Stephann -> RE: a rant: goodbye universal health care (1/31/2008 6:05:15 PM)
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ORIGINAL: SugarMyChurro Great try at moving the target. Healthcare is itself affordable. What we can no longer afford is the middleman called the insurance industry. I can see that we might need some management of the system, but not to the tune of the billions that the insurers, HMOs and CEOs are pulling down today. Let's be clear about where the money is going now, and why there's no point to any of it. Oh, there's no question that the middlemen are eating a substantial portion of the pie. This is one of the strongest reasons not to implement a universal health care system; because the HMO middle men will become government employees, with even less of a need for fiscal responsibility. I think there's many different aspects broken with the health care system. Huge settlements with drug manufacturers on the occasional 1% of a population who have a fatal reaction or allergy to a drug gets passed on to the consumers. Doctors aren't expected to be market competitive, because they are now collectively represented by the HMOs. In no way am I suggesting that the current model is responsible or sane; I'm saying that it requires a fundamental change in the regulation of that model; that is the government's job. I feel badly for every person who has a dying child because they can't afford procedures that cost more than they earn in 20 years. I agree, it's not fair. Yet, I think there are lots of things in things in this world that aren't fair either, and would be a lot less expensive to fix. Two hundred thousand dollars to save on person's life could also pay the college tuition of twenty other people, or significantly fund a program in the inner city to improve the quality of life for 200 children. Hence my original point: until we are prepared to fix a financial cap on the value of a human life, our health care system will never be able to effectively serve all of it's constituents. This doesn't mean one life is more valuable than another; it means that so long as there is an actual dollar price to be paid for health care, the capacity to prioritize where those dollars is necessary. Currently, it is a profit driven model that serves the middle men best. The government has the responsibility to force a promoted quality of health model, including discounts and rewards for people who actively strive for better fitness (reducing the overall expense of health care in large groups.) If there is no profit to be had in the industry, it won't be in any companies interest to work in it. I certainly wouldn't work full time as a claims adjuster if it doesn't pay any better than flipping burgers. I already made my suggestions, earlier, about what I believe should be free, and what shouldn't. Basic health care doesn't mean million dollar transplants. It means free vaccines, exercise classes, nutritional assistance, checkups, etc. Obviously, this leaves a market for insurance beyond what all people should mandatorily have. NG: I agree that the government exists to serve the common good of the people. I also believe that people will naturally, in a group, work towards their own common good through their own efforts at improving their individual lives. National defense falls under one of those (few) responsibilities a government must embrace. I don't agree that we should have invaded Iraq in 02, nor should we have done so in 91. If Kuwait didn't have any oil under their ground, it's unlikely there would have been more than a shrug of the shoulders in the West. The cold war gave the US a sense of self-importance that borders on meglomania: frankly, I don't want to be paying for our bloated military to play super-cop on a global scale. I believe I'm in the minority though; this is why Bush was re-elected, and why McCain has a very strong chance at becoming president. I mentioned that it's easier to spend other people's money; in the health care context, it means that it's easier to say "someone should pay for that child's $1,000 a month medication" than it is to say "I should pay for that child's medication." Those who ultimately decide to enact a national health plan in this country won't be the same people who pay for it; they'll benefit politically, without actually having to dole out the cash.
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