4 ms·

Private and well-compensated medical workers still don't offer a sci-fi "healing tubes". Private healthcare is maybe marginally better for 1% of the population,

Private and well-compensated medical workers still don't offer a sci-fi "healing tubes". Private healthcare is maybe marginally better for 1% of the population, but far more expensive.

monero-xmr 3y ago
Medical tourism into the US is extremely common. I own a rental unit near a major hospital and rent to many foreigners who travel in for treatment, particularly Canadians. Everything has trade offs.
- the_gipsy 3y ago
  USA is world-best of many things. But I don't think the healthcare is so good because it is funded by exploiting the poor. And if so, that would be quite a macabre defense.
  - monero-xmr 3y ago
    “Exploiting the poor” is one of those philosophical arguments I disagree with. The US is supposedly so bad for the poor yet they are breaking down the door to come here, month after month.
    - the_gipsy 3y ago
      The fact that it's worse in the third world doesn't make it morally right.
    - kerkeslager 3y ago
      > The US is supposedly so bad for the poor yet they are breaking down the door to come here, month after month. The hope of most poor coming into the US isn't that the US is better for poor people, it's that by coming to the US they can stop being poor. And in most cases it doesn't work. In fact, the American dream of "anyone can become rich" is a lie which exists specifically to justify why we've let America become such a shitty place for poor people. After all, why do we have to improve conditions for the poor if they can just become rich? It's their own fault they've chosen to be poor--they must like it, right? Really, rich people have no idea what's going on with poor people, and you should really stop talking about things you don't understand.
- avgDev 3y ago
  There is also medical tourism the other way to EU, Mexico, and other countries. US is really good for the top 10%, who can afford it. However, a minimum wage worker has a really tough time getting good results because the cost is astronomical even with decent insurance.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
MichaelZuo 3y ago
Of course there are diminishing returns, the world famous brain surgeon billing at $10k per operating room hour isn't going to deliver a 20x better outcome then the average brain surgeon billing at $500, or however much the ratio is. Yet some folks still choose to seek out the world famous brain surgeon when they desire that extra quantum of assurance and if they can afford it.
- the_gipsy 3y ago
  There are still expensive private clinics in all countries with public healthcare.
  - MichaelZuo 3y ago
    Did you intend to reply to a different comment? What does the mere existence of 'expensive private clinics' in X countries have to do with the diminishing return on higher priced brain surgeons?
    - the_gipsy 3y ago
      No. I am pointing out that rich people still can and do spend all their money on private healthcare for some tiny increase in countries with public healthcare.
      - MichaelZuo 3y ago
        How does that relate to my comment? It's possible for at least 1 person in any given country to hop on a plane or recruit world experts to come, with enough money, even in Somalia or Afghanistan, which don't have functioning systems of any kind. I wasn't making any claims to the contrary, if you misread.

Private and well-compensated medical workers still don't offer a sci-fi "healing tubes". Private healthcare is maybe marginally better for 1% of the population, but far more expensive.

monero-xmr 3y ago

Medical tourism into the US is extremely common. I own a rental unit near a major hospital and rent to many foreigners who travel in for treatment, particularly Canadians. Everything has trade offs.

the_gipsy 3y ago
USA is world-best of many things. But I don't think the healthcare is so good because it is funded by exploiting the poor. And if so, that would be quite a macabre defense.
- monero-xmr 3y ago
  “Exploiting the poor” is one of those philosophical arguments I disagree with. The US is supposedly so bad for the poor yet they are breaking down the door to come here, month after month.
  - the_gipsy 3y ago
    The fact that it's worse in the third world doesn't make it morally right.
  - kerkeslager 3y ago
    > The US is supposedly so bad for the poor yet they are breaking down the door to come here, month after month. The hope of most poor coming into the US isn't that the US is better for poor people, it's that by coming to the US they can stop being poor. And in most cases it doesn't work. In fact, the American dream of "anyone can become rich" is a lie which exists specifically to justify why we've let America become such a shitty place for poor people. After all, why do we have to improve conditions for the poor if they can just become rich? It's their own fault they've chosen to be poor--they must like it, right? Really, rich people have no idea what's going on with poor people, and you should really stop talking about things you don't understand.
avgDev 3y ago
There is also medical tourism the other way to EU, Mexico, and other countries. US is really good for the top 10%, who can afford it. However, a minimum wage worker has a really tough time getting good results because the cost is astronomical even with decent insurance.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

MichaelZuo 3y ago

Of course there are diminishing returns, the world famous brain surgeon billing at $10k per operating room hour isn't going to deliver a 20x better outcome then the average brain surgeon billing at $500, or however much the ratio is. Yet some folks still choose to seek out the world famous brain surgeon when they desire that extra quantum of assurance and if they can afford it.

the_gipsy 3y ago
There are still expensive private clinics in all countries with public healthcare.
- MichaelZuo 3y ago
  Did you intend to reply to a different comment? What does the mere existence of 'expensive private clinics' in X countries have to do with the diminishing return on higher priced brain surgeons?
  - the_gipsy 3y ago
    No. I am pointing out that rich people still can and do spend all their money on private healthcare for some tiny increase in countries with public healthcare.
    - MichaelZuo 3y ago
      How does that relate to my comment? It's possible for at least 1 person in any given country to hop on a plane or recruit world experts to come, with enough money, even in Somalia or Afghanistan, which don't have functioning systems of any kind. I wasn't making any claims to the contrary, if you misread.