I'd agree with this. People refer to authoritarian red countries as communist, but they aren't. The Soviets would have been considered truly communist only when the workers tore down the Politiburo and the people governed each other without the need for an authority state. There has not been an example of actual communism on a national scale in world history. Which is probably telling (/editorializing).
Healthcare is the farthest thing from a free market in this country.
This isn't true. Physicians would earn a lot less if there were truly a free market in healthcare. Psychiatrists even less. If there was a true free market then you would be able to get all drugs over the counter, and anyone would be able to hang up a shingle offering mental health services regardless of training or qualifications. Psychologists and other mental health clinicians would offer psychopharm services too. The whole point (in theory) of a free market is to drive competition which is supposed to improve quality and reduce costs for consumers. Not that it always works that way but free marketers like the Adam Smith Institute believe that we are all overpaid because of the cartel like behavior of organized medicine.
I'd agree with this. People refer to authoritarian red countries as communist, but they aren't. The Soviets would have been considered truly communist only when the workers tore down the Politiburo and the people governed each other without the need for an authority state. There has not been an example of actual communism on a national scale in world history. Which is probably telling (/editorializing).
True, but things can be cheaper than they are now with a little bit more free market.
Was this a response to me or someone else?
This guy gets it.
Ah. Well I don't have quality data yet, but I absolutely have proof that free-market principles can lower prices.
It can in some areas. Look, we can never make everything in medicine cheap. But if we play it smart, we can save in some areas to make up for the expensive ones.
those drugs only get to be as expensive as they are because of the group sourcing of funds via govt intervention....if people had to buy their own meds there wouldn't be enough customers at those price points. Either the drugs would get cheaper or they wouldn't get made, but they wouldn't be that expensive
So I was already 95% likely voting libertarian this election but you kind sir have now solidified my vote.
Agreed. I hate almost everything about ACA except for the fact that it started the process of change in our system. Even the dumb Pelosi statement about passing it to find out what's in it has a bit of truth. Best management skill I ever learned was that if you don't roll out a new policy until the staff are satisfied with it, then you will never roll out a new policy.
Perhaps, but it might not be. The local hospital here in South Carolina came to me with a similar pricing structure trying to get my business. If LA and SC are that similar, it does make one think it might be more widespread.
There are many states that I have no doubt would have people dying on the streets if we left medicare decisions to states.
We don't "overlook" anything, we just all have different ideas as to how it should be done.
100k/yr chemo drugs? Not for long. People making $50k/yr can only get so much credit before they default
That and the vast majority of the new super expensive chemo drugs don't actually work all that well. The 20k/month ones that extend life maybe 4 months really shouldn't be a readily available option, to my mind.
Ain't that the truth. They also tend to rule out short-sighted self-interest at the expense of others. They tend to assume a well-run government or a well-run company or a well-informed populace. I'm like Diogenes with his lamp still looking for those.
clearly you don't understand anything about how medicare is run. it's already adminstered at a regional level (thank god its not done on a state basis or people in the south would be even more screwed). For example in my neck of the woods medicare is administered by noridian jf. There are regional differences in what medicare covers as a result. For instance, in some parts of the country medicare covers TMS for depression but doesn't in others.
