tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597399695555911907.post2438617588676940438..comments2023-10-19T08:49:29.919-05:00Comments on The Pink Elephant: A Tale of Two Closets: Why I'm Not Buying Free Health Care, Part 3Pink Elephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17031605616491979253noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597399695555911907.post-20111772479173193132007-08-30T19:55:00.000-05:002007-08-30T19:55:00.000-05:00Pink @ Burning Man.....that would be a hoot! A li...Pink @ Burning Man.....that would be a hoot! A light tan linen suit wouldn't show the sand, tho.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597399695555911907.post-71700153447539975802007-08-29T23:19:00.000-05:002007-08-29T23:19:00.000-05:00Hey Pink, on an entirely different matter, I was j...Hey Pink, on an entirely different matter, I was just going over your news service directory and I noticed that you don't list NPR. WOW! I'm so embarrased for you! I'm sure it's just an oversight. You've been so busy getting settled at school and all. <BR/><BR/>But hey, to help you out, here's their URL: <BR/>http:\\www.NPR.com. Now all you have to do is paste that in there and problem solved... will I be seeing you at Burning Man this week-end?Tim in the Southhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477751212111695867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597399695555911907.post-74017195690181696882007-08-29T15:42:00.000-05:002007-08-29T15:42:00.000-05:00I agree with Tim - the medical establishment does ...I agree with Tim - the medical establishment does not have a financial incentive to find a cure for either cnaer or HIV/AIDS. Vacines and other preventative measures would generate nowhere near the revenues now produced from treatment.<BR/><BR/>Also, having previously done legal work for a non-profit hospital and it's parent entity, more time and effort was spnt on "monopoly games" with a rival local health care system than on providing top medical care. Therefore, while "non-profit," these organizations have anything but a charitable focus. Moreover, senior administrators made VERY good money.<BR/><BR/>As for market forces correcting the issue of the uninsured, if anything, the market is pushing employers to reduce medical coverage offered to employees. From my own firm, I know that health care costs a a big ticket item and there is always a temptation to cut back on coverage to keep up the profit margin. One firm I was with actually cut health care coverage and figured the year end distribution to principals resulting from the cost savings more than made up for out of pocket increases for principals.<BR/><BR/>The system is not working and needs a complete overhaul.Michael-in-Norfolkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06330888799107186550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597399695555911907.post-76030046182939976162007-08-29T02:27:00.000-05:002007-08-29T02:27:00.000-05:00"Where is the incentive to find a cure?" I may so..."Where is the incentive to find a cure?"<BR/><BR/> I may sound like a heartless bastard (aka conservative) and I am, but I think you're focusing too much on the humanitarian costs of disease. In this debate, you have to look at economic costs: of long-term treatment, lost productivity, disability, etc. <BR/> <BR/> The incentive to cure comes from consumers, those paying the higher costs listed above. Cure may cost more than treatment, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Big PharmaMedi Industry will profit less.<BR/><BR/> Also, when comparing treatment and cure, separate economic incentive from scientific problems. Chemo, radiation, and surgery all kill or remove cancer cells from the body. It isn't always entirely effective, but these are (or at least can be under the right circumstances) curative therapies. For HIV, most drugs inhibit a specific step in entry, reproduction, or assembly. When effective, these could be curative. However, the virus has always found a way around these, and it's hard to target the virus when it's not active. Economic incentive has very little effect on solving these problems.<BR/><BR/> I really do think that an actual free market can alleviate many problems of the health care system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597399695555911907.post-3912197675527195372007-08-28T21:08:00.000-05:002007-08-28T21:08:00.000-05:00This has nothing to do with your posting except th...This has nothing to do with your posting except the Norman Rockwell Print. When I was a little kid and up until I graduated High School when our Family Doctor retired, he had prints of the Doctor Series Rockwell painted, in his examing room. The one you have on the postng was one of them. The one I remember most was a little boy looking at something on the wall with his britches half way down his behind, and the doctor had a needle in his hand. Funny how somethings you haven't seen in years will bring back memories.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10033453302712654010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597399695555911907.post-57186452054818964902007-08-28T17:49:00.000-05:002007-08-28T17:49:00.000-05:00I think you're concentrating on only a small segme...I think you're concentrating on only a small segment of a much larger problem. Okay, let's split this market wide open with profit incentives and make health care, essentially, a business... like Pep Boys. My problem with this is 2 fold: 1) a for-profit model is hardly conducive to proper health care. Successful business relays on repeat customers and entering new markets which is exactly the opposite of what we should be looking for in an effective health care system. My second issue, 2), is how do people pay for these services? Your voucher idea? Possibly. I think it's a good idea, but there are still many details to be worked out.<BR/><BR/>If you look at cancer research in this country, where is the incentive to find a cure? I would say the same for HIV research. It seems that the emphisis is on treatment rather than finding a cure.<BR/><BR/>In the meantime, 50 million American are without health care, our life expectancy is now in 42nd place world wide behind economic power houses... like Cuba, and we have the highest infant mortality rate of indstrialized nations. Ain't that just great?<BR/><BR/>By the time these policy wonks make up their minds, we'll all be dead.Tim in the Southhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477751212111695867noreply@blogger.com