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Hm, I live in the former Soviet Union and I can tell you that socialized medicine here was also two-tier: great care for Communist Party officials and crappy ca

Hm, I live in the former Soviet Union and I can tell you that socialized medicine here was also two-tier: great care for Communist Party officials and crappy care for everyone else. Nowadays, we have private clinics for the rich and public ones for everyone else.

jrockway 17y ago
If they public clinics are adequate, the why would this be a problem? Of course rich people are going to spend money on things poor people can get for free. It may or may not be objectively better, but they will feel better about it. It's their money, so who cares? (You reference the former Soviet Union, so I don't think you want to strip people with wealth of their money. So I am not really sure what you are getting at here.)
- impeachgod 17y ago
  The thing is, they're not. I doubt public health care could ever be "adequate."
  - jrockway 17y ago
    Aren't there several examples of it being adequate? It seems like it's just the US that can't figure out how to do it. (We know how to do it, actually, but our elected officials don't want to give up the "donations" from insurance companies. Until we get rid of those, America will never have decent healthcare.)
    - mixmax 17y ago
      There are. I'm from Denmark where we have public healthcare, and I've never paid for anything healthcare related, except subsidised medicine that will typically cost me around $5 when I see a doctor and he gives me a subscription. Interestingly, even though healthcare is universal and completely free total spending per capita on healthcare is less than half that of the US. So yes it can be done - not only adequately but much better and cheaper.
      - impeachgod 17y ago
        Hm, I wonder if that is due to socialism in the former Soviet Union. This is what I'm talking about: http://mises.org/story/3650 http://mises.org/story/3650 As for my medical experiences - when I was in public clinics, I had to frequently bribe doctors for service and pay for my own drugs, anaesthesic, etc. Furthermore, the subway is usually full of posters asking for donations for people who have life threatening illnesses that the system won't help cure. Reply to child poster: I meant that the problems with Soviet health care were caused by the fact that the Soviet Union itself sucked, not because of something inherent in socialism.
        mixmax 17y ago
        I don't think so. Denmark is one of the richest countries in the world, and is the least corrupt country in the world according to transparency international. If you need medical attention you'll get it. Besides Denmark doesn't really have any affiliation with the former Soviet Union - it's always been a member of NATO. So i'm not quite sure what you're implying?

jrockway 17y ago

If they public clinics are adequate, the why would this be a problem? Of course rich people are going to spend money on things poor people can get for free. It may or may not be objectively better, but they will feel better about it. It's their money, so who cares? (You reference the former Soviet Union, so I don't think you want to strip people with wealth of their money. So I am not really sure what you are getting at here.)

impeachgod 17y ago
The thing is, they're not. I doubt public health care could ever be "adequate."
- jrockway 17y ago
  Aren't there several examples of it being adequate? It seems like it's just the US that can't figure out how to do it. (We know how to do it, actually, but our elected officials don't want to give up the "donations" from insurance companies. Until we get rid of those, America will never have decent healthcare.)
  - mixmax 17y ago
    There are. I'm from Denmark where we have public healthcare, and I've never paid for anything healthcare related, except subsidised medicine that will typically cost me around $5 when I see a doctor and he gives me a subscription. Interestingly, even though healthcare is universal and completely free total spending per capita on healthcare is less than half that of the US. So yes it can be done - not only adequately but much better and cheaper.
    - impeachgod 17y ago
      Hm, I wonder if that is due to socialism in the former Soviet Union. This is what I'm talking about: http://mises.org/story/3650 http://mises.org/story/3650 As for my medical experiences - when I was in public clinics, I had to frequently bribe doctors for service and pay for my own drugs, anaesthesic, etc. Furthermore, the subway is usually full of posters asking for donations for people who have life threatening illnesses that the system won't help cure. Reply to child poster: I meant that the problems with Soviet health care were caused by the fact that the Soviet Union itself sucked, not because of something inherent in socialism.
      - mixmax 17y ago
        I don't think so. Denmark is one of the richest countries in the world, and is the least corrupt country in the world according to transparency international. If you need medical attention you'll get it. Besides Denmark doesn't really have any affiliation with the former Soviet Union - it's always been a member of NATO. So i'm not quite sure what you're implying?