Since the topic of Universal Health Care has begun to come up, we need someplace to post/rant/curse and belittle each other. Here it is.
I'll start off with a couple of thoughts and posts/articles.
First...Health Care is busted. It has been completely divorced from cost/benefit and market forces. The first article is extremely interesting. It describes the Medicare costs in McAllen Texas and compares it to El Paso and also places where medicare costs are much less.
One of the most interesting things noted was the less medical procedures and "care" you got, the healthier you are, even if you are the same demographic. Funny...
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...urrentPage=all
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The second point is the political one that is on-going. Whereby Obama is suggesting that we do a BAC-type take it or leave it based on the recommendations of I think it's called the CEA. What some are suggesting is that if they think they can cut the cost of medicare (and ultimately the as-yet-unapproved Universal Health Care) then do it. Use Medicare as the pilot-program to show that these savings can be achieved and that they are viable. Sounds reasonable to me. The CEA states..
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"Nearly 30 percent of Medicare’s costs could be saved without adverse health consequences.""
http://www.dynamist.com/weblog/archives/003001.html