[ExI] Yet another health care debate.

[BillK]

On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 4:21 PM, John K Clark wrote:
> Why is the health system in the USA more expensive than that of
> any other country when its people are not healthier than that of any other
> country?
>
> Yes, exactly. If you were free to chose ANYONE to treat you and
> were not limited to those the government gave a permission slip
> to practice medicine, and if you were free to put ANY drug into
> your body, and if you could buy ANY drug over the counter, then
> people would be richer and healthier than they are now.
> Or at least the smart ones would be.
>
> Of course not everyone is smart, so then as a bonus we'd get to see
> a vivid demonstration of Evolution in action.
>


How about:
1) The US medical system is more expensive because of profiteering by
the drug  and medical equipment industries, helped along by
profiteering all the way down the chain from insurance companies,
hospitals, doctors inflated wages, lawyers suing every which way, etc.

2) You can already let anyone you like treat you. But you will likely
die or be seriously disabled, and they will be fined heavily for
doctorin' without a license. Possibly jailed, if you die and their
lawyers fail to prove that it wasn't the fault of the treatment.

3) If everyone was free to ingest any drug or use any treatment they
fancied, then it is likely that there would be a surge in demand for
ER admissions.

4) Extreme libertarians do, from time to time, bring up the suggestion
of letting all the poor, mentally disabled, physically disabled, etc.
fall by the wayside (evolution in action), but we are trying to
civilize them. Perhaps they could be permanently accompanied by a
social worker who every so often, wags a finger at them and says,
'Now, now, that's not very nice, is it? Try to play nice with other
people'.


BillK