Your comments point out the difficulty of discussing these matters. Obamacare somehow encourages more opioid use? Unlikely...
And the article you cite on Medicaid in Oregon concludes:
This randomized, controlled study showed that Medicaid coverage generated no significant improvements in measured physical health outcomes in the first 2 years, but it did increase use of health care services, raise rates of diabetes detection and management, lower rates of depression, and reduce financial strain. [Emphasis added.] This is a step in the right direction.
Now if you want to argue, as Nasem Talib does, (the author of The Black Swan and Antifragility), that we should stay away from doctors for minor stuff because they will make you worse - as their treatment is often "fragile" and not "anti-fragile" I might agree with you. It wasn't until the discovery of antibiotics that going to a doctor had a better outcome than not going.
Regardless of the quality of medical care, I share the Libertarian viewpoint that we are primarily responsible for our health, and should exercise, eat right, and avoid unnecessary opioid use... |
