3 ms·
Healthcare is another example. The general point here is: what good is a right to X during a shortage of X? As in "what good is a right to food during a famine
by slibhb 5y ago
Healthcare is another example.
The general point here is: what good is a right to X during a shortage of X? As in "what good is a right to food during a famine?"
- burkaman 5y agoI understand and agree with the general point, I just don't think progressives need to be taught this lesson. Everyone understands this. Healthcare is an example of something we have a shortage of, especially during the pandemic. Are there progressives calling for redistribution of healthcare? I don't think universal healthcare implies redistribution, I think it implies more healthcare that costs less.
- nradov 5y agoUniversal healthcare wouldn't really create more supply. It would just redistribute the supply more evenly. There would likely be longer queues for many non-emergency treatments.
- noahtallen 5y agoEither you have long wait times for non-critical things with critical needs met. Or you have short wait times for non-critical things, but critical needs are not met. I think the latter is a much worse situation, and it’s the status quo. I agree that increasing supply is necessary to solve both aspects of the problem. But keeping people alive should be the most important priority of any health care system, not keeping wait-times short for non-critical procedures.
- nradov 5y agoWell how do you differentiate critical versus non-critical needs? Canada has universal healthcare but they ration care by restricting supply, which results in long wait times for certain treatments. If a patient needs a hip replacement and is in severe pain is that critical or non-critical? https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/podcast/2018/oct/truth-about-waiting-see-doctor-canada https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/podcast/2018/o...
- burkaman 5y agoI don't really understand what you mean, universal healthcare means everyone has access to healthcare. Increasing the supply of medical facilities and staff is obviously a core part of implementing that in the US. If the government pays for healthcare but there aren't enough beds for everyone who needs one, then by definition it isn't universal.
- nradov 5y agoMost universal healthcare proposals essentially amount to expanding Medicare for all. That would do nothing to increase supply. The two issues aren't necessarily linked. We have a shortage of physicians today. The primary bottleneck in producing new licensed physicians is a lack of federal funding for residency program slots. Congress could increase funding for that immediately if they wanted to. Market demand for healthcare services is essentially infinite. Regardless of the funding model there will always be some type of rationing. Some patients won't get everything that would benefit t them.
- burkaman 5y agoThe actual Medicare for All bill in Congress as we speak has plenty of provisions to increase supply. Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, minimum physician staffing levels, maximum wait time standards, "health professional education expenditures sufficient to meet the need for covered health care services", a capital expenditures budget to improve facilities, etc. I don't think we need to debate the details here though, we all agree that more doctors and more hospitals would be necessary. "Medicare for All" is a convenient shorthand, it doesn't literally mean "just let everyone sign up for Medicare and change nothing else". > Market demand for healthcare services is essentially infinite. This is kind of an insane claim to me, can you back that up somehow?
- nradov 5y agoSetting requirements for staffing ratios is meaningless. It doesn't mean the resources actually exist, or that anyone will be held accountable. Sick people generally want the best possible treatment with extensive personal care by expert providers. Obviously it's not feasible to give that level of service to everyone.