Healthcare isn't a business, it's peoples lives

[Kasz216]

akuma587 said:

Kasz216 said:

akuma587 said:
Which markets are you referring to? Comparing private schools to public schools is an inherently futile process since private schools have to deal with so much less, although there is plenty of room for public schools to improve. And state governments share the largest share of the blame.

National defense is the only area I can think of where the government has been truly wasteful in recent years. That and farm subsidies.

I am certainly for entitlement reform though. It is going to take a lot of work to get those in line. Cutting benefits, raising the eligible age, raising payroll taxes, etc.

Healthcare... actually.

Medicaid & Medicare accounts for 45% of healthcare costs in the US.

In 2002 it was 6.6% of GDP vs Private healthcares 8.1% of GDP.

Despite the fact that it covered even less people then it does today.  (Something like 16% of the insured population.)

http://www.iedm.org/uploaded/pdf/juin05_en.pdf

 

That was the example you already gave...and Obama is already taking steps to address this problem because it is a problem that needs to be fixed.  I agree that it should be fixed. 

But at the same time people yell and scream that the government is "rationing" healthcare.  I guess its OK if insurance companies do it but not if the government does.  I never really did understand that.

And it's still a valid unadressed point.

Also The problem is.  Companies don't do that.

They give you differing plans and you get to choose what you think you may or may not need.  You can pick and choose your healthcare.

You would be able to do this even more except there are government regulations so that you can't get partial coverage for some stuff... for example thanks to regulations... even if you have no history of heart disease and eat heart healthy, you can't cut out money by saving on the "heart insurance."

Either way... if a private company says "we aren't going to pay for this anymore" you can say "Ok.  I'm out." and leave.

What the government does is decide what healthcare coverage you get... without you having any imput.  Meaning you have to pay for it... yet have no say... and if you can't get what you want... your screwed... unless your rich enough at this point to pay for the treatment yourself.

Which is much more expesnive then private insurance.  Furthermore private insurance is much more expensive... and when you pay out of pocket for anything National Healthcare governments drop you and you can't get treatment paid for anymore.  Additionally you have less money to pay for anything because you've been forced to pay for it all this time.