What’s that you heard?? Oh that was just my jaw dropping to the floor. I’ll explain.
Senora Maria educating some young minds.
Today we were fortunate to connect with a local professor (Maria) who dropped some knowledge on us today regarding the Spanish healthcare system and how it differs from the U.S. system that we all know and……(I’ll let you fill in the blank). Maria shared more than I have time to write here. But the main take away: after adopting their constitution in 1978 (following a 40 year rule by the dreaded dictator Franco) the Spanish government decided it was their responsibility to care for ALL Spaniards. Citizens are considered users of the system rather than customers.
So what does this mean? Basically any treatment you can think of is covered. Surgeries, chemotherapy, ambulance transport…all covered. Everyone gets a free annual checkup and if something is found, you schedule a follow up to get it taken care of. Wait lines for serious issues are not excessive but you may need to wait for minor issues. Beyond treatments for those who are ill, Spain goes one major step further by emphasizing preventative therapies and laws that keep people out of hospitals and living healthy lives!! The goal is to thrive, not just survive.
Now prevention means there are also some regulations designed to protect the public from bad actors. I’m looking at you American milk with your excessive antibiotics and steroids!! (Seriously bro, you can’t bring that stuff in here.) But before you throw that 2% in my face, consider this…clinical decisions (like whether you can receive the effective but more expensive cholesterol lowering drug) are not dictated by insurance companies who have a direct conflict of interest. Doctors are free to make clinical decisions based on the patient’s best interest. And poor people are not turned away. Healthcare and optimum health are considered basic human rights that are not exploited by private markets.
The same model is applied to education. Education is viewed as a fundamental right afforded to ALL children. Parents are required to send their kids to school and face penalties if they do not fulfill this responsibility. Like hospitals, public schools are considered the best. Home schooling is illegal.
Now Spain isn’t perfect. There IS a cost. Taxes are high to cover these services and there is a lot of bureaucracy. But the quality of healthcare is among the highest in the world, the people love it, and Spain has the second highest lifespan behind Japan.
How’s your jaw???
The second half of our day included a visit to the Museo del Prado, a 200 year-old, renowned classical museum in the heart of Madrid. Pictures are not allowed inside the museum, unfortunately. But students enter for free, which is nice. If you need an image, think of the high speed museum scene in Ferris Bueller‘s Day Off. We saw works by Goya, Raphael, Rembrandt, and others. Madrid is filled with students studying art. And in fact, my local contact, Sara, said the city was designed to be a living campus. It’s difficult to imagine a better classroom.
Students posing in front of the Prado.
Man that’s a fine looking mustache.
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