If Palin's "an "idiot" and it takes the Left YEARS to catch up, what's that make THEM?

QuoteNo one wants to lose an aging parent. And with price out of the equation, it's natural for patients and their families to try every treatment, regardless of expense or efficacy. But that imposes an enormous societal cost that few other nations have been willing to bear. Many countries whose health care systems are regularly extolled — including Canada, Australia and New Zealand — have systems for rationing care. NTY

Of course they are. What thinking human being isn't aware that national health systems ration care, especially for the elderly. It's worth your life to be above a certain age and go into a European hospital.

Quote from: mdgiles on September 27, 2012, 08:04:00 AM
Of course they are. What thinking human being isn't aware that national health systems ration care, especially for the elderly. It's worth your life to be above a certain age and go into a European hospital.

Anyway you look at it, what determines which medical procedures will be used in any given situation is cost vs benefit. In a free market system, that decision is largely based upon what the individual (or their family) can afford - either through their insurance company of on their own - with the advice and/or recommendations of their doctors.

In a government system, especially one which prohibits people paying their doctors out of their own pockets, that decision is made by government bureaucrats and/or thick volumes of governmental regulations.

In either system, the rich and powerful will get the best medical treatment available, and the average person will get the proverbial "pain pill". 

Six of one, half dozen of another...

-Dr Watt

Quote from: Dr_Watt on September 27, 2012, 09:09:00 AM
Anyway you look at it, what determines which medical procedures will be used in any given situation is cost vs benefit. In a free market system, that decision is largely based upon what the individual (or their family) can afford - either through their insurance company of on their own - with the advice and/or recommendations of their doctors.

In a government system, especially one which prohibits people paying their doctors out of their own pockets, that decision is made by government bureaucrats and/or thick volumes of governmental regulations.

In either system, the rich and powerful will get the best medical treatment available, and the average person will get the proverbial "pain pill". 

Six of one, half dozen of another...

-Dr Watt

True, but the free market system allows for real charity - as opposed to government "charity" something entirely different. This means that citizens can use personal means to alleviate some of the costs involved in caring for the less fortunate. Government bureaucrats only care about the latest cost benefit analysis - until their turn comes - as it will.

Quote from: mdgiles on September 27, 2012, 09:33:03 AM
True, but the free market system allows for real charity - as opposed to government "charity" something entirely different. This means that citizens can use personal means to alleviate some of the costs involved in caring for the less fortunate. Government bureaucrats only care about the latest cost benefit analysis - until their turn comes - as it will.

Agreed, given the choice between the two, I definitely side with the free market version. I'm just pointing out that in any system, the higher you are in the "pecking order" the greater you choices will be.

-Dr Watt

Quote from: Dr_Watt on September 27, 2012, 09:42:05 AM
Agreed, given the choice between the two, I definitely side with the free market version. I'm just pointing out that in any system, the higher you are in the "pecking order" the greater you choices will be.

-Dr Watt

Of course. If you have enough money you can always go to one of those places that specializes in hospitals for rich foreigners - like Thailand.

Quote from: mdgiles on September 27, 2012, 11:13:37 AM
Of course. If you have enough money you can always go to one of those places that specializes in hospitals for rich foreigners - like Thailand.

Or, the U.S.  - at least until the advent of Obamacare!

Ask any Canadian, they'll tell you.

-Dr Watt