4 ms·

I don't disagree with medicine being hard. I'm not going to get into the difference difficulty between learning medicine or computer science. I guess I should

I don't disagree with medicine being hard. I'm not going to get into the difference difficulty between learning medicine or computer science. I guess I should have mentioned my point first, which is that just like you don't need a star computer scientist to write an app for a restaurant, you don't need a doctor with all that training and theoretical knowledge to diagnose a sprained ankle. I'm sorry about your condition, but that condition probably is fairly rare. How many of your other health issues couldn't be diagnosed by somebody with less training? > however I think you are using an imprecise term "rent-seeking" I don't see how I am. Can you please elucidate? You have to pass boards to practice medicine in the US, which requires a huge investment of time and money, and after you do that, you want to restrict supply so that you're in high demand. That way for the rest of your career you can coast on your laurels and keep collecting a paycheck.

logicallee 10y ago
Regarding the rarety of my condition, it's diabetes treated with insulin, so not rare by any stretch of the imagination. With a positive diagnosis and in a fairly uncomplicated case, it's a huge burden on me to learn just the single condition. Now imagine doctors who don't have to deal with only a single, well-diagnosed condition. You say that a "sprained ankle" is easy to diagnose -- but is it really? On the differential, how many other conditions manifest similarly? What complications can a trained doctor see, what questions do they know to ask? In my interaction with the medical industry, in no case would I have been as well-served by a "lesser expert." Regarding the term rent-seeking. This is quite a specific term, that means causing payment to be made for something that would be free. For example, if I opened an institute to monitor air quality and make recommendations, and managed to get the government to force everyone to pay an "air tax" for my endeavors -- this is "rent-seeking", since, of course, air can be enjoyed without paying for it. From how I read your comment, you did not intend this usage. Rather, you meant to speak about the supply of trained doctors (not to speak about something that might be free otherwise), so it is more cartel-like behavior, at least as far as I read your argument. I assume you still want the lesser experts we're discussing to be regulated legally, etc, and weren't comparing with "free" opinions such as if I ask an aunt about herbal medicines that have worked for her. If the latter, then, sure, I would say it is rent-seeking to start charging people to discuss herbal medicines for which discussion is otherwise free.
- aianus 10y ago
  People are being forced to go to an expensive doctor and pay for things that should be free or extremely cheap. A few things I've personally witnessed: going to the doctor for a sick note, going to the doctor for routine travel immunizations, going to the doctor for a birth control prescription, going to an optometrist for routine eye correction prescriptions.
- jimmywanger 10y ago
  > You say that a "sprained ankle" is easy to diagnose -- but is it really? On the differential, how many other conditions manifest similarly? What complications can a trained doctor see, what questions do they know to ask? We're talking probabilities here. Most likely your illness is due to the most probable cause. And if it isn't, well, stuff happens. From wikipedia: In economics and in public-choice theory, rent-seeking involves seeking to increase one's share of existing wealth without creating new wealth. I believe that's what a lot of doctors do these days. After a weekend of tromping through the woods, I got a case of poison oak. I had to see a doctor and get a prescription for a steroid, because apparently it's a scheduled medication. There is a lot of overlap between a cartel and rent-seeking though. > In my interaction with the medical industry, in no case would I have been as well-served by a "lesser expert." Is that only from your diabetic condition, or other issues? I think the question I'm raising is that maybe sometimes "it'll do" is just as good "he's elite, I'm lucky to have him". > I assume you still want the lesser experts we're discussing to be regulated legally, etc No. I think you should be able to hang out your shingle without government regulation.

logicallee 10y ago

Regarding the rarety of my condition, it's diabetes treated with insulin, so not rare by any stretch of the imagination. With a positive diagnosis and in a fairly uncomplicated case, it's a huge burden on me to learn just the single condition. Now imagine doctors who don't have to deal with only a single, well-diagnosed condition. You say that a "sprained ankle" is easy to diagnose -- but is it really? On the differential, how many other conditions manifest similarly? What complications can a trained doctor see, what questions do they know to ask? In my interaction with the medical industry, in no case would I have been as well-served by a "lesser expert." Regarding the term rent-seeking. This is quite a specific term, that means causing payment to be made for something that would be free. For example, if I opened an institute to monitor air quality and make recommendations, and managed to get the government to force everyone to pay an "air tax" for my endeavors -- this is "rent-seeking", since, of course, air can be enjoyed without paying for it. From how I read your comment, you did not intend this usage. Rather, you meant to speak about the supply of trained doctors (not to speak about something that might be free otherwise), so it is more cartel-like behavior, at least as far as I read your argument. I assume you still want the lesser experts we're discussing to be regulated legally, etc, and weren't comparing with "free" opinions such as if I ask an aunt about herbal medicines that have worked for her. If the latter, then, sure, I would say it is rent-seeking to start charging people to discuss herbal medicines for which discussion is otherwise free.

aianus 10y ago
People are being forced to go to an expensive doctor and pay for things that should be free or extremely cheap. A few things I've personally witnessed: going to the doctor for a sick note, going to the doctor for routine travel immunizations, going to the doctor for a birth control prescription, going to an optometrist for routine eye correction prescriptions.
jimmywanger 10y ago
> You say that a "sprained ankle" is easy to diagnose -- but is it really? On the differential, how many other conditions manifest similarly? What complications can a trained doctor see, what questions do they know to ask? We're talking probabilities here. Most likely your illness is due to the most probable cause. And if it isn't, well, stuff happens. From wikipedia: In economics and in public-choice theory, rent-seeking involves seeking to increase one's share of existing wealth without creating new wealth. I believe that's what a lot of doctors do these days. After a weekend of tromping through the woods, I got a case of poison oak. I had to see a doctor and get a prescription for a steroid, because apparently it's a scheduled medication. There is a lot of overlap between a cartel and rent-seeking though. > In my interaction with the medical industry, in no case would I have been as well-served by a "lesser expert." Is that only from your diabetic condition, or other issues? I think the question I'm raising is that maybe sometimes "it'll do" is just as good "he's elite, I'm lucky to have him". > I assume you still want the lesser experts we're discussing to be regulated legally, etc No. I think you should be able to hang out your shingle without government regulation.