Thursday, August 27, 2009

Having subdued the mess in the living room, I shall now

post my last educational piece of the night. Specifically, on what that 'wonderful' socialized medicine scheme in France actually costs:
How much? France's costly national health insurance is mostly financed by taxes on labor. A Frenchman making a monthly salary of 3,000 euros will pay approximately 350 of them (deducted by his employer) for health insurance. Then the employer will add approximately 1,200 euros, making the total monthly cost to the employer of this individual's services not 3,000 euros but 4,200. High labor costs in France affect not only consumer prices but also unemployment rates, since employers are reluctant to pay so much for low-skill workers. Economists agree that unemployment rates and the cost of national health insurance are directly related everywhere, which partly explains why even in periods of economic growth, the average French unemployment rate hovers around 10 percent.

High as they are, taxes on wages are not enough to cover the constant deficits that national health insurance runs. France imposes an additional levy to try to close the insurance deficit--the CSG (contribution sociale généralisée)--which applies to all income, including dividends, and which Parliament increases every year. Altogether, 25 percent of French national income goes toward what's called Social Security, which includes health care and basic retirement pensions for all
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Go read the rest, especially the next paragraph on those evil drug companies.

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