[ExI] Single Payer Healthcare

[spike]

From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of William Flynn Wallace
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2017 8:23 AM
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Subject: Re: [ExI] Single Payer Healthcare

 

spike wrote

 

Ja.  I don't see anything in the US Constitution that authorizes the Federal
government to make or enforce law regarding drug companies.  Proposed
solution: have all that done at the state level.

 

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>…But Spike, the gov. buys drugs for Medicare and Medicaid.  Why can't they negotiate on those?

 

They should negotiate that.  Then instead of our current absurd system for licensing a new drug to market, the negotiations would be based on the safety and efficacy of the drug as determined by the buyer, pretty much the way they buy everything else. 

 

 

>…p.s - you don't want to leave things to states like mine because they are dysfunctional.  bill w

 

 

Ja, the US federal government is dysfunctional too: it does not and cannot balance the budget.  Propose that when it starts running a surplus, the surplus be used for subsidizing medical systems.  In a family, when there is a budget shortfall, something doesn’t get bought, a vacation trip or dinner at the local establishment, something expendable that family goes without.  Something has to be not paid for, ja?  

 

Well OK, in the Federal government, what is analogous to whatever it is in a family that is cut first?  How about setting up a system where we clearly identify something that would be nice to have if we run a surplus, then cut it first?  That would incentivize the Fed to cut the silliness, eliminate waste, trim the military and so forth, so we can have whatever is first on the chopping block, ja?  So… easy solution: have the Fed subsidize medical care and keep it first on the chopping block, done.  

 

Of course it would always be cut off completely because the Fed does not and cannot balance its budget.  If it couldn’t do it during the prosperous last couple decades, in relatively peaceful times and low interest, how is it to do it now?  So… states step up to the plate.

 

BillW, more to your point: sick people leave states where the medical system is inadequate.  My parents lived in Florida most of their lives, but bought a cattle ranch in Oregon when they were in their mid 60s.  They lived out there for about 6 years, but got steadily sicker the whole time.  They ended up moving back to Florida, where the medical care was far better.  We know the fifty payer system isn’t perfect or really even good, but it is better than passing the bill to an organization which cannot pay.

 

spike

 

 

 

 

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