nice article.
the US healthcare = innocent people sacrificed to the Free Markets idol.
Topic: Private enterprise bankrupting America? - page 9. (Read 10910 times)
Not sure how that's possible, considering the entire federal health spending on medical is 846bil, and the budget deficit is 1,327bil
bitcoinbitcoin113, yes, that's true, though I thought "Obama care" got rid of that.
As for the OP, yes. So what? This is something probably everyone knows by now. The problem isn't that we have private health insurance, or socialized, but a horrible bastardization of both. Since neither side (socialize vs privatize) will relent in the debate, there's nothing that will ever be done about it.
As for the OP, yes. So what? This is something probably everyone knows by now. The problem isn't that we have private health insurance, or socialized, but a horrible bastardization of both. Since neither side (socialize vs privatize) will relent in the debate, there's nothing that will ever be done about it.
Its worth reading the article. It says what I have been saying for a while - having government negotiate prices for healthcare is more efficient. Also, you have expressed concerns about whether the US is sustainable. Fix the health issue and the US is no longer a chronic runner of deficits.
bitcoinbitcoin113, yes, that's true, though I thought "Obama care" got rid of that.
As for the OP, yes. So what? This is something probably everyone knows by now. The problem isn't that we have private health insurance, or socialized, but a horrible bastardization of both. Since neither side (socialize vs privatize) will relent in the debate, there's nothing that will ever be done about it.
As for the OP, yes. So what? This is something probably everyone knows by now. The problem isn't that we have private health insurance, or socialized, but a horrible bastardization of both. Since neither side (socialize vs privatize) will relent in the debate, there's nothing that will ever be done about it.
I hate reading these stories... I just know at the end I will have two choices:
1) Resign myself to being slightly indoctrinated
2) Spend hours trying to figure out whats actually going on (what the numbers in the charts mean, what are the distributions of numbers that lead to the averages, etc)
I couldn't read the last page... is this really true? Does this include drugs used at the hospital?
1) Resign myself to being slightly indoctrinated
2) Spend hours trying to figure out whats actually going on (what the numbers in the charts mean, what are the distributions of numbers that lead to the averages, etc)
5. Obamacare is not going to fix this. I find the following hard to believe but WaPo can hardly have made it up:
Quote
In the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, for instance, Congress expressly barred Medicare from negotiating the prices of drugs that it was paying for.
I couldn't read the last page... is this really true? Does this include drugs used at the hospital?
Here is an interesting article about health costs in the US compared to health costs worldwide: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/high-health-care-costs-its-all-in-the-pricing/2012/02/28/gIQAtbhimR_story.html
Its long so here are some of the highlights:
1. The US pays much much more for everything. A day in hospital is 4 times the cost in the US as opposed to Switzerland, which is the next most expensive.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/business/high-cost-of-medical-procedures-in-the-us/?hpid=z2
For an illustration of this in practice, here is a woman who had similiar treatments in US and UK. Look at the price difference...US charged $103,322 while UK charged $4750.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2105680/This-woman-emergency-op-Americas-hospital-stars-NHS-So-did-best-care.html
Anyone advocating a free market in health should take a long hard look at these figures. Its clear that having the government negotiating prices with drug firms and trade unions is far more efficient than having every sick person competing through insurance companies with every other sick person.
And its also clear that the US budget deficit is not due to some generic failure of government. Its a failure due to the private market in health care. Fix that and your federal deficit goes away overnight.
Its long so here are some of the highlights:
1. The US pays much much more for everything. A day in hospital is 4 times the cost in the US as opposed to Switzerland, which is the next most expensive.
Quote
In 2009, Americans spent $7,960 per person on health care. Our neighbors in Canada spent $4,808. The Germans spent $4,218. The French, $3,978.
2. If the US could get to Swiss levels, and Switzerland is ridiculously expensive as well, but if the US could get to Swiss cost levels, the federal deficit would be eliminated.Quote
If we had the per person costs of any of those countries, America’s deficits would vanish. Workers would have much more money in their pockets. Our economy would grow more quickly, as our exports would be more competitive.
3. The well run system have their government set prices for drugs. The US does not. Quote
In America, Medicare and Medicaid negotiate prices on behalf of their tens of millions of members and, not coincidentally, purchase care at a substantial markdown from the commercial average. But outside that, it’s a free-for-all. Providers largely charge what they can get away with, often offering different prices to different insurers, and an even higher price to the uninsured.
4. Individual Americans are victims of price gouging. Passed out sick? Pay extra!!!Quote
Health care is an unusual product in that it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, for the customer to say “no.” In certain cases, the customer is passed out, or otherwise incapable of making decisions about her care, and the decisions are made by providers whose mandate is, correctly, to save lives rather than money.
5. Obamacare is not going to fix this. I find the following hard to believe but WaPo can hardly have made it up:Quote
In the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, for instance, Congress expressly barred Medicare from negotiating the prices of drugs that it was paying for.
6. American health care professionals don't see any problem with this and insist government should not regulate prices. Classic rentier mentality:Quote
“There is so much inefficiency in our system, that there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit we can deal with before we get into regulating people’s prices.” says Len Nichols, director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University.
7. This price gouging applies to the the full spectrum of procedures:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/business/high-cost-of-medical-procedures-in-the-us/?hpid=z2
For an illustration of this in practice, here is a woman who had similiar treatments in US and UK. Look at the price difference...US charged $103,322 while UK charged $4750.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2105680/This-woman-emergency-op-Americas-hospital-stars-NHS-So-did-best-care.html
Anyone advocating a free market in health should take a long hard look at these figures. Its clear that having the government negotiating prices with drug firms and trade unions is far more efficient than having every sick person competing through insurance companies with every other sick person.
And its also clear that the US budget deficit is not due to some generic failure of government. Its a failure due to the private market in health care. Fix that and your federal deficit goes away overnight.
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