From: Jeff Bone (jbone@jump.net)
Date: Mon Nov 13 2000 - 22:35:39 PST
Tony Finch wrote:
> Jeff Bone <jbone@jump.net> wrote:
> >
> >Give it up. Socialized medicine does not work in a capitalist economy.
>
> Seems to work OK in the UK.
Really? Don't mind waiting six months for a doctor's visit, then? Hell, we
complain about *HMOs* in the US, do you *really* think we would be okay with
social medicine? And, have you seen their *teeth,* for godssakes.
BTW, every time this comes up, somebody brings up the damned UK. Tony, where
do you live? I'd love to hear from somebody that's actually lived in and had
healthcare in both the US and the UK.
> >The hybrid system and its corresponding governmental impact on private
> >healthcare is the ROOT CAUSE of rising healthcare prices, and if you don't
> >believe me I can give you my pop's e-mail address, he's been managing
> >hospitals for 30 years and has quite a bit to say on the matter.
Well, I'm no expert, but his line on this is that the increasing regulation of
healthcare over the last 3 decades as a part of Medicare / Medicaid has
basically made it impossible for hospitals and clinics to operate profitably at
a reasonable direct cost to the consumer of healthcare services. Overhead
related to administration of those plans, regulations for staffing, all kinds
of gov't interference with market forces. I buy it.
> I thought it was because insurance companies will pay whatever price
> is demanded,
A First!!! I've never heard insurance companies described as generous
before!!! (And btw, what *have* you been smoking? Insurers actually pay a
(significant, but still) fractional amount of what doctors bill them.)
> and employers pay whatever premiums are demanded. There's
> very little downward pressure on prices.
Why shouldn't there be? Why isn't the healthcare market *competitive*? Essay
question for bonus points.
>
>
> Tony.
> --
> en oeccget g mtcaa f.a.n.finch
> v spdlkishrhtewe y dot@dotat.at
> eatp o v eiti i d. fanf@covalent.net
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