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Comment by ssivark | Hacker News Reader

This is an important point about the role of priors — especially if one is using a statistical (correlation based) proxy for what is actually a causal question.

But here’s a practical question: imagine a universal healthcare mandate which allows people to get a mental health check-up every year. What criteria should the doctors use? Would the diagnostics have to change significantly?

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What do practitioners do in countries with universal healthcare?

In Canada shrinks aren’t covered by our public health insurance. They are just as expensive as they are in the states.

If you really think you need it, you go privately or join a long (years) waiting list for mental health service, maybe get a group therapy session if you're lucky while you wait.

UK mental health service doesn't work currently.

You still need to actively persue the healthcare even if your country pays for it.

I will say the barriers are definitely lower though when i compare my home country Australia to my adopted country the USA. Sure you need to actively pursue healthcare in Australia but the barriers are just so much lower.

A great example is http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au/internet/screening/publish... You fill in the details and you're mailed a reply post paid bowel cancer screening kit.

Oh and more relevant, the portal for mental health care. https://headtohealth.gov.au/

I suspect the US government won't have anything quite like this since the healthcare is not centralized.

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