5 ms·

Inelastic demand is the fatal flaw in any non-nationalized non-single payer-system. Lasik is great, but it is a very optional surgery. Lots of people opt to j

Inelastic demand is the fatal flaw in any non-nationalized non-single payer-system. Lasik is great, but it is a very optional surgery. Lots of people opt to just go with contact lenses or glasses, Lasik is just a more convenient longer term solution to the problem, but it isn't necessary for anyone. Where the the screws really get turned in health care costs are for the treatments that you actually need to have a reasonable chance to continue to exist should you have certain health issues: Hep-C regimens, EpiPen-type systems, etc. (Of course there are other factors that contribute on top of inelastic demand, like what I would consider too-lengthy intellectual property coverage for patented treatments, eliminating the possibility of cheaper alternatives altogether in some cases).

awinter-py 10y ago
If there's a single effective treatment for Hep C that's a different question. This article is about an injector for naloxone. Are we really saying there's no market for a cheaper syringe? I hear your point that some treatments are difficult to make subject to market forces.
- georgemcbay 10y ago
  There's a market for cheaper syringes, but nobody is serving it.. possibly due to what appears to be blatant and wide-scale price fixing in the pharmaceutical industry (including the generic manufacturers). https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/business/generic-drug-price-lawsuit-teva-mylan.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/business/generic-drug-pri... https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/14/feds-accuse-former-generic-drug-executives-of-price-fixing/?utm_term=.8490e3810d73 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/14/feds-...
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
WalterBright 10y ago
For every medical condition, there is a long list of treatment options with varying levels of cost, efficacy, pain, convenience, etc. It can be quite elastic because of this.

awinter-py 10y ago

If there's a single effective treatment for Hep C that's a different question. This article is about an injector for naloxone. Are we really saying there's no market for a cheaper syringe? I hear your point that some treatments are difficult to make subject to market forces.

georgemcbay 10y ago
There's a market for cheaper syringes, but nobody is serving it.. possibly due to what appears to be blatant and wide-scale price fixing in the pharmaceutical industry (including the generic manufacturers). https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/business/generic-drug-price-lawsuit-teva-mylan.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/business/generic-drug-pri... https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/14/feds-accuse-former-generic-drug-executives-of-price-fixing/?utm_term=.8490e3810d73 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/14/feds-...
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]

WalterBright 10y ago

For every medical condition, there is a long list of treatment options with varying levels of cost, efficacy, pain, convenience, etc. It can be quite elastic because of this.