Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (2524)	10/30/2007 3:05:53 PM
From: Peter Dierks	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42652

"We already have (and often use) many expensive tests," Actually, I can see one benefit of socialized medicine that would reduce costs in one area. Since suing the government is generally not fruitful the costs of jackpot justice inspired malpractice suits would go away. That would produce a huge one time cost structure reduction. Right now many unnecessary tests are ordered purely for defensive reasons in case of litigation.

To: TimF who wrote (2524)	10/30/2007 6:19:32 PM
From: Road Walker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

We already have (and often use) many expensive tests, which often only contribute minimally to human health. On the horizon are things like individual gene sequencing and specific treatments based on the individuals genetic traits. As technology and techniques advance, and as more wealth gets created to throw at medical care, more and more individualized and expensive techniques will become available. At least those things might actually be useful unlike many of the "defensive medicine" tests, but they will be new ways to spend a ton of money on medicine. Meanwhile most of the factors that causes doctors to be so expensive will still apply, some of them to a greater extent than they do today. There will always be a need to ration care, or any other scarce good. Sounds like an indictment of the present system. There will always be a need to ration care, or any other scarce good. Single payer systems typically do it with waiting lists, or similar means, in some cases by lotteries. We use money or, if you are lucky, a good employer Which is more fair? And BTW, in many countries health care isn't a "scarce good".