Socialized Failure

[cwo_ghwebb]

The health-care systems of all developed countries face three unrelenting problems: rising costs, inadequate quality, and incomplete access to care. A slew of recent articles, published mainly in medical journals, suggest that the health-care systems of other countries are superior to ours on all these fronts. Yet the articles are at odds with a substantial economic literature.

What follows is a brief review of the evidence. As other writers demonstrate elsewhere in this issue, the American health-care system has plenty of problems. But it is not inferior to other developed countries’ systems — and we should therefore not be looking to these systems, most of which are characterized by heavy government intervention, for inspiration.

Socialized Failure by John C. Goodman on National Review / Digital

A factual look at socialized health care as practiced in GB, Canada and Europe. Doesn't look pretty.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Common theme? NO MARKET DISCIPLINE


Yes, that is exactly where we are going. It is beyond laughable that yesterday Obama walks out to his brain (the teleprompter) and spouts off that the health care industrial complex has told him they will, voluntarily, shed 1.5% off the RATE OF GROWTH in health care costs, per year, for a decade saving us $2 trillion. He says this, as his brain tells him to, with a straight face.

Third party payer is what is wrong with our system and neither the D's and R's are going to do anything about it.

[Pete (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

Common theme? NO MARKET DISCIPLINE


Yes, that is exactly where we are going. It is beyond laughable that yesterday Obama walks out to his brain (the teleprompter) and spouts off that the health care industrial complex has told him they will, voluntarily, shed 1.5% off the RATE OF GROWTH in health care costs, per year, for a decade saving us $2 trillion. He says this, as his brain tells him to, with a straight face.

Third party payer is what is wrong with our system and neither the D's and R's are going to do anything about it.

Well they sure did with Tricare supplements.

Tricare is the medical insurance used by active duty and retirees. If you have any other medical insurance by law it has to be primary and Tricare then becomes secondary. Many retirees go to work for companies after retirement and instead of paying for Blue Cross or some other insurance they use their Tricare as their medical insurance. Many companies that have a large number of retirees offered a company subsidized "Tricare Supplement" that paid deductibles, co-pays and charges Tricare did not.

2 years ago the federal government made employers (3rd party) paying for or offering a supplement to Tricare illegal. The goal was to try and force retirees into purchasing their own medical coverage and making Tricare secondary by making the supplement as costly as just buying a new health care policy or unavailable at all.

The problem is people in the government R and D seem to have less reservations at being aggressive with veterans than they do with others who get benefits from the government.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Pete

Well they sure did with Tricare supplements.

The problem is people in the government R and D seem to have less reservations at being aggressive with veterans than they do with others who get benefits from the government.

Sorry. I thought it was understood that the GOP only likes the military when it serves their political goals and the Dems truly loathe service people.

[Pete (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

Sorry. I thought it was understood that the GOP only likes the military when it serves their political goals and the Dems truly loathe service people.

I do not know about that but medical coverage is very expensive and a large chunk of the defense budget. I am sure it was a tough decision.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Pete

I do not know about that but medical coverage is very expensive and a large chunk of the defense budget. I am sure it was a tough decision.

I make budgetary exceptions for the military; you people deserve everything you were promised and then some. If we don't take care of you, we don't deserve the freedoms and liberties we enjoy.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by Pete

Well they sure did with Tricare supplements.

Tricare is the medical insurance used by active duty and retirees. If you have any other medical insurance by law it has to be primary and Tricare then becomes secondary. Many retirees go to work for companies after retirement and instead of paying for Blue Cross or some other insurance they use their Tricare as their medical insurance. Many companies that have a large number of retirees offered a company subsidized "Tricare Supplement" that paid deductibles, co-pays and charges Tricare did not.

2 years ago the federal government made employers (3rd party) paying for or offering a supplement to Tricare illegal. The goal was to try and force retirees into purchasing their own medical coverage and making Tricare secondary by making the supplement as costly as just buying a new health care policy or unavailable at all.

The problem is people in the government R and D seem to have less reservations at being aggressive with veterans than they do with others who get benefits from the government.

What's Blue Cross run nowadays? About $400 a month or a payperiod? Answer: Get Tricare Prime and when you're over 65, Tricare for life. A little more paperwork, but worth it.