Health Care Policy

[Geezer38]

I ran across this in a Canadian magazine article and his statement startled me. I'm wondering what people really think about it.

While Saltman (M.D.) is an American -- and one who resides in a red state to boot -- he is no fan of how U.S.-style health care has left 45 million of his fellow citizens bereft of medical insurance. "I view health care as a social good," he told Maclean's. "I see it as a core of what makes a society valuable, coherent, livable. I don't believe, by the way, that most Americans share my opinion. They prefer to see it as a commodity and they are unwilling to pay for other people's health care."

[Justin6898]

They prefer to see it as a commodity and they are unwilling to pay for other people's health care."


I agree that our system is imperfect, but "they" do have a point. Why should we all have to pay higher taxes everytime a hypochondriac has a little cold?

[Zan de Man]

A very simplistic view of publicly funded healthcare Justin. Reductio ad absurdum is a useful rhetorical device but a poor foundation for a public policy discussion.

Does it diminish you if a fellow citizen dies twenty years prematurely of causes that early primary care could have detected and managed?

[Yorkist]

Ha! I surmise that Zan and I are the ones who have voted for a universal publicly-funded health system. We are the only people who have voted so far who actually live with (and pay for) such a system, imperfect as it is. That's interesting, isn't it? :)

[Zan de Man]

I didn't vote Yorkist. I believe that the system should be universal and taxpayer funded, but I have an increasingly strong view that the provider level should be a mixed economy. Commissioners should be free to place contracts with public, private, not-for-profit and voluntary providers based on best value for money.

[Geezer38]

Yorkist posted:

Ha! I surmise that Zan and I are the ones who have voted for a universal publicly-funded health system. We are the only people who have voted so far who actually live with (and pay for) such a system, imperfect as it is.

Not true! We have universal Health Care in Canada, it's one of our distinguishing features, and we are quite proud of it. However, our system is not perfect either and we are engaged in a national debate as to how it should be improved. Our two greatest concerns are lengthy wait times for non-life-threatening procedures and spiralling pharmacare costs.

I agree with Zan's comment:I believe that the system should be universal and taxpayer funded, but I have an increasingly strong view that the provider level should be a mixed economy. Commissioners should be free to place contracts with public, private, not-for-profit and voluntary providers based on best value for money.

[Yorkist]

OK, you guys - you can stop beating up on me now. I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong.

:wife

[Neko]

It would be interesting to do a correlation of people's nationalities and what they voted for. I chose the third one, which is what I live with.

[gurutoo]

Does it diminish you if a fellow citizen dies twenty years prematurely of causes that early primary care could have detected and managed?

No.

[Zan de Man]

Then you've got the perfect system for your values.

[contracycle]

If my neighbour has tuberculosis, it is my problem as much as theirs. Hence, I am prepared to pay for other peoples health care, as in so doing I best preserve my self.

[gurutoo]

If my neighbour has tuberculosis, it is my problem as much as theirs. Hence, I am prepared to pay for other peoples health care, as in so doing I best preserve my self.

If your neighbor dies, he won't have TB anymore...

[Geezer38]

Dr. Saltman said:

"I view health care as a social good," he told Maclean's. "I see it as a core of what makes a society valuable, coherent, livable."

Contracycle Posted:

"I am prepared to pay for other peoples health care, as in so doing I best preserve my self. "

Those two comments pretty well express my viewpoint too.

One thing we should take note of, money not spent on preventative health care is not saved money. It always costs the taxpayer much more in the future on police services, social services, emergency care, and terminal care.