From: bobcat-AT-pseud.pseud Subject: RE: M-INTRO: A couple of thoughts: Healthcare and Socialism Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 18:19:08 -0600 This is certainly a tough issue. Because money drives technological progress to a large extent, it's hard to argue that socialized medicine is the cure-all. Besides the long waiting times for some treatment in these systems, doctors in socialized countries don't make as much money as they would in the US or often even in other careers. This causes a terrible talent drain out of those countries and/or out of the medical profession. However, the US health system is a travesty on one count in particular. Universal health care is necessary in this country. I think the answer might lie in something along the lines of subsidies from the government. With subsidization, those companies that currently refuse treatment to the poor and very sick would be able to treat these people without incurring prohibitive costs. Of course, most people would be covered normally, but people whose care proved to be particularly expensive would be partially helped by tax monies. Alternately, the government could set up one or more non-profit health insurance providers. Because a non-profit organization's costs are lower, these entities could cover anyone who needed coverage. As an extra wrinkle, they could even offer coverage to ordinary people. Nothing would makes for-profit companies squirm quite as much as another "company" that has lower prices. I bet this might spark a price war that could end up driving down health costs across the board. Those are just some ideas that I've thought up over the years. Hopefully you all have some more comments here too. -----Original Message----- From: owner-marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.Virginia.EDU [mailto:owner-marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.Virginia.EDU] On Behalf Of DIGITS-AT-pseud.pseud Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2004 1:40 PM To: marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.Virginia.EDU Subject: M-INTRO: A couple of thoughts: Healthcare and Socialism I appreciate what Vasco has to say about the healthcare question. I can't help but think of all the research that gets done in the US, and a lot of it is due to contributions of money from huge corporations. I I have a friend in Canada who's mother died from cancer, while she waited for over a year for her turn for treatment. I'm sure cases like that are rare, but I think we must be careful when we consider changing the health system. On the other hand, we have a lot of poor people here in the US who die due to lack of healthcare providers willing to treat them. I wish I knew the answer. --- from list marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.760 / Virus Database: 509 - Release Date: 9/10/2004 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.760 / Virus Database: 509 - Release Date: 9/10/2004 --- from list marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005