Guitanguran

Pundits Are Wrong: Healthcare Reform Will Increase Profits

Get rid of the FDA? That would suit me. The Lasik example is simply that, of what can happen in a micro-economic situation. There's still regs on the docs, the equipment mfg, etc. We have the rule of law for protection. Healthcare in the macro? Well, I'll reserve my opinion...

But, what about insurance? Why not get the employers out of the business of buying it and put it AND the tax break in the hands of the individual?


On Sep 18 02:36 PM JCC wrote:

> Guitanguran - I agree with you that free markets might work in healthcare,
> but not under the current situations. For a free market to work,
> you would need to get rid of the FDA and all of the regulation. Let
> the buyer beware and let capitalism do it's thing!! If someone can't
> afford care they pay the price. If a treatment fails, they buyer
> loses it all.
>
> The problem is that this will never occur, and furthermore our moral
> constraints would never allow us to go to this extreme.
>
> Competition on healthcare in the USA is a non-achievable pipedream.
>

Pundits Are Wrong: Healthcare Reform Will Increase Profits

two things:

Free markets can work in healthcare. Consider Lasik surgery. As out of pocket expense, the consumer (patient) has to choose wisely. The result is that technology, efficacy, and choices have gone up, and prices have gone down. Why? Because the person getting the procedure has to pay for it. And, the person providing the procedure has to compete with other providers.

Why not take the tax break now given to employers on health insurance, have them pay the employees the equivalent difference of healthcare cost to them as salary, give the tax break to the employee, and open up insurance options across the country? Indigents, widows, and orphans can be taken care of by tax credits on 'pro-bono' care. Portability and pre-existing issues could be dealt with by letting the individual buy and keep their policy forever if they like.