Medicine in America is, in fact, a cartel. Definition of cartel: An association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition. For instance, from here: The Medical Cartel is Keeping Health Care Costs High - excerpt: Or here: Are Doctors Overpaid? - excerpt SO, WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE? Well how about England that has a National Healthcare Service since the 1950s. And it is ranked the best in the world - whilst the US is at the bottom of the ranking. See below:
[QUOTE="LafayetteBis, post: 1071122263, member: 72696"} SO, WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE?[/QUOTE] Or we could go with the only system that's been proven to work: freedom.
Or we could go with the only system that's been proven to work: freedom.[/QUOTE] Goodness, will you look beyond the limits of the American nation on a map. There is freedom all over the place - it is a necessary key-ingredient to hundreds of countries. In fact, I happen to live in one - called the European Union - which has a larger population than the US. The key-difference between the two - the US and EU - is that the latter has nearly-free National Health Care and very low-cost access to Post-secondary Education. But the EU need not spawn a multitude of Wannabe Billionaires. There are some, but nothing like that of Uncle Sam because of much higher taxation. If taxation-levels and willfulness are sufficient, then nations can build nearly-free National Healthcare Systems. Which means in Europe that we live to an average age of 83, whilst Americans just dropped to an average of 79 years. (Too much pill-popping!) And I can send my kids in France to a post-secondary education, where they obtain the skills necessary for finding a good-job, for less than a kilo-buck in annual tuition-cost whilst in the US the average in a state-school is $14K! And you think YOU-PLURAL in Uncle-Sam Land are the winners? Wow ... !
Sounds like the cartel should be eliminated and that any person should be allowed to provide medical services. I agree that cartels are bad economics.
Or we could go with the only system that's been proven to work: freedom.[/QUOTE] Is there some reason that you cannot go to any doctor that you want, or fly to any country and choose a doctor?
Is there some reason that you cannot go to any doctor that you want, or fly to any country and choose a doctor?[/QUOTE Try harder ...
Or we could go with the only system that's been proven to work: freedom.[/QUOTE] Now it is the ONLY system that doesn't work. Maybe for YOU, today it works. Get in a car accident created by someone else. Lose your foot, then go to work and have them continue your insurance for the next 40 years ? Or spend 2 years losing everything you have and end up on SS ? Or will you use the MY husband, my wife, routine ? What about single people ? Gonna make them marry to have insurance ? What WAS in this country up to about 1985 is NO MORE. It has all been slowly stripped away for the masses. Yet, some, who do ok like I, you, or someone else feels the RIGHT, from the right wing view to post as if everyone else has it as good. All without going out and seeing the REAL world they DONT live in. Typing from the Suburbs and their 350k house with the knowledge of a white well to do person. Not knowing a damn thing about the Banksters, repo market, the vast money printing. In this case the MEGA Cash grabs going on by every rich white person from the patient to the drug maker, the hugely overpaid Doctors and hospital, Insurance reps, stock holders and so many more. All taking advantage of the system of HEALTH. Guess what, it was the REALLY RICH republicans, led by many very RICH jewish guys like ART LAFFER and others that decided to cut the tax for the rich in mid 80s, and start supply side economics. Today we have 0 wage growth in REAL WORLD DOLLARS since 1985. That is right, none, and for working class stiffs it sucks. But for a few lucky ones, they know how good it is, thus, they poubd everyone else with their well to do opinions.