How to Fix Health Care: Lasik Surgery For The Medical Debate
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Description: Make no mistake about it. Health care reform is coming. But what’s the best way to fix our health care system, which is an inefficient, complicated mess of private actors, third-party payers, public subsidies, and innumerable state and federal regulations? Should we place our faith in the government or in the free market? obamacare supporters argue that the answer lies in more government—more subsidies, more regulations, a law mandating individuals buy health-insurance coverage and, of course, more taxes to pay for it all. The alternative is to base reforms on what works in the other five-sixths of the US economy, where choice and competition increase quality and drive down prices over time. Can a market-based health care system work? We can begin to answer this question by looking at Lasik, a medical procedure that’s not covered by health insurance. And has gotten better—and cheaper—over time. “How to Fix Health Care” proposes three simple reforms that will put us on a path to a health-care system that’s better, more affordable, and more accessible. And get this—these market-based reforms can be implemented without creating new government programs or raising taxes. Approximately 8.30 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Meredith Bragg. Hosted by Nick Gillespie. For downloadable versions of this and other videos, go to reason.tv
25 Comments
January 31st, 2010 at 6:11 pm
What are you talking about? “Semi trucks?” Yeah, they have to deliver the goods you consume! Enforce patents…GOD FORBID! rule of law…protecting property rights…..AHHH!
January 31st, 2010 at 7:08 pm
or Hong Kong and Singapore……or Ireland with their 12.5% corporate tax rate………….
January 31st, 2010 at 7:42 pm
The free market will solve everything, just look at the Commonwealth of the Marianna Islands.
January 31st, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Corporations consume things, like breathable air, they do more wear and tear on our public roads with their semi trucks, they use courts more often than average citizens to enforce patents among other things.
January 31st, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Well, you infer that without the mediocre education the government “provided” you wouldn’t be able to read or write at all. I’m suggesting that idea is a misconception at best, and a propagated lie by the establish to create a cycle of dependency on big brother at worst. Public schools in America were originally started by the church to provide free education out of good will to poor people like you describe your up-bringing.
January 31st, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Good thing I was indoctrinated by the state, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to read what you wrote, or type a response at 60 wpm.
January 31st, 2010 at 10:12 pm
There’s a big difference between public education and government education. It’s true that some people can’t afford an education, and it’s genuinely a good thing if they can get some education for free. But the government never does that. The government pays for your education with someone else’s money. That’s the only way the government ever works. But then they make the rules. Should the government be making rules about education? That’s called state-sponsored indoctrination in plain English.
January 31st, 2010 at 10:42 pm
lasik is dangerous. 6 months after lasik
I have stopped reading for pleasure
I “watch” tv with eyes closed half the time.
fleurescent lights drive me nuts.
I have dimmed down vision with halos/starbursts.
My eyes ache and hurt all the time. I have been deemed a good lasik result by 3 doctors in addition to my surgeon.
January 31st, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Schlie´nicht vin Dir auf andere.
January 31st, 2010 at 11:33 pm
@Lexduden
No way?
It’s like these bartenders I meet who say they can’t afford healthcare.
Then, in the next conversation they tell me how they just got back from cancun and vegas and the bahamas, and they’re going to france next week.
the US IS NOT A FREE MARKET!!!
Why don’t you save some keystrokes and just say “I’m a loser”?
January 31st, 2010 at 11:40 pm
You are right…Europe didn’t get out of recession because they embraced socialism! Europe increased consumption taxes, lowered income taxes, and lowered corporate taxes because …they were all necessary to keep the existing social programs running! It is extremely difficult to cut back government programs…but you can reform them like they did in the Netherlands, or privatize most industries like they did in Denmark.
January 31st, 2010 at 11:52 pm
I used public education, I’m glad it was available because my family didn’t have enough money for private school.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:10 am
have you heard of the “flat rate box” ads? Type that up in the search bar above
February 1st, 2010 at 12:35 am
if I’m walking through a rough part of town, I hope I have an m1911 with me.
Also, the govt “made us feel better” about public education and look where that is.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:07 am
@Lexduden
There is nothing reasonable in your wishy-washy view. You should run for office.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:11 am
@brazenhubris
The idea socialism even comunism is good, but when you factor in the human it becomes what we know of today in North Korea and other places. No the free market does not ALWAYS lower prices and raise quality. Though it often does. But in health care there needs to coverage for everyone. While I agree that the free market is usaly the way to go, but health care one needs to be more social. The US is more me me me. Especialy Western Europe is more us us us.This is godd and bad.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:29 am
@Lexduden
It’s always practiced with force, which makes it bad, period. Private socialism isn’t socialism, it’s organized charity- which is what people who can’t take care of themselves need. Free capitalism drives prices down, and quality up. That’s just the nature of it.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:45 am
Okay maybe that is not the best comparison, but I do know there is no reason for the insurance companies to improve affordability when they have monopolies.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:21 am
To continue my point. e. g.: Bronchitis.
(w/ public option) If you have e.g. you got to the doctor he prescribes antibiotics case closed Maybe a hundred USD. (w/out p.o.) you don’t go to the doctor because you can’t afford it or it not that bad. But it does get that bad, but by this time it’s so bad you have to go to the ICU and stay there 2 or 3 days, all-inall over a thounsand USD. Things like this drive up the cost of health care, because somebody has to pay for it.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:28 am
Not having universal health care or public option is like not giving prenatal instruction to women with bastard babies. The costs that result, that are carried taxpayers, are out of proportion. Because if they were to get regular care, which would cost maybe a few hundred dollars, serious issues could be dealt with swiftly and usually cost efficiently. On the other hand if regular care would not be covered one would go only in emergencies, likely costing a min of several thousand USD.
February 1st, 2010 at 3:25 am
I am an american the main reason I live in Germany is that in the states there is no way on God’s green earth I could get or aford healthcare. There are other reasons for instance I got an aprenticeship paid by the goverment because I probably could’nt get one on the “free market”. Not that that got me any work. If I could get affordable healthcare with my pre.existing conditions I would be more likly to move back. And about NATO it’s that way because the US wanted it that way. Mow maybe not.
February 1st, 2010 at 3:43 am
Socialism in and of itself is not bad Period. It’s how it is practice that makes it godd or bad. Moderate Socialsim is not bad.
February 1st, 2010 at 3:58 am
allawayjared: Comparing a local police presence to a single payer regime is a joke, right? I assume you know the vast differences.
The list of goods and services that are better delivered via socialism rather than by capitalism is really short. Health care is not on that list.
Health care reform must encourage competition and innovation in the marketplace (single payer will do neither). THAT will drive down costs and increase availability of care–which is the point of this video.
February 1st, 2010 at 4:35 am
I agree cops do need to leave us alone in some respects. Which is why I am politically active in trying to influence legislation. On the other hand when my guitar got stolen, I reported it to the police, and I got my guitar out of the Pawn Shop no problem.
February 1st, 2010 at 4:47 am
@Gyrode
It’s not as if tee-totalers don’t die in ugly ways like the rest of us. If I’m free, then I can make sure quite cheaply that I don’t feel any pain as I die. Beyond that, charity can step in and help me, otherwise I pay for my health care like anyone else. When it comes down to it, whether you’re destitute or George Harrison with a gazillion bucks, you’re still laying there hooked up to the machine that goes ping waiting to die. The question is why does it cost a fortune- SOCIALISM!!!!!