I am not familiar with Starr's book, the Social Transformation of American Medicine. Social Transformation ... that's the problem. We have a capitalistic system. Free enterprise. Free.
I'm sorry 2x6spds, but have you heard the expression.. Don't judge a book by its cover...... (i had to, i'm sure you will understand)
I am not aware of anyone who has died because they have been denied medical care in this country. Most Americans have health care. After 65 we have Medicare. Those without have Medicaid. Obama has taken a HALF TRILLION DOLLARS from the Medicare system and transferred it to Medicaid. He has gutted Medicare.
Have you ever looked at the requirements to get medicaid? Not everyone that is "poor" qualifies.. In my earlier example the young lady was working, and made to much money to qualify for medicaid. In Texas (where i live) medicaid worded to pretty much only cover single mothers that are unemployed. If your a single male, there is pretty much no way you could get medicaid regardless of income...
The solution to the problem of uninsured American citizens is not to destroy our health care system. Certainly, as Obama's policies stabilize the real unemployment rate at about 17% (U6), more and more workers will lose their health insurance.
In the T.R Reid book, Reid actually does a decent job at explaining other health care structures.. The one that i think works the best is the bismarck model. The reasoning behind this model is to keep the general population happy, it was not hatched though the alturism of Otto von Bismarck...
http://healthmatters4.blogspot.com/2011/01/bismarck-model.htmlAnd, yes it does bug the heck out of me that the news media only reports the U3 number... Even at though, most of the commentators have no idea what is driving the U3 number....
There is a lot of waste in our system. Doctors practice liability protective medicine, ordering every test to avoid legal liability in the event of a lawsuit. Having litigated such suits, I know the truth of this. However, contrary to what Obama has told us, doctors do not perform unnecessary amputations just to make a dime.
Starr's book does a good job at explaining how this came to fruition. Reid's book discusses how other models handle this, and why other countries do not have the financial inefficiencies that the U.S. has.
If you socialize health care, you have socialized the economy at the cost of liberty. Ultimately, you'd end up with a health care system which operates with all the grace and efficiency of any governmental agency, that is to say, a lousy health care system for all, and a loss of our liberty.
This is not true, look at Germany, france, Switzerland, Japan, Thailand.... They all use a form of the Bismarck model.. Under the bismarck model, people still have a choice as to who they get health insurance from. By law, all health insurance companies are nonprofit organizations.. i think you should get the T. R. Reid book. I think you would enjoy the read.
I am not saying that Obama care is the best solution for us. Personally i would have liked to have seen the U.S. adopt the Bismarck model... But there would be so much propaganda about it being a socialist system... I feel that you are writing more from opinions than facts. Which is ok, but please keep an open mind to different options.
P.S. i am not a huge fan of politics talk outside of school, because it can go down hill very quickly.
