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Scipio · 01-19-2004, 11:28 AM

I don't claim to know everything about the health care debate, but there are a few points that form the basis of my thinking on that issue.

1. We have a moral imperative to make sure that everyone in America has some kind of health coverage, or at the very least, that everyone is free from the danger of being bankrupted by medical procedures.

2. The status quo is unacceptable. There are too many people who receive no care, too many people who receive no preventative care, and too many uninsured children.

3. The government is the best actor we have to make sure that some kind of health coverage is extended to everyone. The private sector isn't working now, and there's no reason to think it will start working miracles in the future.

4. Everyone should pay for health care, to some extent. I'm not flatly opposed to making sicker people pay a bit more, but "healthy" people shouldn't be allowed to opt out of the system.

5. Socialized medicine isn't a good idea. Single payer might be. Some combination of the current system and a single payer system might be as well.

6. An improved health care system will probably result in somewhat reduced salaries for doctors, somewhat decreased profits for drug companies (at least until they stop charging Americans more than Canadians), and a somewhat greater focus on preventative care than on expensive high tech procedures.

This is getting to be kind of long. Let me say just two more things. One, I like the current system, as it produces the best care in the world (for people that can afford it). I worry that the improvements outlined above might somewhat slow the process of R&D, but there's no good reason for that to be the case. Two, as I said in a previous post, expanding health care coverage will benefit companies by getting them out of the business of providing health care coverage.

All for now.

01-19-2004, 11:28 AM	#12 (permalink)
Scipio Mencken Location: College	I don't claim to know everything about the health care debate, but there are a few points that form the basis of my thinking on that issue. 1. We have a moral imperative to make sure that everyone in America has some kind of health coverage, or at the very least, that everyone is free from the danger of being bankrupted by medical procedures. 2. The status quo is unacceptable. There are too many people who receive no care, too many people who receive no preventative care, and too many uninsured children. 3. The government is the best actor we have to make sure that some kind of health coverage is extended to everyone. The private sector isn't working now, and there's no reason to think it will start working miracles in the future. 4. Everyone should pay for health care, to some extent. I'm not flatly opposed to making sicker people pay a bit more, but "healthy" people shouldn't be allowed to opt out of the system. 5. Socialized medicine isn't a good idea. Single payer might be. Some combination of the current system and a single payer system might be as well. 6. An improved health care system will probably result in somewhat reduced salaries for doctors, somewhat decreased profits for drug companies (at least until they stop charging Americans more than Canadians), and a somewhat greater focus on preventative care than on expensive high tech procedures. This is getting to be kind of long. Let me say just two more things. One, I like the current system, as it produces the best care in the world (for people that can afford it). I worry that the improvements outlined above might somewhat slow the process of R&D, but there's no good reason for that to be the case. Two, as I said in a previous post, expanding health care coverage will benefit companies by getting them out of the business of providing health care coverage. All for now. __________________ "Erections lasting more than 4 hours, though rare, require immediate medical attention."