[ExI] New York Times piece on cryonics, featuring Robin Hanson & Peggy

[Michael D]

>
>
> At some point the entire GDP of a country would be consumed by
> offering every possible medical treatment to anyone who asked for it.
> Some expensive medical procedures - not necessarily cryonics - would
> therefore not be covered by socialised medicine. But the same applies
> to private health insurance: if you want cosmetic surgery, for
> example, you have to pay for it.
>
>
> --
> Stathis Papaioannou
>
>
>

Yes that is true, but the problem is that in many, if not most,
implementations of socialized medicine, private health care is just simply
illegal. Since socialized medicine is often implemented in order to create a
fair medical field, where it is unfair specifically that those who can
afford it can still get to buy better care, such procedures being offered by
private medicine are outlawed.  Canada's system was of this sort until
recently when it again decided to allow private care. Where socialized
medicines goal is to provide the best care possible to as many people as
possible, private care will still generally be allowed.  Where it is
implemented to make sure no one 'unfairly' gets better care merely because
they can afford it, private care is strictly outlawed. Socilaized health
care is more often than not egalitarian, not utilitarian.

Michael F Dickey
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