I thought this deserved it's own thread so here it is:
I had an interesting conversation with someone last night and they made some VERY interesting points. There are only a handful of insurance companies that deal with healthcare, there are only a limited number of people allowed into medical school, and there is a limited number of "approved" healthcare facilities and these facilities MUST treat everyone that walks through the door.
So if you look at it we already have "socialized medicine" as we are limited to who we can buy insurance from, who we can go see and who those facilities have to see.
From the book Profession and monopoly, a book published in 1975 is critical of the AMA for limiting the supply of physicians and inflating the cost of medical care in the United States. The book claims that physician supply is kept low by the AMA to ensure high pay for practicing physicians. It states that in the United States the number, curriculum, and size of medical schools are restricted by state licensing boards controlled by representatives of state medical societies associated with the AMA. The book is also critical of the ethical rules adopted by the AMA which restrict advertisement and other types of competition between professionals. It points out that advertising and bargaining can result in expulsion from the AMA and legal revocation of licenses. The book also states that before 1912 the AMA included uniform fees for specific medical procedures in its official code of ethics. The AMA's influence on hospital regulation was also criticized in the book.
The easiest way to lower healthcare costs is to open the healthcare system up, NOT stifle it even more. Why should a medical school be limited to a certain number of students? IF the dropout rate is 20%, instead of letting 100 in and only getting 80 Dr.s out why not let 300 in and get 240 Dr.s out. by increasing supply the price will go down (According to supply and demand).
As was mentioned Tort reform, limit pain and suffering awards, in court (should there have been negligence) no one should be denied the money it cost them for the medical care, but no one needs Millions and Millions of dollars for any reason (RE: lady burned by coffee at McDonalds got $2.86 M).
The same should be done with lawyers as well, and this was coming from a retired lawyer.
I had an interesting conversation with someone last night and they made some VERY interesting points. There are only a handful of insurance companies that deal with healthcare, there are only a limited number of people allowed into medical school, and there is a limited number of "approved" healthcare facilities and these facilities MUST treat everyone that walks through the door.
So if you look at it we already have "socialized medicine" as we are limited to who we can buy insurance from, who we can go see and who those facilities have to see.
From the book Profession and monopoly, a book published in 1975 is critical of the AMA for limiting the supply of physicians and inflating the cost of medical care in the United States. The book claims that physician supply is kept low by the AMA to ensure high pay for practicing physicians. It states that in the United States the number, curriculum, and size of medical schools are restricted by state licensing boards controlled by representatives of state medical societies associated with the AMA. The book is also critical of the ethical rules adopted by the AMA which restrict advertisement and other types of competition between professionals. It points out that advertising and bargaining can result in expulsion from the AMA and legal revocation of licenses. The book also states that before 1912 the AMA included uniform fees for specific medical procedures in its official code of ethics. The AMA's influence on hospital regulation was also criticized in the book.
The easiest way to lower healthcare costs is to open the healthcare system up, NOT stifle it even more. Why should a medical school be limited to a certain number of students? IF the dropout rate is 20%, instead of letting 100 in and only getting 80 Dr.s out why not let 300 in and get 240 Dr.s out. by increasing supply the price will go down (According to supply and demand).
As was mentioned Tort reform, limit pain and suffering awards, in court (should there have been negligence) no one should be denied the money it cost them for the medical care, but no one needs Millions and Millions of dollars for any reason (RE: lady burned by coffee at McDonalds got $2.86 M).
The same should be done with lawyers as well, and this was coming from a retired lawyer.
