File spoon-archives/marxism-intro.archive/marxism-intro_2004/marxism-intro.0409, message 52


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.    


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