The VP debate was pretty much the same format as the Bush/Kerry debate, meaning they really didn't debate anything, they just produced sound bytes for an hour and a half. The presidential candidates sent out their attack dogs to say the things they couldn't afford to say themselves. It wasn't as entertaining as last week's debate.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by JackSpratts
i sometimes think health insurance is the worst thing that's happened to the west, that in fact it should be banned. i happen to think you can't actually have an economy in which people can't buy what you're selling. as it applies to health care, if people - all people - had to pay out of their pockets the true cost of care as it stands now they wouldn't be able to - so to my way of thinking the market would have to adjust to reality and configure itself so it was supportable by it's customers, in this case the patients. in short order we'd go from most people not being able to afford it to the opposite: most people enjoying and affording good health care with lots of marketplace choices.
|
I tend to feel the same way. This Frankenstein's-monster mix of government subsidized and free market health care is a beast that few other nations have to deal with. I'm certain the FTC could probably drum up a profiteering case against the insurance companies, the perscription drug companies should have to face more competetion than they do, and there's lots more that can be done. Government intervention is necessary sometimes, but in this case they're intevening in the wrong places and they just need to shift gears.
It took a cold war to get us to the moon; it would take a similar push from the government to cure cancer and AIDS. They should be pushing for more research and be less liberal with awarding patents, this would drive down the cost of perscription drugs and other medical supplies. The government should help more medical students get through school, not just cheaply but also well educated in the end, and this would lead to lower litigation insurance rates and reduce doctor's fees overall. When the building is crumbling you don't waste resources making superficial repairs, the first thing you look at is the foundation and reinforce it, and that's research and education as far as heath care is concerned. That will at least prevent things from getting worse, and reforms thence forth will have a lasting effect.