Eric's Final Confessional

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[quote name='Amory' timestamp='1345107408' post='2468576']
Of course, there is the question about whether the inflation in the health care market (or the fact that healthcare can often be unaffordable) is such a bad thing. Clearly, if the physicians and medical professionals are getting a larger paycheck due to it, they may be less inclined to think so.
[/quote]

I guess they may if they focus on their short term interest. But I'm sure those medical professionals would like, for example, paved roads and a functional police force, things they will enjoy less and less as discretionary spending is swallowed up by the military budget and healthcare costs.

I mean you can find people who do find the absurd inflation in our health care markets profitable but on a national level it is a bad thing.

[Anomaly]

I have family in England, New Zealand, and Australia. I personally know of situations that extrordinary medical care is limited or not provided. Medical technology has advanced to the point that providing extrordinary care to everyone is not economically feasible. Government regulations in the medical system have over complicated the system and is preventing the providing of efficient and cost effective medical care. Being older then most here, I remember when you went to a Dr, there was only 1 office person for a practice with two doctors and and a couple of nurses. Now, at the practice I go to with 4 doctors, they have 10 people in the office for billing and paperwork for HIPPA laws, insurance reporting, and other regulations. Beauracracy always happens when the Government is involved, and it's not cheap.
It's a basic tennet of business that competition drives market efficiency. When the Goverment has regulated the ability of the consumer (businesses or employees or the average citizen) to choose where and what insurance you can buy, it's warped the system. Consumers have limited choices and easily become captive customers. Insurance companies are limited in what they can offer and also have captive customers. Medical providers have to choose which insurance companies they want to do business with to have access to those captive consumers. I may have Aetna isurance, but can't go to a doctor that is a United Healthcare provider, nor can I get Doctor offices to compete for my business by providing good service at reasonable prices.
The cost for insurance is also skewed because I have to buy unlimited insurance limits. I can't determine how much insurance I want to buy, like home, life, or auto insurance. Imagine the difference in premium costs if you buy a full coverage auto insurance on a Porsche vs basic liability on your Ford Focus.
It smells of elderberries to be sick. It smells of elderberries to not have insurance and have serious medical issues. Been there and done that while I have a family to take care of. Government and other people's money can't fix everything.