Do rich people need health insurance?

You seem to be implying that if the US were to decrease its defense budget to a purely defend-the-US level, Canada would have to spend more on its military. Note true, Canada is quite capable of defending itself. Its military budget is small because it does not see the need to project power and fight foreign wars like we do here in the US. To the point (and to stay on topic), Canada would not reduce healthcare spending just because the US dramatically reduced military spending.

-Will

will dot trice at comcast dot net

The Wikipedia article nicely describes the Canadian system and is accurate and unbiased. I suspect your sample of 2 are not the only ones who have done the same thing!

Hmmm. Who's the fanatic here? I mostly hear rational arguments from the left and mostly end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it arguments from the right. Witness the tea-baggers. There are rational right-wingers out there (though they are mostly on hockey teams :) ) with rational anti-healthcare arguments, but they're caught in the rightwards movement of the conservatives and toe the party line.

-Will

will dot trice at comcast dot net

I think you've hit here on maybe the biggest problem with healthcare in a free market, the lack of price information. I was amazed recently when my wife negotiated a price for a wisdom tooth extraction (we don't have dental insurance). The price remained fix even when she had complications. No extra charges for the extra visits. If the rest of healthcare was like that, and more info was available, maybe market pricing would actually work.

-Will

will dot trice at comcast dot net

Again, who's the fanatic? Was it the screw-up with the lifeboats the seamen's fault, or that of "the poor" as you stated before. Or were the seaman poor and thus ill-trained because only rich seaman are well-trained?

I have to agree with Chip...

-Will

will dot trice at comcast dot net

What you say may be true, but I still think Canada has a certain sense of security in having a powerful neighbor who would likely come to the rescue in the event of threats from a foreign power. After all Canada does have a lot of land and natural resources that are attractive to other nations. If, say, the USA did not exist and there was just more ocean to the south, I suspect a lot bigger military establishment would be needed to keep Europeans and Asians at bay.

On Mar 17, 9:42 pm, Will Trice wrote: [snip]

Hi Will,

My central analysis of the issue is that three of the cost drivers of medical services which could be eliminated are insurance, lawyers, and bureaucracy. Others have suggested very sane and practical solutions such as illness prevention - something which could be implemented through sensible PR campaigns and low-cost public service. Another cost driver is very probably that so many more medical services are available, but at a huge cost and, economically, at very low marginal utility - I choose to conceptually include that under 'insurance' which creates an artificial demand. (I posted, above, a link to a Businesweek article of first-hand experience.)

And the whole thing just goes from ridiculous to absurd - do you wish to pay for someone else's home tanning salon out of your personal medical budget? What further 'treatment' will you be paying for? Because "you can afford to?" Do you see where bureaucracy and insurance fit in?

Fear is not a motivator of rational decisions, and taking what is someone else's is not "fair." That is criminality, and has led to tens of millions of deaths and the subsequent demise of the ideal of equality.

On Mar 17, 10:00 pm, Will Trice wrote: [snip]

Thank you. Doctors presumably had a motivation to help people, to labor to become doctors, and that is admirable. I have recently run into more people who refuse payment, or are reluctant to accept it. A pool guy who spent a half-hour here and used a cupfull of his chemicals, refused any payment because he said "there really wasn't a problem." A handyman also told me there was "no charge" because, he said, "I really didn't do anything." The pool guy fixed my pool and explained something I didn't know. The handyman got my car out from behind a frozen garage door. So I convinced them each to take $30 bucks. It's not "charity" on my part - it's honesty and good business sense.

By contrast, when I had an accident my chiropractor knew was covered by auto insurance, suddenly I ran up a bill triple the cost of my regular visits, and identified a 'new problem.' They handed me an insurance claim to fill out. I walked out and never returned. I still kind of feel I owe him something, but I still kind of haven't returned to square that away. They know why they lost me as a patient.

I don't mean to sound like someone whom "bad things happen to." The accident was five years ago; the house is new and I'm finding my way around. All of the preceeding was done of free choice, and that free choice should NEVER be impaired in ANY way.

dapperdobbs wrote: All of the preceeding was done of free choice, and that free

Your "free choice" ends at my nose. Beyond that I'm afraid you will have to deal with my "free choice". Choose to live in a society, you are bound to that society's "free choice".

Chip

NEVER be impaired in ANY way.

I presume that as long as your nose is on the receiving end of my money, that's a society to you?

The problem is that all too often your "society" make a free choice to deprive me of MY free choice. That is call the tyranny of the majority. A.K.A. "lynch mob".

It actually is called "democracy" where the "society" votes peacefully to abide by majority rule. You have the "free choice" to ignore traffic signals. The society has decided for the benefit of the majority that it will punish you for doing so.

Chip

Yes, and thank goodness this country was not founded and is not a democracy. It is a republic.

Sometimes people think they are exercising "free choice" when actually they are performing an action that someone else has already chosen for them. When you make a "choice" of a product from a supermarket shelf, that "choice" may depend a great deal on the ads you happened to have watched on TV, paid for by the company that produces the brand you think you have freely chosen.

And then there is the sad fact that all six brands on the shelf may be unhealthy and not what you would really "choose" if better ones were available.

Unfortunately, similar considerations apply to the choice of political candidates, houses, cars, insurance policies, and financial products for investment purposes.

You mean this is not the best of all possible worlds. Disappointing.

Chip

IMHO it is not even in the top 10.

It would be difficult for me even to name 10 other worlds, especially since Pluto got demoted.

-Will

will dot trice at comcast dot net

I didn't hear my promise.

-Will

will dot trice at comcast dot net

I didn't hear you admit your violation of your promise.