08-28-2009, 08:48 AM
Quote:If we focus on minimizing the need for health care, the supply of care will increase and the overall costs will drop. I would also expect to see a dramatic rise in life expectancy and reduction in infant mortality. We are a sick society, mostly by our own bad choices.
In a system with privatized healthcare there is no incentive whatsoever to decrease the need of health care. The more obese people the better because the more business there is for medical personell, and of course the insurance people make sure they don't loose out on their piece of the pie.
If health care and insurance is arranged by the government, finally there is an incentive to cut costs. Maybe not on the admin part (because those great insurance companies are far better in firing excess personell) but for sure on the education and legislation part. That would than actually work in two ways......cheaper health care (total) and healthier people.
An extreme free market system as you advocate is never going to work. We have been talking about is so much here on the lounge. Apart from health care also the roads (etc) mentioned by Pete will never be there in a 100% free market society. Social security builds wealth. If in the US there hadn't been workers unions or there hadn't been an army, then you wouldn't have the wealth that you have now. It is all very easy to say that you want to pay for everything you use and not for what other people use, but you would not be saying that if you didn't live in a 1st world country.
Please try to imagine how other people live, people from different social classes or people in different countries. So I am not saying look at the facts; Jester is saying that already 10 pages in this thread (while he also presents these facts) because they are clear. (example of Holland.....since healthcare is privatized it is getting more expensive every year, the only thing we get back is very expensive TV commercials from insurance companies).
Let's just stop this thread. Will you cooperate or should I write down some profanities so that Bolty will shut it down the hard way.:)