@Fallstar Great points on health care reform!

Let’s say, at the very least, that health care is a human right. Perhaps it is not a human right on par with not having to pay for a rape kit, which seems to be how health care is currently paid for. It would seem to be less important than equality before the law, since patients with means often pay for patients without means–usually without knowledge or consent. This makes health care, then, a sub-human right.*

If Mr. Obama wants to fix the problems in Medicine, there is reason to worry. I heard him murmur out his proposal, and was surprised that it did not address a budget for sickness. It had one for prevention and wellness and all sorts of things which are either not shown to work or shown to not work. The rest was gobbledygook. It would not have been accepted by any teacher I’ve had.

If we are to pay for health care, should it be at Cost(necessary for upkeep of facility, administration, paying off the Doctor’s medical school and other NECESSARY things)? or Cost + a small amount for profit? Surely the present way of running things is absurd. Some pay far more than cost while others pay nothing.

The problem with cost or low cost is that doctors fear their patients, or at least the lawsuits they might bring; therefore, they would never consent to decreasing the legal budget. Also, there would be no budget for research; cancer patients would be trotted out before congress and politicians would be told they were killing them by creating the new structure.

If we are not to pay for health care, that is, not directly, how is abuse to be avoided? If some hypocondriac comes in everyday complaining of nonsense, or a munchausen patient keeps doctors busy while really sick people wait, there is a problem. This would happen more than it does because both the really sick and the pretend sick would be more willing to come since they would not have to pay. The pretend sick, having more interesting symptoms and potentially grant giving or journal worthy illnesses, would be given preferred treatment. This is why politicians jump to rationing.

Yet there is a possible way.

Suppose we eliminated Medicare and Medicaid. Also, the state medical programs. Then we broke the insurance machine. Then the Tort lawyer machine. Then, have those who can pay for their own treatment, pay. For those who cannot, the hospital could set up a charitable fund and have black tie events to seek donations. The people who could pay for their own treatment would be invited.

While we’re on crack, let’s just cut the administrative overhead and overinflated salaries of the upper management and send it to the doctors.

*(not in the eugenic sense, let’s be clear, but the etymological sense of a right below the level of human right)