Am I incorrect in my assumptions about health care?

[stewie3128]

What would allow a free market system to adopt negligible prices and be available to the 17 million (right #?) uninsured Americans?

The number bandied about in the media a lot is actually 47 million, but that's a very exaggerated number. Here's why:

- 1/3 of that number are illegal aliens. You need to be an American in order to be an "uninsured American."
- 1/3 of that number are people who actually qualify for medicaid and/or full state-level sponsorship of their health care, but have not gotten on the role, for whatever reason.
- 1/3 are for-real uninsured Americans, of which approx. 3% are people who (judging from their household income) could actually afford health insurance, but choose not to buy it.

So, strangely enough, the number of Americans who are actually left wanting for insurance is closer to your originally-presumed number: 17 million.

 

[jesse27]

Why would you want government run health care,the biggest argument against socialization are its adherents.

 

[SeanEdwards]

Why would you want government run health care,the biggest argument against socialization are its adherents.

Government run healthcare would be an infinite improvement on the no healthcare I'm getting right now.

 

[smileylovesfreedom]

Universal health care = universal control over "lifestyle" choices.

I'm all for exercise, eating healthy, not smoking, etc.... but the last thing I want is some gov't to start weighing everyone to make sure they are "acceptable", denying a basic surgery because someone "smokes", or raiding fridges for "illict" pizzas. Don't think it couldn't happen, this gov't loves to declare "Wars" on everything...

Why would you even want to give them any more power or money??? At least with the semi-free market system we have now, I can take my money elsewhere if I don't like the insurance company or not be insured and take the risks.

 

[maiki]

some of your assumptions are wrong. Some socialized healthcare systems do not allow competition by private insurance at all, except for elective procedures. Care would be worse in the US than in most other countries because our population and area are so much larger than any other developed nation. Canada is large in area, but small in population, but they have issues with coverage in rural zones. As the amount of people in a system increases, the complexity increases so much more. The chance of this being run well at a federal level is next to nil. At a state level? maybe some states can pull it off (and they can independently enact it!), and more power to them. Just don't enforce it at a federal level.

 

[maiki]

Government run healthcare would be an infinite improvement on the no healthcare I'm getting right now.

Look. I'm a US resident but not citizen. I have student health insurance here, but no dental. I do many of my healthcare tasks in my home country in Latin America because things cost what they should in a freer system. I buy many of my drugs there (less stringent prescription req's also cheaper), I get my dental done there, my bf got sick there and a middle of the night ER visit + antibiotics + lab consult was done for under 40$ with no wait at all, my brother got eye surgery there for a fraction of the cost as here. No insurance for any of us. I think my parents only have catastrophic insurance/surgery insurance because things are otherwise cheap. Not cheap enough for the average 3rd world denizen, but cheap objectively. The care was excellent in all those procedures.

HMO's and Medicare drive up costs and increase waits here in the US already. A freer system would also improve your "no health insurance" situation quite a bit.

 

[ShaneC]

Government run healthcare would be an infinite improvement on the no healthcare I'm getting right now.

Not necessarily. I've dealt with "military health care", and quite frankly, It wasn't worth the cost. Ok, in an emergency, shitty care is better than no care at all.

I can honestly say I haven't been a patient to a doctor or hospital, nor have I had a physical or immunization, or any other medical treatment since August 2004. Life is good.

Fortunately for me, while my company doesn't pay terribly well, I do get "free" (minus the co-pay) health care should I choose to use it.

Perhaps I'm just lucky. I smoke, I drink too much, I eat crappy food-stuffs, and generally lead an otherwise unhealthy life.

At the same time, I do take a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral pill (almost) everyday, and some fish oil probably 3-4 times per week.

Know your body. Know what makes your body feel good. Some people are quite healthy as a vegetarian. Personally, I know my body needs animal protein, and if I don't have it, I usually feel like crap.

Assess your diet, assess your body, and find out what you need.

My wife diets (to a degree), exercises, tries to watch what she eats, etc, but I'm in better health (though not necessarily better shape) than she is.