When does the idiot finally get it?

[Blinocac200sx]

It's funny to me how many people think health care can't be handled by the free market, yet, the health care system in this country was affordable and simple until the government got involved and it quit being a free market.

 

[poopgiggle]

I agree with Krugman that healthcare cannot be efficiently allocated by a free market, but I would make the argument that health care is not as important as law enforcement, courts, roads, etc... and should not be allocated.

But that's just me

You seem to know economics well enough that you should know what I meant by "allocated," meaning how goods/services make their way to consumers through markets or whatever.

 

[poopgiggle]

It's funny to me how many people think health care can't be handled by the free market, yet, the health care system in this country was affordable and simple until the government got involved and it quit being a free market.

You assert that the system was affordable and simple, but I don't think that's true. Do you have any facts/evidence to support it?

 

[Dale00]

You folks seem to be suffering from the delusion that there are economists who know something.

 

[Blinocac200sx]

You assert that the system was affordable and simple, but I don't think that's true. Do you have any facts/evidence to support it?

Are you asserting that it wasn't?

 

[Billybob]

With respect to the "state of healthcare in the country" it is neither within the Constitutional realm of the legislature, nor the financial responsibility of the taxpayer, to "improve the situation somehow".

The "solution", is to defund all previous solutions.

Don't hold your breath.

I would agree, the Constitution says "Promote the general welfare" not "Provide" it.

 

[Blinocac200sx]

To answer the question of my assertion, some quick research shows that Health care costs have more than tripled since 1972, when adjusted for inflation, much more without inflationary adjustment. 1973 is when the first major healthcare bill was passed by congress. I'm not a big believer in coincidence. BTW, in 1972 the average healthcare cost had not seen the same trend in the previous 40 years.

 

[Billybob]

The solution is to get government out of the way. Government is the problem.

Maybe it's some/many of the people in our government.

 

[Billybob]

Washington has it's own set of morals - whatever goes best at the time.
And that usually follows the money.
People in this country need to realize we have an extremely corrupt form of gov't.
Money rules Washington, just like it rules our judicial system.

Is it a corrupt system, or a system ran by corrupt people?

 

[inactive]

You seem to know economics well enough that you should know what I meant by "allocated," meaning how goods/services make their way to consumers through markets or whatever.

I inferred correctly, however I meant that as "if insurance is an inefficient market, perhaps it should not exist, in a free market or as government subsided good or otherwise." Perhaps I worded that poorly. I understand we are likely in too deep for that to ever be a practical solution.

On the macroeconomic level, most markets are considered to reach an efficient equilibrium, or they will cease to exist. On the micro level, if an entity cannot compete efficiently, they withdraw from the market. (These are of course gross simplifications)



For the record, my BA is in Economics. My Masters is in Human Relations (i.e. organizational behavior). I guess I should also disclose that I work for a (non-healthcare) insurance company.