Tiberius
Member
Then you are illiterate, as I mentioned several examples already of laws/policies that cause prices to rise by either restricting available supply (AMA control over supply of doctors, licensing of medical schools, etc.) or by artificially increasing demand ('free' service, third party payment, etc.). Now, until you actually name the magical property of health care that makes it immune to market forces I think I'll just chime in to make fun of you.
Cool you just showed some major ignorance. The AMA doesn't control medical licensing. State boards do. State boards are not in any way controlled by the AMA. Congrats. Now go back to your black helicopters.
Once more using current examples to discredit alternatives. You really should learn to think more clearly.
And aparently your alternative is anyone who doesn't have ID in an emergency care unit and immediate means of paying should just die. Cool. Real civilized.
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Quite the opposite, you keep denying the reality of how economies work by claiming health care is immune to the laws of markets.
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You keep on denying problems with your theory by ignoring stuff like the laws of physics. 2 objects cannot exist at the same location at the same time. There is limited real estate and thus limited ability to build new hospitals. This forces a lack of competition. There is literally NO competition when the victim is not conscious. Since you demand people pay upfront to be treated or at least provide proof of ability to pay that means the only people who will be treated are those with both the means AND who are conscious. Someone who isn't conscious isn't going to be proving anything to anyone.
Required by law. What a perfect example of a market failure...![]()
So you espouse anarchy.
If you understood marginal utility you'd know it's impossible to pass the cost on to others unless they are legally forced to pay. Gee, there's that pesky government again messing things up...
Oh cool so I guess theft of service is cool in your book too. Cus if someone treats you, not paying is called theft of service.
And you're the one ignoring that it's the government denying them that choice, likely so you can propose the government as the solution to the problem the government has created.
Oh yes it was the government. Yeha the government was driving that ambulance. Yeah the government runs that private hospital.
Wrong. NOW they don't have a choice. We are talking about ALTERNATIVES to the current system here, Spike. You might want to clue into that.
Explain your alternative. You have yet to. Please explain it in detail. because honestly all I'm seeing of your "alternative" is let the poor rot in the streets, survival of the fittest. Very civilized.
All systems are elastic unless the government comes in and forces inelasticity for whatever reason, usually to jack up prices in favor of some special interest or another.
Or if stuff like the laws of physics come into play. Or hospitals themselves have the policy of all their EMTs bringing in people and treating them if they are unconscious and are unable to tell the doctor whether or not they need help.
Wow, you're actually catching on.
Which means I've uncovered your real desire. That all poor people should die.
Do I think it's right that people shouldn't be forced to provide services for others? Yup. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Your not guaranteed anything but opportunity in this world. If you don't have the forethought to take care of your own medical care and then a problem hits, you just may well be ****ed unless you can find a generous charity. Yes.
Ah yes, the forethought to provide myself with medical care. Like the guy born with diabetes who gets denied health insurance because his pre-existing condition costs too much. Let's just let all diabetics die. Like the kid in the inner city working hard at a corner store barely putting food on the table. Yeah he didn't think ahead and buy some health insurance that costs more per month than he makes in 6. Yeah that dumbass he should have more forethought. What an irresponsible prick.
If you want free medical care for some then stop whining and deal with the problems that come with it, plain and simple. That is where you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Umm no I really can. If we had universal healthcare people would live longer, more people would get the care they need, quality of living would increase, people would have MORE money in their pocket at the end of the month thereby giving them more buying power, and corporations like mine would be making more in profits because they no longer have to shell out for our employees' insurance. All in all, what I'm seeing is a wholesale improvement of not just the economy but just about every aspect of American life.
Oh but wait, I forgot, you don't want that. You want poor people to all die.
You are wrong. Law of demand. Look it up.
Laws of economics tend not to take things like altruism into account. Nor do they take things like ethics into account. You know, ethics. That thing that you completely disregard.
Congratulations. Since of course no such thing is provable on the net I guess we'll just have to rely on the soundness of our arguments. To be blunt you don't know me, I may be richer than Bill Gates for all you know. So how about you support your views and stop flashing your imaginary money around? Yes, I admit, I have the temerity to actually read them things called books to try and get my learn on. Pity me for my arrogance. Wheras you, after earning a 10 figure income come on the internent and with verbal guile and cunning attempt to outwit people on the AM message boards.![]()
10 figure income are you insane? No 10 figure WORTH. Jeez, man. Not even Oprah makes 10 figures a year ffs. Hell she only hit 10 figures in worth a couple years ago.
Since our system is not private might you point out the private system on which you base this claim?
Well a truly private system means only rich people get treated, **** the poor. If the poor get anything its snake oil and doesn't work. When someone is poor and sick they are desperate and will buy anything whether it works or not. WIthout regulations approving treatments, people will be able to sell anything they want as a "cure". We used to have that before the FDA. It worked REEEEEEEAAAAALLL well. Oh yeah. real well.
Because there is a morass of regulation that is default nationalization of our health care industry, of which apprently everyone is aware but the clueless 10 figure earning bracket.
The deregulation of health insurance providers brought about the formation of HMOs. Until then the healthcare system was actually doing quite well. Because of stiff regulation. My grandfather told me in the 50s and 60s he paid only about $4 a month or less for health insurance and it covered practically everything. After the formation of HMOs is when healthcare quality and healthcare costs skyrocketed.
The decrease in regulation allowed HMOs to more readily deny claims. The initial result was lower costs to HMOs which was passed down to consumers in the form of minor discounts. However the decrease in costs to HMOs was brought about by being able to deny more claims. Every claim which was denied was "eaten" by the hospitals and doctors because most patients couldn't afford the out of pocket expense, especially of more costly procedures. This would have put most out of business in short order. In order to remain afloat they had to increase the cost to all because they knew a percentage wouldn't be paying. Thus the cost of those who didn't pay was shifted onto those who did. This increase in hospital costs resulted in premium increases, and an increase in claim denials. That in turn resulted in more people who didn't pay. The increase in premiums resulted in more uninsured. The drastic increase in those who don't pay further drives up the costs. It's a cycle that keeps repeating.
Your answer is, hospitals should just stop treating anyone who doesn't pay upfront. Seeing as how health insurance companies deny more and more claims each year, they can't rely on insurance. Which means insurance is meaningless. It means, come with a credit card with no limit or come with cash or you don't get service. YEAH! GREAT PLAN!!
Yeah, and I'm in Narnia. No wait, I'm in Middle Earth. Middle Earth is much more fun with the hobbits and all.
Aprently that's where you reside if you think decreasing the regulation even more to healthcare is going to improve things since the decrease in regulation is what got us into this mess in the first place. You know back in the 1800s when we had no regulation at all, we had a fantastic track record. WHat was the life expectancy in the US then? 40?
Whenever someone brings 'the real world' into the arguments it actually means someone has pointed something out about the actual real world they don't like, and must therefore retreat into a coccoon whereby they claim victory in the argument because of their claimed but unprovable success in a completely unrelated field in the narrow purview of their personal sphere of influence. Since you seem to be denying even basic economics like marginal utility you are either an idiot or dellusional. Either way there's not much point in talking to you anymore.
Your the one who brought it up first.