5 ms·

>This is only a problem in the US (aka "list of countries with private healthcare"). This is complete nonsense and I'd like to see the source of this. Do you r

by Kenji 10y ago

>This is only a problem in the US (aka "list of countries with private healthcare"). This is complete nonsense and I'd like to see the source of this. Do you really think the state has any incentive to prevent health insurance and treatments from costing a lot? Spoiler alert: It doesn't. The state never has any incentive to save, it grows and grows. The more socialised and rigid your healthcare system, the more bloated it gets, and the more doctor and insurance mafia you get. The strongest incentive to save is if the customer is free to decide. We see this time and time again. We do not have to force the people to save money, the market forces do a wonderful job all by themselves. Now, what's got to happen is that patients inform themselves and diversify diagnosis. The crux of the problem is that patients seek advice from the exact same people who can make large financial gains if the patient opts for a certain treatment. Now, this is really just a beginner's mistake in negotiation and not something you can fix at the state level (since if you try to do that, the costs are socialised, but the poor judgement of the patient remains) What needs to happen is that if doctors say "Don't inform yourself about your condition and don't read on the internet", get up, tell them to fuck off and get informed - like you would about every other service you like to buy. NEVER tolerate being taught ignorance. Nothing good comes out of ignorance, ever.

ergothus 10y ago
> The more socialised and rigid your healthcare system, the more bloated it gets, and the more doctor and insurance mafia you get. I'd like to see your source for this. Many reports have demonstrated that the US spends dramatically more on healthcare to get equal or worse results than the majority (almost all?) of developed countries. Those countries don't have one system, they have a variety - state run health care, state-paid health care, state heavily regulated health care...and they all work better than our system. 1) My understanding is that Medicaid/Medicare has consistently spent less money on overhead than private insurance. 2) Have you TRIED to get pricing information from a hospital? The market has done a terrible job. 3) Or, in simply talking to my doctor, if I need a second opinion from someone who has no incentive to mis-state the risks/benefits, AND is knowledgable enough to give me accurate opinions, exactly to whom should I turn? Or should I become a subject matter expert on every service in my life, so that I know that the non-FDA drugs I'm using actually work (which assumes that there is actual public evidence one way or the other in the absence of govt requirements), that the food I eat is safe, that my medical treatments are necessary and helpful.... > NEVER tolerate being taught ignorance. Here, however, we are in agreement.

by Kenji 10y ago

ergothus 10y ago

> The more socialised and rigid your healthcare system, the more bloated it gets, and the more doctor and insurance mafia you get. I'd like to see your source for this. Many reports have demonstrated that the US spends dramatically more on healthcare to get equal or worse results than the majority (almost all?) of developed countries. Those countries don't have one system, they have a variety - state run health care, state-paid health care, state heavily regulated health care...and they all work better than our system. 1) My understanding is that Medicaid/Medicare has consistently spent less money on overhead than private insurance. 2) Have you TRIED to get pricing information from a hospital? The market has done a terrible job. 3) Or, in simply talking to my doctor, if I need a second opinion from someone who has no incentive to mis-state the risks/benefits, AND is knowledgable enough to give me accurate opinions, exactly to whom should I turn? Or should I become a subject matter expert on every service in my life, so that I know that the non-FDA drugs I'm using actually work (which assumes that there is actual public evidence one way or the other in the absence of govt requirements), that the food I eat is safe, that my medical treatments are necessary and helpful.... > NEVER tolerate being taught ignorance. Here, however, we are in agreement.