A moderately intelligent government would have done more to reduce costs – perhaps create a worker’s comp-like system to replace malpractice torts (to reduce the number of unnecessary procedures and tests).
To give them credit, the higher deductibles and co-pays forced onto the American public will reduce use of the system. Sorta like how raising the costs of gasoline reduced the use of carbon-based energy. Less freedom and more bureaucratic diktat is the way to Obama’s brave new world.
@Dardan64 You mean like Cuba or North Korea? They are half the countries in the world with single-payer systems.
A civilized country would have a system in which those who received healthcare paid for it. We really haven’t had that since the 1950s, when government was 10% of total healthcare spending, costs were so much more affordable, and doctors made house calls. Now government accounts for 50% of healthcare spending and tens of millions can’t afford it.
A market can’t work if consumers are insulated from the true costs of a product. Yet we’ve been doing that for 60 years and are wondering why it hasn’t worked. Instead of solving that problem, Obamacaid makes it worse by doing more of the same, and shoving millions of people onto a poorly run and chronically underfunded welfare program. The rest of us it forces into a system where we are even more insulated from the true costs.
According to the WSJ, in order to create an “affordable” plan for New York’s exchange UnitedHealth is going to pay $40 for a doctor visit and $20 to read a mammogram. I’m sure doctors will be flocking to Manhattan for those great rates.
Darsan54, firedome, and Dogday88: I’m with you!.Hey, Scott! Haven’t we killed this dead bunny to death, already?.Please don’t make Carmen and Winslow boring!.At least there’s the Sunday panels, which are usually pretty good, regardless of what your beliefs (or ideologies) are!
@Darsan and @John, as soon as you have private payment you cease to have single payer. In some Canadian provinces it is illegal to pay a doctor out of your own pocket. That isn’t the case in Germany or Sweden, but that’s what Hillary and magic underwear-wearing Harry Reid want for us. As for Cuba, if it’s such a great place, why don’t Michael Moore and magic underwear-wearing progressives like Harry Reid move there?
firedome over 10 years ago
they’re renting it from dick cheney…
jbmlaw01 over 10 years ago
A moderately intelligent government would have done more to reduce costs – perhaps create a worker’s comp-like system to replace malpractice torts (to reduce the number of unnecessary procedures and tests).
To give them credit, the higher deductibles and co-pays forced onto the American public will reduce use of the system. Sorta like how raising the costs of gasoline reduced the use of carbon-based energy. Less freedom and more bureaucratic diktat is the way to Obama’s brave new world.
Darsan54 Premium Member over 10 years ago
A civilized nation would either expand Medicare or institute a single payer system.
KPOM over 10 years ago
@Dardan64 You mean like Cuba or North Korea? They are half the countries in the world with single-payer systems.
A civilized country would have a system in which those who received healthcare paid for it. We really haven’t had that since the 1950s, when government was 10% of total healthcare spending, costs were so much more affordable, and doctors made house calls. Now government accounts for 50% of healthcare spending and tens of millions can’t afford it.
A market can’t work if consumers are insulated from the true costs of a product. Yet we’ve been doing that for 60 years and are wondering why it hasn’t worked. Instead of solving that problem, Obamacaid makes it worse by doing more of the same, and shoving millions of people onto a poorly run and chronically underfunded welfare program. The rest of us it forces into a system where we are even more insulated from the true costs.
KPOM over 10 years ago
According to the WSJ, in order to create an “affordable” plan for New York’s exchange UnitedHealth is going to pay $40 for a doctor visit and $20 to read a mammogram. I’m sure doctors will be flocking to Manhattan for those great rates.
Cheapskate0 over 10 years ago
Darsan54, firedome, and Dogday88: I’m with you!.Hey, Scott! Haven’t we killed this dead bunny to death, already?.Please don’t make Carmen and Winslow boring!.At least there’s the Sunday panels, which are usually pretty good, regardless of what your beliefs (or ideologies) are!
KPOM over 10 years ago
@cheapskate, as long as both parties continue to send idiots to DC, the bunny will never die. So he’s essentially immortal.
Darsan54 Premium Member over 10 years ago
Because competition has controlled medical costs so well up to now.
KPOM over 10 years ago
@Darsan and @John, as soon as you have private payment you cease to have single payer. In some Canadian provinces it is illegal to pay a doctor out of your own pocket. That isn’t the case in Germany or Sweden, but that’s what Hillary and magic underwear-wearing Harry Reid want for us. As for Cuba, if it’s such a great place, why don’t Michael Moore and magic underwear-wearing progressives like Harry Reid move there?