Privatize Center For Disease Control?

well I work for the dept of defense and went through the LEAN training which is modeled after the Japanese I have seen that it helps to improve efficiency and problem solving and case mapping are excellent tools

 

It is not whats best for you that concerns me. It is the possible death of millions of American citizens when out breaks occurs. The way nature attacks us its most successful mammals is through disease.

How are the states supposed to coordinate to stop the spread of plagues? How can any company do it and enforce required edicts to stop those plagues from spreading? The CDC does something that ONLY the federal government can do. That is the key if it can be done privately cheaper and better I am for it. But in this instance it cannot be done privately better.

 

If you believe that the U.S. Military should be privatized, then I will say that you are at least consistant.

The CDC provides an important defense function for our country. A profit driven equivelent would be trying to maximize profits rather than minimize diseases. I do not want a private company deciding to destroy the last remaining smallpox samples because there is no profit in smallpox.

 

Epidemics are epidemics. They kill indiscriminately. What's the difference between the epidemic of breast cancer, or ovarian cancer or prostate cancer vs typhoid or HIV? You could say speed of killing is the difference. Yet HIV takes years, decades even to kill. Why are we funding something that kills more slowly than cancer, yet delegating cancer to the private sector?

Something is screwy with that. It's illogical.

 

"surely not everyone would die from them," realy.....realy?

We are to hope that everyone does not die? Well what about 30% or 20% or how about just 10% of all the people in America. Which one of those figures do you like? We are talking about millions of tax paying Americans and one of the few federal agencies that actually makes sense.

As for paying for the vaccines, what about those diseases that do not have vaccines and requires other methods to combat. Methods that do not include medicine but include quarantine. How are private companies going to convince east state to work in concert AND in the correct manner?

 

The CDC can act swiftly in the case of an epidemic or pandemic.

The government will back them because it is in their best interest.

A privatized CDC would eventually start spreading fear for money.

With modern ethics a private company may even spread diseases for money.

 

I agree with your statement.

 

No epidemics are not just epidemics, each one is differant and requires differant weapons and defenses. The CDC is important becuase of its ability to coordinate responses, research new protections, and being a clearing house for new diseases that are found. No state or company can do that. As for the differance between cancer and HIV you cannot spread cancer.

 

The CDC cannot be privatized because it is also the first line of defense against a biological weapon attack on the United States of America. Would you put Boeing in charge of the Missile Defense System?

 

They've been caught lying more than once. Remember the obesity death rate fiasco? Even after they knew their figures were bogus they left them up on their website so people would think it was serious.

Swine flu?

 

The differance is we can demand congress investigate and do something about it. If it was a private company they are only beholden to their shareholders. Unless you think buisnesses dont lie?

 

You mean like the Government and H1N1?

 

I polled "Not Sure"

To cut the CDC completely is folly. However, I think the government can be the regulators and then disburse responsibilities at a local level. Setting up private CDC type response centers at the municipal level with public co-leadership could work. Ultimately, they need to be well-regulated, well-trained and subject to annual inspections. Failure to be up-to-the-task risks losing your private license.

 

Swine Flu is a great example- thank you for bringing that up.

In 1918 the Great Influenza epidemic killed millions of people around the world. I believe more American military died of it than died during WW1. It was very fast spreading and unlike most modern influenza's attack mostly young healthy adults. It had a very high mortality rate.

The CDC, among other things, tries to track and evaluate influenza's in advance, trying to spot- and develope vaccines. If we have an outbreak of an influenza like the 1918 varient, if a vaccine had not been developed in advance, millions of Americans will die.

Would a private company step up to take the place of the CDC? What is the profit motive of trying to prevent and predict a 100 year pandemic?

 

But how would they coordinate on a national threat leval? Each group would have its own regualtions, leadership, even communication. It is the same with the police departments now adays, many dont even share information quickly.

 

Skeptic-F, we put Blackwater in charge [essentially] of the war in Iraq. We've used private contractors in war many many times since this country was founded.

And like other posters said, you can set up a communication system between the privatized segments of CDC in each state. Let's face it, that $600 million could be going to tax breaks. Let the private sector do its job. I mean, it's dangerously close to socialized medicine if you think of it? That's why I asked what the difference is between say, a cancer epidemic or a flu epidemic? Death is death. I guess the difference would be infectious disease. But there are some gray areas. They say eating disorders that kill can be "inherited" [socially learned] from other people. I don't know. The difference between the CDC and universal care that both would save lives gets a little gray at times.

 

But I'm thinking if the government persists in maintaining this form of socialized healthcare, it could open the door for other epidemics now cared for by private insurers to be covered. If we really want to stamp out government's involvement in healthcare, we cannot ignore the elephant in the living room called the "CDC"??

 

See you see it as health care I see it as a form of national defense. The government should only do things that buisness and the state governments either cant do or will not do. This is one of them.

 

its the fastest moving part of the government. Why would we get rid of that?

Also, the fact it is in the government means there is more communication that can happen and the CDC gets to call on the military for quarantine in emergencies.

 

This is quite possibly the dumbest idea posted here, excluding all threads by Americann.

 

Well sickness is sickness and death is death. If we can put the health of our nation in private medical insurance, the best care in the world right?, then why can't we put our trust in that same sector to deliver quick results with the other branch of socialized medicine: the CDC. I thought government was slow and cumbersome, second rate to the private sector spurred to greatness by competition. Now all of a sudden this isn't good enough for the CDC?

What is it? Is government suddenly quick and efficient with healthcare when it comes to the CDC? All I've heard is that they can't be trusted when it comes to healthcare. I guess that's why I started the poll, to see who believes the private sector can deliver and who doesn't Or who believes the government can deliver and who doesn't. CDC is like Medicare on steroids.

 

Government is always more cumbersome and slow than the private sector. Imagine how much faster a privatized CDC would function that feared competition?

 

How could one privatize the CDC? What company could ensure the coverage areas and remain profitable? I'm just not seeing how a private company could even be profitable and deliver the services of the CDC.

That doesn't mean I don't support going through the entire CDC budget and paring it down if there is waste fraud and abuse.

 

Alright, I can level with that.

I personally support an NHS, so my support for the CDC is consistent. But you're right that those against one should be more leaning in favor of privatizing the CDC.

 

>>>Okay, so the Dept. of Defense is efficient. Got any evidence that it is any LESS efficient than, say, GM or Godfather Pizza? After the corporations get done paying their shareholders, I don't see any way that the private sector can compete with the public sector in terms of efficiency. I can't, for example, begin to imagine how much the military would cost us if we had to pay private corporations who had to answer to investors.