Notes Paul Krugman in the NYTimes today:
"Decades of indoctrination in the virtues of market competition and the evils of big government have left many Americans unable to comprehend the idea that sometimes competition is the problem, not the solution."
Actually this Fallacy of Free Trade dogs Americans in many areas of public policy these days.......not just health care.
Also note, that MOST of our Medical Dollars are spent on people in the last year of their life.... I've heard that 80% of our total medical expenses are spent on people with one year to live.....or less!
Perhaps people have a "Duty to Die" cheaply in this Age of Miraculous Proceedures that can prolong life, but not make that life "worth living." See Schiavo Case. End of life issues can be tricky, and need more discussion.
Another area of fallacy is the notion of Employer Provided Health Care.
Here, if someone is healthy enough to work, they probably aren't using much health care. But, if they are not healthy enough to work THEY LOSE THEIR COVERAGE.... And then become a public charity case. Or, go on Medicare via SSI Disability.
Krugman notes that the poor simply get sicker and sicker until they are "covered" by emergency rooms....which are the new "health clinic" for the uninsured these days.
Most American emergency rooms are nightmares of suffering....which allow poor people to die "indoors," instead of "in the parking lot," or on the street outside the hospital! That wouldn't "look right" and might attract news media coverage!
Ultimately, the US goes to a single payer plan as in most of the rest of the civilized world.....
We can all look forward to the day the US joins the civilized world again...hopefully before this entire house of cards collapses......But perhaps not. Stupidity runs deep in America.
