Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
95% of the people that had a major medical issue would die. Seriously. People suck at getting insurance, and very few can plop the $ down to deal with a issue.
Most births would occur at home.
I would have probably died when I was 24 and got toxic e coli poisoning.
This is insanity.
The only part of your post that's true is bolded now.
You can't effectively negotiate on your behalf for something that you have a mortal need for.
If you tell me a pill that costs 20 dollars monthly is needed for anti-rejection for an organ transplant...I will pay it. If you tell me that same drug costs 200 dollars...I will try to find a way to pay it. Same goes if its 2000. Treatment that is a necessity doesn't lend itself to traditional market forces.
You can't effectively negotiate on your behalf for something that you have a mortal need for.
If you tell me a pill that costs 20 dollars monthly is needed for anti-rejection for an organ transplant...I will pay it. If you tell me that same drug costs 200 dollars...I will try to find a way to pay it. Same goes if its 2000. Treatment that is a necessity doesn't lend itself to traditional market forces.
Especially when it's very acute and/or serious. Then it is the doctor that essentially dictates the care and thus the costs. Not very free market like. Like when you crash your car and need a replacement right away, the dealer decides what to sell you.
If you couple the free market system with a decrease (not elimination) of regulations and government intervention - of course it would work.
The only reason liberals say it won't work is because they assume the high prices that exist now would remain the same - which is not the case. Remove the regulations the raise the costs to do care - and remove the government apparatus that takes its share of the pie - and the costs go down.
Right now - the customer for care providers are the insurance companies - not patients. Since the insurance companies have deep pockets, and they raise prices. But the citizen CAN"T PAY those prices. SO they will have to come down.
For some things maybe. The cost of simple things wouldn't change much. Maybe some of the expensive things might change. But do we want to unregulate hospitals and at the same time engage full malpractice tort reform? Talk about the Tea party nirvana of every man for himself! And you can't take insurance out of it all. Health care costs are way too unpredictable and risky. Especially as we age.
Sure it could. Would it work? Depends on one's definition of work.
The rest of the developed world has substantially more government involvement in their healthcare systems than the U.S. and yet, healthcare in the U.S. costs substantially more than anywhere else.
Most U.S. Hospitals spend their profits building their brand to squash or acquire the competition. When one is the only game in town, one can charge more because there is no competition. That's the free market at work.
And that is so very true in my own town's case. The former owners of our hospital squashed us local docs from creating a second and competing hospital.
Looking at Singapore, they ran into this very problem. Now most hospitals are public and very controlled. So HC is cheaper there. The right loves Singapore HC solutions.
I go to Mexico for my dental work. It costs maybe 30% of what it does here and often less than that and the care/technology/skill is every bit as good or better. It is a cash on delivery system. You gotta wonder.
More typical free markets tend to work better with medical care encounters that are more optional and elective. Like cosmetic and Lasik eye work. One can fairly easily travel for cheaper as most dental work is not emergent or life threatening. So more typical free markets do their thing.
But how do you free market an acute abdominal pain? You might be able to shop for an elective gall bladder surgery. But figuring out all the expenses beforehand may not be so easy if you want a specific surgeon and he or she doesn't operate at your specific hospital and in the time frame you desire.
And when you get into more complex issues which are very typical in the elderly free markets can easily become even less reasonable. Some docs work cash only, and they do well with fewer patients due to lower overheads. But they are not going to want to see and care for all the complex stuff. Same with Concierge care. It is more free market oriented, but also tends to avoid and select out the more risky, complex and expensive stuff.
You can't effectively negotiate on your behalf for something that you have a mortal need for.
If you tell me a pill that costs 20 dollars monthly is needed for anti-rejection for an organ transplant...I will pay it. If you tell me that same drug costs 200 dollars...I will try to find a way to pay it. Same goes if its 2000. Treatment that is a necessity doesn't lend itself to traditional market forces.
I guess you need Obamafood and Obamahousing and Obamaclothes and Obamawater and Obamaair, then.
[quote=Hoonose;31935278]More typical free markets tend to work better with medical care encounters that are more optional and elective. Like cosmetic and Lasik eye work. One can fairly easily travel for cheaper as most dental work is not emergent or life threatening. So more typical free markets do their thing.
Quote:
But how do you free market an acute abdominal pain? You might be able to shop for an elective gall bladder surgery. But figuring out all the expenses beforehand may not be so easy if you want a specific surgeon and he or she doesn't operate at your specific hospital and in the time frame you desire.
It's easy. A free market hasn't barriers to entry, so there WILL be price competition, and those prices will NOT be insane.
Quote:
And when you get into more complex issues which are very typical in the elderly free markets can easily become even less reasonable. Some docs work cash only, and they do well with fewer patients due to lower overheads. But they are not going to want to see and care for all the complex stuff. Same with Concierge care. It is more free market oriented, but also tends to avoid and select out the more risky, complex and expensive stuff.
Which is why all you really need is a no-frills high deductible policy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
