Comments on: Insanity and government healthcare http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/ Protect yourself from government gaffes, bureaucratic blunders and incumbent incompetence Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nikhil Rao http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10865 Nikhil Rao Sun, 27 Aug 2006 08:03:27 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10865 to claim that US-style insurance is anything like a free market is ridiculous. It's a product of government interventionism, especially in the case of 'private' insurance. Your employer chooses your insurance. And you get no say in what level of insurance you want. Medicare and medicaid under-compensate. And only about 30% of the uninsured pay their bills. Add it all together and the 'consumer' gets the shaft. BTW, I'll take american style over socialized any day of the week. At least I will be seen and be treated within a reasonable amount of time. When your lumbar vertebral bodies are degenerating, pinching your sciatic nerves and causing intense pain and weakness down your leg, you'd want to get that fixed as soon as possible. Especially since if it's not attended to quickly enough it can cause permanent nerve damage to the leg. When I left London, wait times were around 1 year. I doubt they're any better in Canada. to claim that US-style insurance is anything like a free market is ridiculous. It’s a product of government interventionism, especially in the case of ‘private’ insurance.

Your employer chooses your insurance. And you get no say in what level of insurance you want. Medicare and medicaid under-compensate. And only about 30% of the uninsured pay their bills. Add it all together and the ‘consumer’ gets the shaft.

BTW, I’ll take american style over socialized any day of the week. At least I will be seen and be treated within a reasonable amount of time.

When your lumbar vertebral bodies are degenerating, pinching your sciatic nerves and causing intense pain and weakness down your leg, you’d want to get that fixed as soon as possible. Especially since if it’s not attended to quickly enough it can cause permanent nerve damage to the leg.

When I left London, wait times were around 1 year. I doubt they’re any better in Canada.

]]> By: OK so I’m not really a cowboy. » Understanding The Medical Market http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10864 OK so I’m not really a cowboy. » Understanding The Medical Market Sun, 27 Aug 2006 07:44:49 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10864 [...] Didn’t think so. The same principle applies when arguing the merits of ’single payer’–the PC term for socialized–healthcare versus private. In a recent post I made at homeland stupidity, a couple commenters replied that they’d rather have the Canadian system than the American system. Now, disregarding that irrationality, they make the fundamental mistake of assuming that the American system is a market system. Calling what we got right now ‘free market’ is like saying that I’m black. While elements of an open economy still exist in the American healthcare industry, it is far from a truly capitalistic environment. Much the same as despite the 15-20% of my DNA that is East African in origin (legacy of the trade relationship between ancient Eritria and South India in ancient times), it would be a fallacy for me to claim to be African. [...] [...] Didn’t think so. The same principle applies when arguing the merits of ’single payer’–the PC term for socialized–healthcare versus private. In a recent post I made at homeland stupidity, a couple commenters replied that they’d rather have the Canadian system than the American system. Now, disregarding that irrationality, they make the fundamental mistake of assuming that the American system is a market system. Calling what we got right now ‘free market’ is like saying that I’m black. While elements of an open economy still exist in the American healthcare industry, it is far from a truly capitalistic environment. Much the same as despite the 15-20% of my DNA that is East African in origin (legacy of the trade relationship between ancient Eritria and South India in ancient times), it would be a fallacy for me to claim to be African. [...]

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10863 Michael Hampton Sat, 26 Aug 2006 08:19:49 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10863 From what I can see, the Canadian system screws everyone equally -- and worse than even the poorest Americans. This is somehow better? From what I can see, the Canadian system screws everyone equally — and worse than even the poorest Americans. This is somehow better?

]]> By: chelle http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10862 chelle Sat, 26 Aug 2006 06:37:54 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10862 Now that I have experienced both sides of the border and health care. I would take Canada's need-to-be-repaired health care over the insanely priced, high stress, fight for everything system the US has. Americans have no idea how much more relaxed and stress free Canadians truly are. The system may need work, but it is not screwing every the common person. Just my thoughts :) Thanks again for the support! Now that I have experienced both sides of the border and health care. I would take Canada’s need-to-be-repaired health care over the insanely priced, high stress, fight for everything system the US has.

Americans have no idea how much more relaxed and stress free Canadians truly are. The system may need work, but it is not screwing every the common person.

Just my thoughts :)

Thanks again for the support!

]]> By: Doctor Barnett http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10861 Doctor Barnett Fri, 25 Aug 2006 15:12:57 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/25/insanity-and-government-healthcare/#comment-10861 (doctor is just a screen name; I'm proudly B.S.) Then health care everywhere sucks. I don't know anyone who's happy with US-style insurance except those who profit from it. (So, half the country.) For the rest of us we either don't have it and can't afford early 20th century procedures like the x-ray, or do have it but have a hard time using it. What's permitted, what isn't, oops I was billed when I shouldn't have been, endless phone calls... and that's with "good" insurance. I just want to go to a doctor and have reasonable procedures performed for a reasonable price. Insurance, and the sense that everyone is entitled to the latest wildly expensive technologies, has distorted the market so that the even basic medicine requires either a mountain of cash or paperwork. Forgive liberals, and everyone else, for the insanity of looking for a better way. (doctor is just a screen name; I’m proudly B.S.)

Then health care everywhere sucks. I don’t know anyone who’s happy with US-style insurance except those who profit from it. (So, half the country.) For the rest of us we either don’t have it and can’t afford early 20th century procedures like the x-ray, or do have it but have a hard time using it. What’s permitted, what isn’t, oops I was billed when I shouldn’t have been, endless phone calls… and that’s with “good” insurance.

I just want to go to a doctor and have reasonable procedures performed for a reasonable price. Insurance, and the sense that everyone is entitled to the latest wildly expensive technologies, has distorted the market so that the even basic medicine requires either a mountain of cash or paperwork. Forgive liberals, and everyone else, for the insanity of looking for a better way.

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