[ExI] Call To Libertarians

[Damien Sullivan]

On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 06:03:04PM -0800, Samantha Atkins wrote:
> On 02/23/2011 08:48 AM, Damien Sullivan wrote:
>> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:32:22PM -0800, Samantha Atkins wrote:
>>
>>> Do you really think that the government can be involved in healthcare
>>> without grossly inflating costs?   With the government health programs
>> A rational person looks at the evidence, which is that goverrnment
>> involvement with health care reduces costs.
>
> Historically there is no basis for such a claim.  Take Medicare/Medicaid  

Except for actual spending data.
http://mindstalk.net/socialhealth/financial.html

> and take Bush prescription drug plan as starters.  Trillions in unfunded  
> liabilities.   Since when does government run anything more economically  

Unfunded liabilities means there won't bee taxes in the future to cover
expenses in the future.  It has nothing to do with whether government is
more or less efficient than private enterprise.

> than private enterprise?

Well, Medicare's overhead is 2%, that of private US insurers, 14%.
Government doesn't have to return profit to shareholders, or spend on
advertising, and spends less on trying to deny care to customers.

> With notorious and life threatening waits for many procedures.  No,  
> thank you.

What is notorious is not necessarily true.

-xx- Damien X-)