4 ms·

Simply asking for a price estimate for a very non urgent screening a few years ago got me a reaction from the people at front desk that was somewhere between fl

Simply asking for a price estimate for a very non urgent screening a few years ago got me a reaction from the people at front desk that was somewhere between flabbergasted and suspecting I must be broke. Here’s a write up I did about the experience: https://blog.karlbecker.com/should-health-care-be-profitable https://blog.karlbecker.com/should-health-care-be-profitable

komali2 4y ago
Interesting article, I have some questions: > I want income for health care companies. I want enough to make sure they are there when me and my loved ones need them. Every company, whether a non-profit or profit, needs income. I'm curious about the assumption here: why is market-based income necessary for the existence of a health care institution (hospital, doctor's office, pharmacy, etc) ? These institutions exist just fine when they're socialized and nationalized: see... well, any other country on earth lol. > And the people providing the extremely worthwhile service of healing people, and easing people’s pain, should be paid well. Why the assumption that they can't be if the system is detached from profits entirely, such as if it's socialized or nationalized? I think the quote by your cousin Adam is funny, but I think I disagree with his assessment. Similar arguments are made to counter subsidized or socialized food distribution, the "buying lobsters on food stamps" argument basically. It's kind of a funny argument because it's sort of victim blaming: for the first time in someone's life they can eat like the rich people they see in media, enjoy a high quality of food, and like a human can be expected to, they do it in excess, and that's somehow... bad. But also, it's just mostly untrue, and I think anybody can know this for themselves asking a simple question: would you REALLY eat steak every day? (the cousin claims yes?) Knowing what that would do to your health? Knowing you surely would bore of the meal? And shit, if our society can provide a sustainable system where people CAN eat steak every meal (or whatever "extravagant delicacy" you can dream up), isn't that a GOOD thing? Can't we say the same of healthcare? If we can create a system where EVERYONE can get high quality healthcare at low or no costs, isn't it GOOD that everyone will thus get high quality healthcare? The counter argument may be "we can't create this system," but I saw, no, you definitely can, other countries have and are doing so, I live in Taiwan and high quality healthcare is extremely accessible to the entire population, and a national effort to increase outcomes and accessibility is underway. I like to say, if you've got money for fighter jets, you've got money for free healthcare.
- BurningFrog 4y ago
  > well, any other country on earth lol You really need to learn more about the world so you don't say such clueless things in public. This is honest advice.
  - komali2 4y ago
    dunno looks like a lot of countries to me https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_universal_health_care https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_univers... Let's do pedantry through, this one time pedantry will definitely be fun Also, cmon, I won't insult your intelligence by pretending what you're doing isn't: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/concern_troll https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/concern_troll so don't insult mine by denying it
    - BurningFrog 4y ago
      "a lot of countries" is very different from "any other country on earth lol". Also, "universal health care" is quite different from "socialized and nationalized". In a lot of those countries, maybe most, health care is delivered by private suppliers acting on a regulated market, just like the US.
      - komali2 4y ago
        Hm, I'm losing interest because we're getting lost in the weeds of "what is most / a lot" and "what is socialized health care / universal health care," the latter of which is extremely difficult to discuss in general with Americans as many political / philosophical vocabulary have had their definitions twisted beyond recognition there. This is pedantry. My point is that universal healthcare is obviously quite possible, yet America doesn't do it.

komali2 4y ago

Interesting article, I have some questions: > I want income for health care companies. I want enough to make sure they are there when me and my loved ones need them. Every company, whether a non-profit or profit, needs income. I'm curious about the assumption here: why is market-based income necessary for the existence of a health care institution (hospital, doctor's office, pharmacy, etc) ? These institutions exist just fine when they're socialized and nationalized: see... well, any other country on earth lol. > And the people providing the extremely worthwhile service of healing people, and easing people’s pain, should be paid well. Why the assumption that they can't be if the system is detached from profits entirely, such as if it's socialized or nationalized? I think the quote by your cousin Adam is funny, but I think I disagree with his assessment. Similar arguments are made to counter subsidized or socialized food distribution, the "buying lobsters on food stamps" argument basically. It's kind of a funny argument because it's sort of victim blaming: for the first time in someone's life they can eat like the rich people they see in media, enjoy a high quality of food, and like a human can be expected to, they do it in excess, and that's somehow... bad. But also, it's just mostly untrue, and I think anybody can know this for themselves asking a simple question: would you REALLY eat steak every day? (the cousin claims yes?) Knowing what that would do to your health? Knowing you surely would bore of the meal? And shit, if our society can provide a sustainable system where people CAN eat steak every meal (or whatever "extravagant delicacy" you can dream up), isn't that a GOOD thing? Can't we say the same of healthcare? If we can create a system where EVERYONE can get high quality healthcare at low or no costs, isn't it GOOD that everyone will thus get high quality healthcare? The counter argument may be "we can't create this system," but I saw, no, you definitely can, other countries have and are doing so, I live in Taiwan and high quality healthcare is extremely accessible to the entire population, and a national effort to increase outcomes and accessibility is underway. I like to say, if you've got money for fighter jets, you've got money for free healthcare.

BurningFrog 4y ago
> well, any other country on earth lol You really need to learn more about the world so you don't say such clueless things in public. This is honest advice.
- komali2 4y ago
  dunno looks like a lot of countries to me https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_universal_health_care https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_univers... Let's do pedantry through, this one time pedantry will definitely be fun Also, cmon, I won't insult your intelligence by pretending what you're doing isn't: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/concern_troll https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/concern_troll so don't insult mine by denying it
  - BurningFrog 4y ago
    "a lot of countries" is very different from "any other country on earth lol". Also, "universal health care" is quite different from "socialized and nationalized". In a lot of those countries, maybe most, health care is delivered by private suppliers acting on a regulated market, just like the US.
    - komali2 4y ago
      Hm, I'm losing interest because we're getting lost in the weeds of "what is most / a lot" and "what is socialized health care / universal health care," the latter of which is extremely difficult to discuss in general with Americans as many political / philosophical vocabulary have had their definitions twisted beyond recognition there. This is pedantry. My point is that universal healthcare is obviously quite possible, yet America doesn't do it.