Thread: Paying For Health Care

Lemon Sherbet. Which, until now, I had always spelt 'shebert'.

Originally Posted by Trojan

Schools lead to productivity which leads to the creation of money. The creation of money leads to a higher standard of living. Honestly though, I do mind paying for public schools too. I have yet to see a government program/service that comes anywhere near the efficiency possible in a truly free market.

I'm going to try to stay away from saying how cold this sounds, because I suppose it's not relevant to the discussion. So let's put it into your terms, where money is all that matters. If a person is dying or sick, they cannot be productive. They cannot contribute to the economy, and so cannot contribute to your standard of living. If anything, I'd expect you to be in favor of supporting their health rather than their education if you had to choose one (clearly, you'd choose neither, but if the choice were forced upon you).

Originally Posted by Trojan

How about we try a real free market health care system? One in which I can call around to clinics and hospitals and get real pricing information. I wouldn't take my car to an auto shop that wouldn't tell me their pricing, but I have to get my health care that way.

So, in this "real free market health care system", you'd expect it to work how? Only those who can afford health care get it? Beyond the fact that this would leave more than half of all people without health care of any kind, what about the folks who can just barely afford it? Do they get to go see med students or quack doctors? Are there any regulations at all? With the "real free market", there is presumably no regulation, so now we're talking back-alley clinics and dirty surgery instruments unless you can afford to go to a real doctor and get real care. That's really a better alternative to you? Why? Because you happen to be one of the people who could afford real medical help?

What happens to emergency rooms? Do they get to refuse treatment now to anyone without cash in hand? Do people start going to prison because they can't pay their medical bills? Forgive me if I'm starting to head down a slippery-slope argument, but I'm truly not sure what the hell you mean when you say that we should apply true capitalism to healthcare.

Originally Posted by Archangel

It sounds great. Will the unicorns fart puppies or rainbows?

If it's already working in another country, how on earth is it the stuff of fantasy? What a useless post.