4 ms·

> Some treatments are so expensive and/or niche that public programs likely wouldn't cover them. I have co-worker with a very unique disease with a very niche

> Some treatments are so expensive and/or niche that public programs likely wouldn't cover them. I have co-worker with a very unique disease with a very niche and very expensive treatment and here in Canada it's free. The whole point of public health care is that the cost is spread among everyone -- the young, the healthy, the old, the very sick.

fraggle_sock 6y ago
This spreading of cost amongst the whole of society should really be the norm rather than the exception, particuarly for all the other essentials of human existence and dignity. For example, here in the UK we have a growing network of food banks who have stepped in to fill the needs of the many people who are in dire financial straits (and not just because of the pandemic - their use has been rising rapidly for the past ten years, due to right-wing austerity policies that have decimated the welfare state). These are almost all run by the third sector (charities, etc.) and they do excellent work in the circumstances. But coverage is patchy and uneven, and many families still suffer from food poverty. How much better it would be for us to have a National Food Service, with country-wide service guarantees such that everyone's nutritional needs can be met. No more wondering where your next meal is coming from, or starving yourself to feed your kids, or eating unhealthily because it's the cheapest option with the resources available. It's just provided as needed and the cost is shared. Indeed you may even have paid for it already with your taxes, or will do in the future. And a similar sort of thing should be done for housing, water, etc.
- rvx80 6y ago
  So, communism, then?
- arethuza 6y ago
  I'm appalled that we have come to the point where we need food banks for people here in the UK - they were practically unheard of before 2008 and the subsequent "austerity".
Aerroon 6y ago
You can sink virtually infinite resources into healthcare. There are always going to be more things to research and develop treatments for. At some point you have to draw a line, because the cost to the system can become enormous. Take some of the gene therapies as an example.[0] Zolgensma costs over $2 million per treatment or Zynteglo[1] that costs $1.8 million per treatment. Maybe US healthcare can afford this, but poorer countries can't. The hope is that the existence of these treatments means that they will eventually come down in price. 20-50 years from now I expect these treatments to be part of basic healthcare in most countries. On the other hand, if we limit the existence of treatments like these right now, then maybe 20-50 years from now these treatments simply wouldn't exist. Healthcare systems always play with limited resources. We should first start covering dental care, glasses and eyesight surgeries as an example of something that's missing in a lot of countries. Furthermore, regardless whether the system had the money or not, some 'treatments' will still be niche and not considered 'healthcare'. Traditional medicine can help with some problems, but it might not fall under healthcare. Most things related to diet are basically a pseudo science, but some of them work for some people. You'll never cover all of this. [0] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-novartis-genetherapy-idUSKCN1SU1ZP https://www.reuters.com/article/us-novartis-genetherapy-idUS... [1] https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-gene-therapy-priced-at-1-8-million-in-europe-11560529116 https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-gene-therapy-priced-at-1-8-...

fraggle_sock 6y ago

This spreading of cost amongst the whole of society should really be the norm rather than the exception, particuarly for all the other essentials of human existence and dignity. For example, here in the UK we have a growing network of food banks who have stepped in to fill the needs of the many people who are in dire financial straits (and not just because of the pandemic - their use has been rising rapidly for the past ten years, due to right-wing austerity policies that have decimated the welfare state). These are almost all run by the third sector (charities, etc.) and they do excellent work in the circumstances. But coverage is patchy and uneven, and many families still suffer from food poverty. How much better it would be for us to have a National Food Service, with country-wide service guarantees such that everyone's nutritional needs can be met. No more wondering where your next meal is coming from, or starving yourself to feed your kids, or eating unhealthily because it's the cheapest option with the resources available. It's just provided as needed and the cost is shared. Indeed you may even have paid for it already with your taxes, or will do in the future. And a similar sort of thing should be done for housing, water, etc.

rvx80 6y ago
So, communism, then?
arethuza 6y ago
I'm appalled that we have come to the point where we need food banks for people here in the UK - they were practically unheard of before 2008 and the subsequent "austerity".

Aerroon 6y ago

You can sink virtually infinite resources into healthcare. There are always going to be more things to research and develop treatments for. At some point you have to draw a line, because the cost to the system can become enormous. Take some of the gene therapies as an example.[0] Zolgensma costs over $2 million per treatment or Zynteglo[1] that costs $1.8 million per treatment. Maybe US healthcare can afford this, but poorer countries can't. The hope is that the existence of these treatments means that they will eventually come down in price. 20-50 years from now I expect these treatments to be part of basic healthcare in most countries. On the other hand, if we limit the existence of treatments like these right now, then maybe 20-50 years from now these treatments simply wouldn't exist. Healthcare systems always play with limited resources. We should first start covering dental care, glasses and eyesight surgeries as an example of something that's missing in a lot of countries. Furthermore, regardless whether the system had the money or not, some 'treatments' will still be niche and not considered 'healthcare'. Traditional medicine can help with some problems, but it might not fall under healthcare. Most things related to diet are basically a pseudo science, but some of them work for some people. You'll never cover all of this. [0] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-novartis-genetherapy-idUSKCN1SU1ZP https://www.reuters.com/article/us-novartis-genetherapy-idUS... [1] https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-gene-therapy-priced-at-1-8-million-in-europe-11560529116 https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-gene-therapy-priced-at-1-8-...