it's enough to make you sick
An editorial that appeared today on the CBS News website made a pretty good point about the scream-fest that passes for a debate over health care in this election season.
Read it here.
One of the large issues that seems to go unaddressed in the health care'debate' is the issue of regulation. Just so I get this out to begin with, I am not a communist or a socialist, but I am in favor of some industries being regulated by some level or levels of government. The health care industry, particularly the insurance industry, is one of them. A large part of the 'crisis' in health care is the issue of 'spiraling cost'. (Note the presence of dramatic buzzwords in these paragraphs). In the United States, about 42% of the health care dollar goes not to doctors or hospitals or pharmaceutical companies, but to insurance companies andHMO's, for administrative costs and, let's be honest, profits. These are the outfits that are supposed to manage costs and keep care affordable. In contrast, medicare and medicaid keep administrative costs well below 10%, (and usually below 6%).
The CBS editorial noted above analyzes the idea, (as it is being pushed by more than one presidential candidate) of requiring everyone to buy insurance. That is a lot like requiring everyone to buy a car as a means of energy conservation. There is much to be said for the medicare model in health care, and it does not have to wreck the capitalistic element of our society, (that is, making it worthwhile to go to medical school and all that), as opposed to the free enterprise model. The notion of a controlled monopoly has been utilized very successfully, in this country in other arena's, notably the telecommunications and public service sectors, in ways that did not discourage investment and innovation. The model that we have now is not entreprenurial in any way, shape or form, it exploits the system while adding nothing in the way of value. I will not say that it is the sole cause of the predicament that we are in, but it is a roadblock that needs to be cleared before we are able to address the problem that we are faced with.
Think about it. Not all regulation is evil. There are some things that we all pay for, day in and day out, and the maintenance of the health care infrastructure is one of them. For the public to support this network for the benefit of a few well-placed private concerns is unconcionable. Like public accomodations and utilities, it is time to embed access to basic care as a given in American life and move on.
The time for innovation is now. I have yet to see a candidate how has the courage to stick his or her neck out to face up the realities of this, and quite a few other messes.
Read it here.
One of the large issues that seems to go unaddressed in the health care'debate' is the issue of regulation. Just so I get this out to begin with, I am not a communist or a socialist, but I am in favor of some industries being regulated by some level or levels of government. The health care industry, particularly the insurance industry, is one of them. A large part of the 'crisis' in health care is the issue of 'spiraling cost'. (Note the presence of dramatic buzzwords in these paragraphs). In the United States, about 42% of the health care dollar goes not to doctors or hospitals or pharmaceutical companies, but to insurance companies andHMO's, for administrative costs and, let's be honest, profits. These are the outfits that are supposed to manage costs and keep care affordable. In contrast, medicare and medicaid keep administrative costs well below 10%, (and usually below 6%).
The CBS editorial noted above analyzes the idea, (as it is being pushed by more than one presidential candidate) of requiring everyone to buy insurance. That is a lot like requiring everyone to buy a car as a means of energy conservation. There is much to be said for the medicare model in health care, and it does not have to wreck the capitalistic element of our society, (that is, making it worthwhile to go to medical school and all that), as opposed to the free enterprise model. The notion of a controlled monopoly has been utilized very successfully, in this country in other arena's, notably the telecommunications and public service sectors, in ways that did not discourage investment and innovation. The model that we have now is not entreprenurial in any way, shape or form, it exploits the system while adding nothing in the way of value. I will not say that it is the sole cause of the predicament that we are in, but it is a roadblock that needs to be cleared before we are able to address the problem that we are faced with.
Think about it. Not all regulation is evil. There are some things that we all pay for, day in and day out, and the maintenance of the health care infrastructure is one of them. For the public to support this network for the benefit of a few well-placed private concerns is unconcionable. Like public accomodations and utilities, it is time to embed access to basic care as a given in American life and move on.
The time for innovation is now. I have yet to see a candidate how has the courage to stick his or her neck out to face up the realities of this, and quite a few other messes.
posted by eccentric recluse at 6:11 PM
1 Comments:
Hi E_R Long time no blog!!
I stopped by to say HI! and glom your GD radio Link!
Hope all is well.
HUGS!!
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