tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4212234230338648875.post1976347195061850342..comments2024-03-27T20:43:05.862-07:00Comments on The Eternal Universe: My Problem with Health Care - or - The $12,000 BabyJoseph Smidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583891162785742138noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4212234230338648875.post-80187481666090497022009-10-19T02:33:25.247-07:002009-10-19T02:33:25.247-07:00May be it is because the culture in France is too ...May be it is because the culture in France is too much Catholic, but when you use the notion of God in your work (even if it is not about religion), you feel like people do not think you want to have any baby, even if it is exactly the opposite of your position. But this is true that it is possible to find some Catholic priests who have some babies (more or less hidden).Serge Le Coz L'Eternelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07223106494481146426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4212234230338648875.post-18422822056428414302009-10-14T12:39:47.025-07:002009-10-14T12:39:47.025-07:00Absolutely Brilliant Quantumleap42!! I couldn'...Absolutely Brilliant Quantumleap42!! I couldn't agree more! This sounds like an excellent solution to our problems.<br /><br />What's interesting to me is that as you said, we (well, the gov't + insurance companies) are the ones who have made it so expensive, yet the solution seems to be to increase our involvement in trying to control it. Just like everything else gov't touches, to improve things, add more control.<br /><br />Re: Josep Smidt<br />I agree, it would be nice to see some good hard data. I do think, however, that some interesting conclusions can be inferred by examining industries that are truly free vs. those that are heavily regulated. The truth is, if an effective method for aggregation of the market is available (usually via opinions of free agents (humans)) then we are much better off trusting in the collective opinion of the market than to entrust the industry with rules and regulations that move at a snail's pace, are subject to small group decisions, groupthink, and other problems associated with regulation of markets.<br /><br />In some sense, yes, we are just recapitulating the laissez faire claims without a lot of "proof." I grant you that. But even looking at things from a moral perspective, I find it disturbing that we're (as a country) okay with the concept of forced altruism, and general lack of liberty (Atlas Shrugged anyone?). We are valuing safety and security over liberty everywhere we turn. We are so bent on ensuring nothing bad happens to anyone that we tromp all over individual rights to (supposedly) save the few.<br /><br />I think this is why the idea of a truly free market is offensive to some people. The truth is, some folks are gonna die, some aren't gonna get the help they need. I truly feel this is regrettable and would do my part to help those in need. But, as has been shown time after time throughout history, a society based on forced altruism will not only stifle innovation, and eventually lead to degradation of society as a whole, but will fail.jmb275http://www.mormonmatters.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4212234230338648875.post-52635800223075151342009-10-13T18:01:04.336-07:002009-10-13T18:01:04.336-07:00Quantumleap42,
I appropriate your post and ad...Quantumleap42,<br /><br /> I appropriate your post and admit there might be a case for having an extreme free market solution where you take away all influence over forcing employers to provide insurance etc... I have heard good arguments in this area.<br /><br /> What I fear is, and I've quoted Krugman saying this, that the only people other than the young and healthy who will ever have health insurance are those the government gives insurance either through something like medicare or by forcing employeers to provide insurance to their employees even if they are sickly. In short, there is a compelling argument to be made that it takes government intervention to get health care to people who are sickly.<br /><br />Now, I keeping seeing very laissez faire claims that if there could be "true" competition and allow people to search for good health care deals like we can with auto insurance maybe everything would be cheaper and more universal this way.<br /><br />I just wish there was some data on this. It is hard to get such data when the entire "advanced" world, other than us, has government provided universal health care.Joseph Smidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02583891162785742138noreply@blogger.com