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That's not exactly right. A free market is one where the price people are willing to pay, or not pay, is what determines the price. If a "thing" is overpriced people won't pay it, unless they have no choice. If people only have one choice then it is a cornered (rigged) market, not a free market.
As long as the government dictates prices, as in Medicare reimbursement, they will artificially rise... just as they are and have been for decades.
Fact: Medicare only reimburses a set percentage (about 50%) so what did the hospitals do? They raised prices for everyone to fill the gap and rake in even bigger profits.
Single payer will only make this mess far worse.
If they can't get the VA right, they will surely screw up on 315M people. The VA is a shining example of how government effectively screws things up.
IF and COULD is not a thing I trust to happen. They have a proven track record of doing things wrong.
Of course most of HC is not free market.
As you say Medicare pays less. But the privates tend to follow Medicare's moves, not the opposite. Hospitals cannot dictate prices as much as the payers have leverage to cut them.
The VA 'isn't right' because it is owned and operated by gov't. We should continue to want our HC delivery to be in the private sector as it is now, not like the VA.
We should have a hybrid system like France has. Essential health care is provided for all, but if you want extras, you have to purchase a private insurance plan.
That's what we have here in OZ. A Public- private system. I've lived here 4 years now and in my personal experience, it's a much better than america's pathetic system. Of course several here have stated that my personal experience mean nothing-as it goes against the "America is perfect and everything America does is perfect and the best" sentiment many here have. No system is perfect, and no country is perfect- but in America's case they pretty much suck at everything except starting pointless wars and catering to the wealthy and big business, such as the insurance swindlers, I mean industry
Wouldn't keeping private insurers in charge of life-saving treatment mean that nothing changes? Private insurers simply do not want these people on their rolls....Why not just expand medicare to everyone, ditch medicaid and all the other programs that are paid for by taxpayers ANYWAY, and then allow the private insurers to offer elective and supplemental cover for people who want cheaper drugs and a faster knee replacement?
Why is this so difficult for you people?
Healthcare which is affordable IS DRACONIAN (i.e- common sense). You cannot have the current level of care with "healthcare for all" at an affordable price.
A rational healthcare system would mandate that many expensive and end of life expensive care be eliminated. This is a reality of economics and medical statistics.
If you want healthcare expenses that are out of control, continue to allow spending in situations which make no medical sense. And yes, I am a physician, so I see the wastes and excesses from a system that allows the patient to continue and demand expensive care which has no chance of saving a patient.
Well I'm too young for Medicare and make way too much for Medicaid, and my employer provided insurance at my last job and this one both have had $6k deductibles. So I guess I'm just screwed for the next 32 years, longer if the age eligibility for Medicare gets raised.....
It's a shame that as a tax-paying law-abiding (I'm guessing) citizen of "The Greatest Country In The World" should even have to deal with these kind of situations and types of decisions!!
The top 5% are millionaires. The median American household has high five figures in assets, the mean about half a million. Limit to the 20-40% income band and the median is $30k. Limit to the 40-60% band the median is $60K. Mean for both bands is six figures.
You really should have $10K saved, and cut expenses to build that up if you don't. You don't need to be able to pay a $10K medical claim; you need to be able to pay a few months rent and a few months insurance premiums so you DON'T have to pay a $10K medical cost.
My paycheck after taxes and benefits is $760 each week. How am I supposed to get to $10,000 on that? It would mean basically not spending a single dime for 3 months, or more realistically if I put $100/week away in savings that would still take two years.
I've been a free market guy my entire life, but the free market doesn't work any longer for healthcare.
The system we have now is not sustainable.
Single payer comes with some big problems, but I'm not sure it's worse than what we already have.
There is no perfect solution for healthcare.
The best thing people can do is take care of their own health as best they can, and avoid having to use the system in the first place.
^ this is pretty much my point of view. I'm all for free markets, but I think healthcare and education should not be for-profit.
Health Care is not amenable to a market based system as the buyer is almost never in a position to negotiate price and quality. However eventually everyone needs some form of health care. Without the ability to negotiate the consumer is subject to withholding of service and price gouging.
Without a market in health care there consumers need a strong negotiating partner. A government agency can be that negotiator with the healthcare suppliers. This would result in the HC suppliers bidding for access to the government money.
The payments to the HC suppliers could be obtained by an income tax on the to 10% of the population. The mega rich would complain mightily but they have the wealth to afford this cost of doing business in the US. After Trump is finished none of the rest of us will.
Do you think the rest of the top 10% wouldn't complain at all, or just wouldn't complain 'mightily' ? Or do you think all of the top 10% are "mega rich" ?
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
27,606 posts, read 14,596,838 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BentBow
Anytime government gets involved, it quadruples the cost & price of services.
The free market always gets the best results for the lowest cost.
It doesn't produce the lowest cost for the user, since with the government, you don't have to pay anything out of pocket, where with a for profit, you get a bill or toll
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