Obamacare

I'm really interested to see what he comes up with. He probably won't get support from most Dems or Repubs no matter if its better than Obamacare or not.

 

Medicare itself isn't the problem.

One of the biggest problems (in a complicated industry filled with problems) is the pharma lobby keeping it a monopoly, therefore allowing them to set any price they want for drugs, running up all costs in the medical industry.

Medicare's actual structure works very well for the goal of covering a huge population.

 

Big pharma is a big problem. Part of the problem, besides greed, is the federal regulations. People can go to Mexico, Canada, Europe and get it cheaper and/or stuff not FDA approved. If I have terminal cancer, do you think I care if the medicine that could save my life has a side affect that causes epilepsy or some other type of severe side effect? Allow people to get prescrips from other countries and let up on the regulations. That lowers prices and creates competition.

ObamaCare (let's call it what it really is: more tax) would be nice if we weren't $20 Trillion in debt (thanks Obama for $10 of that). The rates are gonna keep going up. It will burst. The sooner the better. I feel sorry for any of you that are paying for it. But don't blame me. I didn't vote for him or any of the Dems that pushed it though.

Medicare for all? LMAO I work with people on Medicare. Trust me: that is NOT the care you want. OMG, NO! NO! NO! NO!

What's the answer: I don't know. Smarter people than me haven't figured it out. I can point out problems with it, but I don't know what the perfect answer is, if it even exists.

 

The private market is built to make money. Its systemically set up as the antithesis of what Medicare is supposed to do. Provide medical assistance to people with no money making motivation.

The private market's goal is to do exactly what you're complaining about the current system. Influence policy makers, create as big of a monopoly as possible, and make as big of a profit as possible.

The problems you're seeing in Medicare currently are from the private market legislative influence, so how are they supposed to solve the problem they are in large part creating?

No, Medicare is not the problem. Systems surrounding it and influencing prices are.

 

No, the private market exists to make money and there is no inherent balance after a certain point, and every company is doing their best to exploit any weakness in the system they can find.

What you're describing is economic theory because that Utopian balance among large companies doesn't exist in the wild. They don't care what consumers want because they can buy legislation, and agree to a set price among themselves.

There aren't enough competing companies to provide balance, and the reason is because they don't want competition. The Government regulations and fees these medical companies keep complaining about actually keep smaller companies from growing, threatening them for contracts etc.

 

Right, but I was speaking about the medical industry specifically. The massive federal and State regulations you're describing that plague the medical industry are there because it serves them. They aren't the victims of evil government. They set it up in order to keep smaller competition out.

You think the major tech industry companies wouldn't love the same setup? They would do just like the medical industry if they could. The structure of the market is to TRY to exploit any and all advantages and find/create an advantage. That exploit doesn't necessarily have to look like how the medical industry did it. For instance, agriculture found their exploit in corn subsidies.

My point is that you're looking to a system that is built to TRY to make a personally enriching profit, to fix a program that inherently needs to be altruistic.

 

Profit =/= a bad word.

I'm with rev. I understand government regulation is important in that it prevents companies from seizing control of the market by force (although they've failed miserably with cable companies, f*** you Charter or Spectrum or whatever you are now). Otherwise, competition and a desire to please the consumer through excellent service should drive cost. When customers are able to be discriminating, companies are forced to adjust to the wills of the people. I guess that is a more macro discussion though.

 

I'm not suggesting profit is a bad word or that all companies are bad for wanting profits. I'm just saying that profit model doesn't work independently for everything, especially programs that aren't trying to grow through profit such as Medicare.

 

I personally dislike the government's hand in most anything. There's times when the government is useful, but it should be a soft touch. Keeping monopolies from forming, maybe putting out fires although that's debatable, I do like them protecting our national parks, and of course an organized federal military is a good thing. I don't like the government doing much else including providing health care, delivering mail, and taxing me to holy oblivion. I know that makes me sound heartless, but I think the government has grown far too big for it's own good.

 

I don't think that makes you sound heartless. Just a different opinion on how things should work.

For the record, I don't think the government should do everything either, although I'm sure it seems like I do to people more conservative than myself.

I just feel we need just a bit more socialism in how our country operates. Give me somewhat decent universal healthcare like every other 1st world country, and free education for citizens, and I'm good. That's all I want to add.

 

Off subject, but school up to 12th grade is free. Community colleges are basically free. Grants and scholarships, part time job, and loans and anyone can go to college. Anyone.

The complaint is "I have student loans." I don't look at it like that. I have a mortgage. It's a wise purchase / investment. Same with a college education. Not many things are better in life that an investment in yourself.

The government pays for 13 years of school for everyone. People can't pay the bill for 2 - 6 for something that personally enriches them and allows them to live a comfortable life forever ? I don't think the government should be paying for that too. Personal accountability comes into play at some point. If you want it, you can get it. And if it's just handed to you..... well.... look at our standing in the world, despite spending more than any other country on education. Kids don't take it serious. They just don't. (for the most part)

 

This is why

 

^^ I understand the point that colleges are a lot more expensive than in the past. Don't get me started on the price of books.

I still contend ANYONE can go to college if they want to. part time jobs, scholarships, grants, loans.

 

I don't want to derail this thread anymore, but I'll just say its not that easy in reality IMO