply have more cases
37. Ibid.
of prostate cancer than other countries. (For
example, diet could play a significant role. Kyung
38. For example, some evidence seems to indicate
Song, "Study Links Diet to Prostate Cancer,"
that overuse of CT scans in the United States, espe-
Seattle Times, October 11, 2007.)
cially in children, may actually be increasing the
Finally, one of the most common arguments
incidence of some cancers. David Brenner and Eric
for socialized medicine is its capacity to increase
Hall, "Computed Tomography--An Increasing
screening and preventive care. Indeed, John Edwards
Source of Radiation Exposure," New England Journal
actually wants to make testing mandatory for all
of Medicine 357, no. 22 (2007): 227784. Yet, other
Americans. "Edwards Backs Mandatory Preventive
evidence suggests that increased use of CT scans
Care," Associated Press, September 2, 2007.
may reduce deaths from other cancers such as lung
cancer. International Early Lung Cancer Investi-
27. "World Briefing: Berlusconi Has Heart Surgery
gators, "Survival of Patients with Stage I Lung
in US," New York Times, December 19, 2006.
Cancer Detected on CT Screening," New England
Journal of Medicine 355, no. 17 (2006): 176371.
28. "Stronach Went to US for Cancer Treatments:
Robin Hanson of George Mason University has
Report," CTV, September 14, 2007, http://www.ctv.ca/
argued that much of U.S. health care spending pro-
servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070914/belin
vides no benefit at all. Indeed, Hanson believes that
da_Stronach_070914/20070914.
we could cut health care spending by 50 percent
without affecting health outcomes. Robin Hanson,
29. Steve Findlay, "U.S. Hospitals Attracting Pat-
"Cut Medicine in Half," Cato Unbound, September
ients from Abroad," USA Today, July 22, 1997.
10, 2007, http://www.cato-unbound.org/2007/
30. The two principal reasons for sending a
09/10/robin-hanson/cut-medicine-in-half/. In con-
patient abroad were the lack of availability of ser-
trast, Mark McClellan of Harvard University and
vices in Canada (40 percent) and the length of the
economist David Cutler argue that the benefits of
wait for certain treatments (19 percent). Robert J.
increased health care technology vastly overwhelm
Blendon et al., "Physicians' Perspectives on Caring
their costs. David Cutler and Mark McClellan, "Is
for Patients in the United States, Canada, and
Technological Change in Medicine Worth It?"
West Germany," New England Journal of Medicine
Health Affairs 20 (2001): 1129.
328, no. 14 (1993): 101116.
39. Ohsfeldt and Schneider, The Business of Health. It
31. John Goodman, "Moore's SiCKO Could Put
is true, as Jonathan Cohn points out, that much,
Lives at Risk," The Michael Moore Chronicles, National
though by no means all, of the basic research on
Center for Policy Analysis, 2007, http://sicko.
health care is funded by the National Institutes of
ncpa.org/moores-sicko-could-put-lives-at-risk.
Health. Jonathan Cohn, "Creative Destruction:
The Best Case against National Health Care," The
32. "Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Win-
New Republic, November 12, 2007. However, the
ners 20071901," The Nobel Prize Internet Archive,
vast majority of applied research is funded by the
http://almaz.com/nobel/medicine/medicine.html.
private sector. Overall, roughly 57 percent of all
biomedical research spending comes from private
33. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing of
industry. From 1989 to 2002, four times as much
America, "R&D Spending by U.S. Biopharaceutical
money was invested in private biotechnology com-
Com-panies Reaches a Record $55.2 Billion in
panies in America as in all of Europe. Tyler Cowen,
2006," February 12, 2007.
"Poor U.S. Scores in Health Care Don't Measure
Nobels or Innovation," New York Times, October 5,
34. Economic Report of the President (Washington:
2006.
38