People throw around the expression "American health care system" like it was something that actually exists. Britain and Canada have health care systems, and in the US of A we have things like Kaiser and Group Health and the VA which are health care systems, but we don't have "A health care system". What we more accurately have is a bunch of professionals who provide services that are sometimes random and sometimes coordinated, having to do with caring for peoples' health and diseases.
Because we don't have a health care system, it is hard to fix it.
Most of our health care is delivered by people who see themselves as individuals delivering a service. In addition to delivering the service, these individuals want to make as much money as they can, consistent with keeping the client happy and healthy. This model does not lend itself well to cost efficiency.
Today our office was provided lunch by a well dressed representative of a medical equipment company. This salesman was sent by his company to show us a device, an inflatable vest, that bumped and vibrated to help patients with lung conditions get rid of their congestion. I can see that it would be helpful, but he said the cost was $15,000, most of it paid by Medicare. So his company had made something that was pretty darned good, but cost as much as a car, and shouldn't. If there were an actual health care system, that system would include the medical equipment company which would be encouraged to produce the fancy doohickey for less money.
If we are to make a bunch of independent providers deliver cost effective health care, we either need to regulate costs, which might work, or allow the market system to push down costs.
Because we don't have a health care system, it is hard to fix it.
Most of our health care is delivered by people who see themselves as individuals delivering a service. In addition to delivering the service, these individuals want to make as much money as they can, consistent with keeping the client happy and healthy. This model does not lend itself well to cost efficiency.
Today our office was provided lunch by a well dressed representative of a medical equipment company. This salesman was sent by his company to show us a device, an inflatable vest, that bumped and vibrated to help patients with lung conditions get rid of their congestion. I can see that it would be helpful, but he said the cost was $15,000, most of it paid by Medicare. So his company had made something that was pretty darned good, but cost as much as a car, and shouldn't. If there were an actual health care system, that system would include the medical equipment company which would be encouraged to produce the fancy doohickey for less money.
If we are to make a bunch of independent providers deliver cost effective health care, we either need to regulate costs, which might work, or allow the market system to push down costs.
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