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> World Bank puts Cuba's public health statistics largely on par with the United States, at about one-tenth the per-capita cost. The average Cuban makes in the
by fennecfoxen 5y ago
> World Bank puts Cuba's public health statistics largely on par with the United States, at about one-tenth the per-capita cost.
The average Cuban makes in the neighborhood of $30 a month. Cuban doctors make about $70 a month. US doctors make something around $30,000 a month.
As it turns out, it is much easier to have a cheap medical system when you pay basically nothing for labor. However, this is a feature of a system which is otherwise rather unenviable.
- morelisp 5y agoThe unenviable part is the $30-70 range, not the 2x income spread.
- fennecfoxen 5y agoIndeed. We would surely be living in fantastical, glorious times if the US median income were to rise to ~$180,000. (In real figures, of course, not just hyperinflation.) I believe this would require us to triple GNP, if not more. I am almost entirely in favor of this proposal, except that it would probably be preferable in such a case to admit immigrants from less prosperous parts of the world who would go on to earn substantially less than that. This would bring the overall income figure down, but would still be a major win for the world's overall prosperity.
- mping 5y agoYou imply that the bulk of the costs are labour costs, but medical invoices in the US suggest otherwise.
- slim 5y agoCubans are paid in peso. And what they get paid is enough to provide for what they want. Granted what they want is limited by the limited choice of consumer goods. On the other hand consumerism is worse