Comments on: Healthcare Gap Grows In Middle Class

By: rachel

rachel — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:11:10 +0000

US healtcare is the best in the world? Mm-hmm. Then how come I get fine healthcare here in South Korea, and pay less for it than you guys living back in the States do for a similar level of treatment? How come my Canadian friends (also living in the ROK) were horrified with their healthcare experiences in Boston, and are grateful they won’t have to put up with that when they go back to their country?

In your dreams is US healthcare the best in the world.

By: Confused

Confused — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:39:11 +0000

I agree with Alan that a government-run health care system, such as the VA, may not be as effective as it could be; on the other hand, Medicare, Tricare Prime and Standard seem to be working fairly well and they are government subsidized. My family uses Tricare Prime and from my point of view it works just like any other HMO. The question that concerns me is whether enough tax payers are willing to accept the extra tax burden to ensure everyone in American has health insurance. Maybe part of the health care costs can be paid for by transferring farm subsidies to health care. After all, wouldn’t that consitute a case of the “greater good”?

By: DosPeros

DosPeros — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 03:09:36 +0000

From an economic perspective the best way to deal with health care is to sharply & severely penalize illness causes: A fat-tax, obviously sin taxes on tobacco, health requirements for earned-income tax credits, exc. I would much rather see these direct taxes, which allow the market to work more efficiently, than either socialized healthcare or a socialized-lite subsidy system which distort the market and causes gross inefficiencies in its meddling.

By: Alan Stewart Carl

Alan Stewart Carl — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:18:25 +0000

Most will agree that the U.S. has many of the best doctors and much of the best medical technology in the entire world … there is a reason why wealthy people from across the globe come here for treatment.

Of course, much of that superior skill and technology is unavailable to the average American. And, in fact, the make it available is economically unfeasible. The goal is not to provide all Americans with the best possible healthcare but to make sure every American can reasonably afford a health plan. A government run system is almost certainly not the solution for reasons of both practicality and affordability. But a government subsidized free-market system is feasible. That’s where I think we should begin looking for solutions.

By: Confused

Confused — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:15:06 +0000

Alex says the US health care is the best in the world. My question is: For who? Having the best health care if you have the money is not, in my opinion, the same thing as saying America has the best health care available for all citizens. And BTW, on what basis do you assume that America does have the best health care? On what are your metrics based? and in comparison with which other countries?

By: James

James — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:54:27 +0000

If VA Medical care is any indication of MY medical care if the government takes the wheel I’m NOT interested.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:32:04 +0000

There are a huge amount of problems with our current healthcare system, and it needs radical change.

However, it is still one of the best in the world.

Canada and the UK have variations on universal health care programs, but they’re poor excuses. Regularly they come over here because they can not get the treatment they need in their home countries.

I don’t know the solution, but I’ve dealt directly with dozens of the problems many times. The cost of insurance keeps rising due to fraud (on both the patient and doctor side,) horrible management by the insurance companies, and even fraud within them. Medical care does not have to be as expensive as it is in this country, thus the advent of medical tourism. Our system is broken in many ways, but I really have no faith that our government can fix the problem. All government programs I’ve had to deal with in my life have been broken to a worse degree.

Ideally we need a system that rewards the efficient and successful medical practicioners, but has controls to avoid abuse, fraud, while still be accessible to john q public. Most of our government help programs are rife with abuse and fraud, thus creating a drain on all of us and not even letting the people that need it most have access to it.

I think steps have been taken to help the people help themselves recently. HSAs are a great boon, and people are starting to take advantage of them. Hopefully my fears will be dashed and we can get some real insightful and helpful ideas set in motion in the next few years.