Sadly, there is no rational debate on health care. I miss the old William F. Buckley debates on PBS.
I am a free market conservative. Health care is hosed, yet there is nothing proposed by the Republicans. They talk about the free market, but the the actual free market solution is to outlaw insurance, so providers can only charge what the market will pay. Insurance is a form of free market socialism.
Oddly enough, even as a conservative, I have thought for a long time that we will have socialized medicine at some point. I believe that socialized medicine is a much better alternative to the current proposal offered by the Democrats. But once practically everyone is covered, no one can vote to eliminate health insurance. Either the Democrats or the Republicans will have to change the current plan to fix the cost, where we will get socialized medicine.
There are some aspects of the debate that I don't hear mentioned, anywhere. For example, the explicit goal of a free market enterprise, in this case health insurers, providers, drug companies, etc., is to maximize sales and profit. That's fine for making computer chips or software, but what about when its the health of your child?
No one is talking about Doctor's income. Today, they order tests for everything, especially if they can perform the test (or treatment) in house.
Democrats are afraid to bring up rationing. Republicans lie about it, as if treatment today isn't rationed. Just try to get an insurance company to pay for one of the new expensive drugs. Rationing, and some sort of controls on lawsuits, are both required to control costs.
The current Democratic plan is to tax someone else to pay for it. They found that you can't tax middle income folks to pay for the uninsured, when the taxpayers get nothing in return. Good luck. The real system needs to be a graduated income tax. Also, as Hillary did years ago, you have to get rich people into the system if you want them to pay the taxes. And heaven forbid that Congress has better health care than the voters.....
I'd really like to see a healthy debate, somewhere, like the old Buckley PBS debates.
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I think you've got the wrong idea for a truly free market health system. There's nothing socialist about health insurance.
ReplyDeleteI agree, once it gets subsidized and collectivized the way it does when provided by corporations to their employees, it seems very much socialist, but that is a result of the income tax system, not a flaw in the model of health insurance.
Health insurance companies determine your premium based on your individual risks and charge you accordingly when they can. To make a truly free market health system, loosen licensing regulations, allow health insurance sales across state lines, and don't forbid denial based on preexisting conditions.