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

To: i-node who wrote (24260)	7/19/2012 8:29:52 AM
From: Lane3	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

I get you but I'm not sure it is that obvious. Your response was in the context of our current scenario. Indeed, that's the way price controls can play out. I have been speaking more broadly and in the abstract and I don't think that Road Walker "gets" the systems aspect of setting up a system where 1) virtually everyone takes possession ad libitum of a good or service produced by some members of the community and 2) the good or service is paid for out of a communally funded pot. There are certain factors that come into play in such a scenario. It doesn't matter what the good or service is or at what level of community the pot is managed. Health care for a nation is just one example of service and level of community. Demand will inevitably be greater than the community is willing/able to fund. Thus some measures will have to be put into place to limit demand (ration) or reduce the cost of the good or service (price control). "Ration" and "price control" are not dirty words, although they are sometimes unfortunately used that way by people with more political vitriol than brain power. They are inherent parts of system design. When setting up such a system, they must be dealt with. Whatever we do communally about health care in this country, be it Obamacare or Medicare for All or Medicaid for the poor or something else entirely, there will be either price controls or rationing or both. The community needs to figure out how best to implement them to minimize the negative effects on the efficiency and robustness of the system. Denying it is either ignorant/stupid, politically malicious, or burying one's head in the sand. Regardless of the reason for denial, it is not helpful.