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There is no such thing as a "free market". Any such "free market" only exists because of government regulation, oversight and enforcement. People try and carve

by jmyeet 2y ago

There is no such thing as a "free market". Any such "free market" only exists because of government regulation, oversight and enforcement. People try and carve out an exception for healthcare because of inelastic demand. While I agree individual insurance and tying insurance to employment are terrible models and for-profit healthcare is a terrible idea, I just don't think healthcare is as exceptional free market defenders make it out to be.

RajT88 2y ago
A perfectly free market results in monopolies and oligopolies, which are hardly competitive.
- stvltvs 2y ago
  In other words, a free market paradoxically requires a regulatory regime.
airstrike 2y ago
I'm not sure you're agreeing or disagreeing, so apologies in advance if I misread you and apologies in hindsight if I was unclear with my original comment. I didn't claim free markets exist out of thin air. They need to be created and enforced, there's no dispute there. I'm also not saying that healthcare should be a free market. I'm arguing for more regulation in Healthcare (and Education) than I would suggest is needed in regular markets. Security is even more regulated as the state must have a monopoly on the legal use of force, and with that comes the duty to protect its citizens.
bad_haircut72 2y ago
The biggest barrier to the operation of the free market in medicine is the medical licence, especially as being a legal and economic barrier to prescribing drugs, ordering tests or referrals to the actual specialist who can help you
- stvltvs 2y ago
  If a free market requires unlicensed medicine, then no thanks! There are reasonable arguments for removing licensure from some other professions, but medicine isn't one of those. I'd argue that the US is actually too lax, allowing too many entities to practice medicine without adhering to professional standards.
- nradov 2y ago
  Most prescription drugs have significant risks and side effects. Or in the case of antibiotics, overuse leads to resistant bacteria. That's why they're controlled instead of being sold over the counter. Some states do allow allied health practitioners such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners to prescribe certain drugs. You can order most lab tests yourself. Those might not be covered by your health plan. https://www.labcorp.com/patients/buy-or-request-test-online https://www.labcorp.com/patients/buy-or-request-test-online Primary care physicians can do a lot to help you. Jumping straight to a specialist is usually a waste of limited resources. But some types of health plans such as a PPO don't necessarily require a referral in order to pay for a specialist claim.

by jmyeet 2y ago

RajT88 2y ago

A perfectly free market results in monopolies and oligopolies, which are hardly competitive.

stvltvs 2y ago
In other words, a free market paradoxically requires a regulatory regime.

airstrike 2y ago

I'm not sure you're agreeing or disagreeing, so apologies in advance if I misread you and apologies in hindsight if I was unclear with my original comment. I didn't claim free markets exist out of thin air. They need to be created and enforced, there's no dispute there. I'm also not saying that healthcare should be a free market. I'm arguing for more regulation in Healthcare (and Education) than I would suggest is needed in regular markets. Security is even more regulated as the state must have a monopoly on the legal use of force, and with that comes the duty to protect its citizens.

bad_haircut72 2y ago

The biggest barrier to the operation of the free market in medicine is the medical licence, especially as being a legal and economic barrier to prescribing drugs, ordering tests or referrals to the actual specialist who can help you

stvltvs 2y ago
If a free market requires unlicensed medicine, then no thanks! There are reasonable arguments for removing licensure from some other professions, but medicine isn't one of those. I'd argue that the US is actually too lax, allowing too many entities to practice medicine without adhering to professional standards.
nradov 2y ago
Most prescription drugs have significant risks and side effects. Or in the case of antibiotics, overuse leads to resistant bacteria. That's why they're controlled instead of being sold over the counter. Some states do allow allied health practitioners such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners to prescribe certain drugs. You can order most lab tests yourself. Those might not be covered by your health plan. https://www.labcorp.com/patients/buy-or-request-test-online https://www.labcorp.com/patients/buy-or-request-test-online Primary care physicians can do a lot to help you. Jumping straight to a specialist is usually a waste of limited resources. But some types of health plans such as a PPO don't necessarily require a referral in order to pay for a specialist claim.