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[Smiling JOe]

If you think the insurance companies are tough on denying/reducing services, wait till you get a governmental unit telling you which procedures you can have and which you cannot.

I think the opposite will happen. With the Federal Gov't not having to live within its means, there will be a free run on all medical because there will be no restraint, as they will just print more money. "Gov't is good business," or at least that was a quote on a wall I once read. No different than funding war, health care will churn the cogs of gov't and keep it large.

 

[fisher]

Given some of the outrageous and often wasteful ways the private corporate world manages its business, perhaps the tired old line that "bureaucrats can't run anything" should go out the window with all the other cliches. Just a thought.

The federal government is over $11 TRILLION in debt, and that number does not include the HUMONGOUS amount of unfunded liabilities for Medicare, Social Security, etc.

If the federal government was a real business, they would have declared bankruptcy a long, long time ago. That goes for many of the nations around the world. Our government has not proven that it can run anything efficiently and cost effectively. On a small scale, look at the US Postal Service, Amtrak, etc. Bankrupt, money losers if they were private companies. UPS, FedEx, etc. eat the lunch of the USPS. If the USPS didn't have the legal monopoly on first class mail, UPS and FedEx would take that business too and do it more efficiently and cost effectively. The only reason the USPS survives is subsidies from the US Government.

If Washington can't run those businesses cost efficiently, why do you think they can do a better job with healthcare than private industry?

Private healthcare in the US has resulted in THE BEST healthcare system in the world in terms of quality of care, medical breakthroughs, etc. Putting it in the hands of the government will be an unmitigated disaster.

 

[Matt J]

The federal government is over $11 TRILLION in debt, and that number does not include the HUMONGOUS amount of unfunded liabilities for Medicare, Social Security, etc.

If the federal government was a real business, they would have declared bankruptcy a long, long time ago. That goes for many of the nations around the world. Our government has not proven that it can run anything efficiently and cost effectively. On a small scale, look at the US Postal Service, Amtrak, etc. Bankrupt, money losers if they were private companies. UPS, FedEx, etc. eat the lunch of the USPS. If the USPS didn't have the legal monopoly on first class mail, UPS and FedEx would take that business too and do it more efficiently and cost effectively. The only reason the USPS survives is subsidies from the US Government.

If Washington can't run those businesses cost efficiently, why do you think they can do a better job with healthcare than private industry?

Private healthcare in the US has resulted in THE BEST healthcare system in the world in terms of quality of care, medical breakthroughs, etc. Putting it in the hands of the government will be an unmitigated disaster.

Yet somehow we are only ranked #37.

 

[Bob]

The federal government is over $11 TRILLION in debt, and that number does not include the HUMONGOUS amount of unfunded liabilities for Medicare, Social Security, etc.

If the federal government was a real business, they would have declared bankruptcy a long, long time ago. That goes for many of the nations around the world. Our government has not proven that it can run anything efficiently and cost effectively. On a small scale, look at the US Postal Service, Amtrak, etc. Bankrupt, money losers if they were private companies. UPS, FedEx, etc. eat the lunch of the USPS. If the USPS didn't have the legal monopoly on first class mail, UPS and FedEx would take that business too and do it more efficiently and cost effectively. The only reason the USPS survives is subsidies from the US Government.

If Washington can't run those businesses cost efficiently, why do you think they can do a better job with healthcare than private industry?

Private healthcare in the US has resulted in THE BEST healthcare system in the world in terms of quality of care, medical breakthroughs, etc. Putting it in the hands of the government will be an unmitigated disaster.

the postal service and amtrak cannot cherry pick their markets as fedex etc. if you could see the obvious, you wouldn't bother to illustrate your lack of knowledge.

 

[Smiling JOe]

swgb, I'm curious to know who did the ranking, and what criteria were used to select the rank order.

By the way, I don't believe we have the "best" healthcare system. Far from it. If the burden to insure people weren't placed on businesses, more people would have to pony up from their own pockets, and the insurance companies would actually have to compete with prices and coverages in order to write policies (ie- make money). Currently, the biggest burden of costs for insurance is placed on employers, and the insurance companies hose most employers.

 

[Eileen West]

I forgot to point out one more thing. The initial $800,000,000,000 bailout that was given to the big investment banks (remember, the rich people whose investments run our economy) well, this $800,000,000,000 bailout was SOCIALISM and it was proposed by a Republican administration, was passed by a Republican Senate and was signed into law by a Republican President. So I guess this kind of show that profit-driven capitalism doesn't quite work out so well when you factor in stupidity and greed.

Seems the Republicans are all for a public option for corporations, just not for people.

 

[Eileen West]

Once again SJ you've lumped health insurance and drug companies into one.

The only thing that could be stifled at an insurance company again is denial of service and higher premiums.

Drug companies are responsible for many new breakthroughs, but they're never going to fess up and admit they readily use government to fund these breakthroughs on a regular basis. i.e. Universities equipment, eager grad students, and somewhat limited liability for testing.

As for medical procedure breakthroughs, show me one that resulted from health insurance companies other than 24 hour hospital stays for new mothers?

Wonder what insurance cos budget is for lobbying vs research?

 

[Eileen West]

the postal service and amtrak cannot cherry pick their markets as fedex etc. if you could see the obvious, you wouldn't bother to illustrate your lack of knowledge.

My son is active duty military and we depend on the socialized military medicine to take care of him if he gets hurt in the service of his country. It better bo good.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I keep reading that the VA is socialized medicine, but I don't see it that way at all. The people who have put their lives on the line for the rest of us, should be covered for medical expenses in my opinion, as part of the job. The gov't sure as heck doesn't pay them enough salary and the medical coverage should be a benefit that comes with the tough job.

Medicare and Medicaid, as well as FEMA are other names which pop up often in this discussion. I think we (individually) have a moral responsibility to care for the less fortunate. Where I disagree with many others is that I believe the responsibility lies on each of us, individually. If we all thought that way, we surely wouldn't need gov't to have to fill the gap. As gov't has grown larger and larger, we individuals have grew further and further away from accepting that moral responsibility to help the less fortunate and the charities of our own interest. We just write that check to Uncle Sam and let him take care of everyone.

 

[Matt J]

swgb, I'm curious to know who did the ranking, and what criteria were used to select the rank order.

By the way, I don't believe we have the "best" healthcare system. Far from it. If the burden to insure people weren't placed on businesses, more people would have to pony up from their own pockets, and the insurance companies would actually have to compete with prices and coverages in order to write policies (ie- make money). Currently, the biggest burden of costs for insurance is placed on employers, and the insurance companies hose most employers.

After some research that number comes from WHO (World Health Organization) and was last published in 2000. They have since stopped producing the list due to the complexity. So it's not just a number based on infant mortality (we have the highest in the industrialized world) or just one factor.

Since it hasn't been updated since 2000 I'm betting we're no longer #37, and I would bet any amount that we haven't gained on that since then.

Kind of makes you want to move to:

1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica